New Telegraph In a last ditch attempt to douse tension within, governors elected on the platform of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are hosting a major stakeholders of the party in Jos, the Plateau State, capital today and tomorrow.
The development was confirmed to Saturday Telegraph by the duo of the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyawu and a former National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kolawole Ologbodiyan, in separate telephone interviews yesterday.
“All organs of the party are meeting in Jos today and tomorrow. It is the outcome of that meeting that everybody appears to be waiting for,” Ologbodiyan said.
On the essence of the meeting, the former PDP spokesman said, “The meeting will feature all the stakeholders of the party. You have the Governors Forum. It is actually a meeting of the Governors Forum as a measure of finding solutions to the problems within the party.
“They have invited members of the Board of Trustees. They have invited the former Governors Forum. They have invited the National Caucus of the party. So, they will put heads together and try to find solutions to the challenges within the party.”
The Kogi State born politician stated that the outcome of the meeting which will be hosted by the Plateau State Governor, Mr. Caleb Muftwang, will determine whether the scheduled November 28 NEC meeting will hold as scheduled.
Confirming the meeting in a telephone chat, the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said, “We are meeting with the members of the PDP Governors Forum in Jos today. We as members of the NWC will have to honour them because they are members of the NEC.”
The decision of the governors to host the meeting is sequel to the mounting division within the party with regards to the controversies generated by the decision of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum and Anyanwu, in a joint statement issued on Thursday postponing the forthcoming NEC meeting of the PDP scheduled for November 28 in Abuja.
The NEC meeting which was originally scheduled to hold on that day was postponed in the statement obtained by our correspondent to afford members the opportunity to attend the burial of the wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs. Patient Eno, which was scheduled to hold between November 27 and 29.
The statement reads: “Distinguished members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) may recall that the NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday October 24, 2024 was rescheduled to hold on Thursday, November 28, 2024 after an extensive meeting of leaders, critical stakeholder and relevant Organs of the Party held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
“However, at its meeting of Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) was drawn to the programme of events of the funeral ceremony of the late First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Mrs. Patience Umo Eno, wife of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, which events coincide with the scheduled dates of activities for the 99th NEC meeting.
“After due consideration, the NWC, recognizing the need for Party leaders to commiserate with Governor Umo Eno and also participate in the funeral, hereby wishes to notify distinguished members of NEC of our Party that the 99th NEC meeting earlier scheduled for Thursday, November 28, 2024 will now be held on a date that will be communicated to members in due course.
“All NEC Members should please note the change of date and be guided accordingly. The NWC sincerely regrets inconveniences this change of date will cause distinguished members of NEC.”
The statement drew the ire of elements within the party who resolved to go ahead with the meeting where they (the elements) expect to announce the removal of Damagum whom they accused of undermining the party.
When contacted to speak on the postponement of the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, who washed his hands off the statement postponing the NEC meeting directed our correspondent to speak with Anyanwu.
“You know that I am not the author of that statement. The notice was signed by somebody, not me. I mean the (National) Secretary of the party. I think he (Anyanwu) will be the right person to ask,” Ologunagba said.
The meeting in Jos is seen by many as pre-emptive and as a means of dousing tension within the PDP considering the fact that some elements within the party have resolved to go ahead with the meeting despite the postponement.
A prominent member of the party who is a former Presidential spokesman who pleaded anonymity told Saturday Telegraph that “We are going ahead with the meeting as scheduled. We have since discovered that these people don’t want to vacate their seats.”
The source blamed the recurring problem within the PDP on the Minister for the FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike whom he accused of allegedly working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the party.
“That meeting must take place whether Damagum likes it or not. Don’t worry, you’ll see for yourself, that meeting will take place. I can tell categorically that stakeholders have scheduled that the meeting will take place,” he said.
According to him, the meeting has been properly summoned by the NWC whom he said has no right or reason to cancel it to allow members attend the burial of a governor’s wife, adding that the meeting being proposed by his members will be legal should the attendees form the needed quorum.
