• Wike launches new attack at BoT chair, Wabara

 

The planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is now uncertain due to the resurgence of divisions within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), credible sources in the party have revealed.

The NWC, responsible for convening NEC meetings, has been grappling with internal conflicts, particularly over the continued tenure of the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.

Earlier, the crisis polarised the NWC and other party organs, resulting in the suspension of Damagum, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and others. However, interventions by PDP governors helped reverse the suspensions, temporarily restoring peace.

At a meeting in Jos, Plateau State, the governors, led by Governor Bala Mohammed, urged the NWC to convene the NEC meeting by February 2025.

Mohammed said: “The forum strongly advises the NWC to call the NEC meeting by the first week of February at the latest to allow for consultations with critical stakeholders of the party. The period between November and February should address the party’s existential problems, with a clear timeline of activities to resolve leadership and litigation issues.”

The 98th NEC meeting scheduled the 99th for August 15, 2024, but it was postponed to October 24, then November 28, and later indefinitely—until the governors intervened.

Despite the progress, the fragile peace appears to have crumbled especially after the crisis over the position of the national secretary escalated last week. Damagum and embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, accused Ologunagba of acting unilaterally and designated Deputy National Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, as their spokesman.

At his first press conference, Abdullahi cited a court order restraining the deputy national secretary from issuing notices for NEC or NWC meetings, signing documents, or performing other duties without Anyanwu’s directive.

“We are obliged, as a law-abiding party, to respect the court order,” Abdullahi stated.

Sources told Daily Trust that Ologunagba’s camp is preparing for the February NEC meeting. This has reportedly prompted Damagum and Anyanwu to act swiftly to avoid being sidelined.

Ologunagba, speaking to Daily Trust, asserted his authority as the party’s official spokesman.

He said, “The party’s communication channels are clearly outlined in our constitution. The National Publicity Secretary is the authorised person to convey the party’s activities to the public, and this position is part of the NWC. The deputy publicity secretary is not a member of the NWC and cannot speak for the party. He is exhibiting ignorance.”

On the NEC meeting, he added: “I expect the party to do what is right. The governors’ forum is critical to our party, and consultations will follow. NEC should resolve these issues, but we must first unite as one house.”

Efforts to reach Deputy National Publicity Secretary Abdullahi for comments were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

Meanwhile, Timothy Osadolor, a member of the NEC and Deputy Youth Leader, dismissed the dispute between the national publicity secretary and his deputy as unrelated to NEC proceedings.

“February remains the date, and the current issues are not enough to obstruct NEC. It is crucial that NEC holds, and it will,” Osadolor affirmed.

Wike launches fresh attack at BoT chair, Wabara

In a related development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Senate president Adolphus Wabara over his role in the leadership crisis within the PDP.

Wabara, who serves as the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), was accused by Wike of exacerbating the conflict between him and Rivers State Governor Siminilayi Fubara, a former protégé of Wike. The feud, which has resisted intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has further deepened divisions in the party.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Sunday, Wike condemned the push by some PDP leaders to remove Damagum and Anyanwu despite court rulings.

“If Wabara were my father, I would have disowned him. He doesn’t deserve to be a leader. No wonder Obasanjo made a presidential broadcast about his acts of corruption,” Wike said.

The minister further stressed the need to adhere to party rules and court judgments.

“The matter is in the hands of the courts, and the party constitution is clear. If they resign, they must be replaced through elections. The fact that someone is trying to bypass this process doesn’t surprise me,” he added.

Wike also accused certain individuals of attempting to manipulate the situation but expressed confidence that they would not succeed.

“We need to focus on resolving issues within the party, particularly with the upcoming convention. Instead of stoking crises, the convention should take place as scheduled in December, and we should usher in a new executive,” he stated.