- Orders holding of National Convention In Abuja
- Dissolves Wike-led Convention Planning Committee
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after a prolonged meeting in Abuja submitted to one of the demands of the former National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, requesting national convention of the party to hold in Abuja.
The BoT had on Monday directed the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to consider Abuja as the venue for the next national convention as part of efforts aimed at resolving the lingering leadership crisis in the party.
The BoT members further passed a vote of confidence on the National Caretaker Committee, and mandated the committee to, as soon as possible, convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee to approve proposals for moving the party forward subsequently.
Sheriff had given some conditions for resolving the crisis in the party, part of which include holding the national convention in Abuja, given the power to nominate some members of the committee. The embattled former national chairman had also demanded the removal of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as leader of the convention planning committee.
Senator Walid Jubrin, PDP BoT Chairman, had in a communique after the Monday meeting said to have lasted about four hours, ordered that a new convention planning committee be immediately constituted by the caretaker committee.
Senator Jibrin stated that the Planning Committee, BoT should this time be approved by PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) to strengthen internal bond in the party.
“The next convention should be held in Abuja. To ensure a credible, transparent, free and fair convention, a new Convention Planning Committee should be constituted by the National Caretaker Committee and approved by NEC,” Jibrin had declared.
The |Bot Chairman also disclosed that the Board of Trustees has accepted to facilitate the raising of adequate funds for the party to finance the convention.
Sheriff expects that some members of his faction will be included in the new convention planning committee.