PDP Crisis: Deputy National Chairman (South) shifts NWC meeting
The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, has postponed the National Working Committee meeting of the party earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 24th of August, 2021 in Abuja.
The postponement which according to him is pursuant to Section 35(3) (b) of the constitution of the People’s Democratic Party which empowers him to summon and preside over party meetings in the absence of the national chairman.
Accompanied by the 2019 governorship candidate of the party in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, Akinwonmi said providence has bestowed on him the leadership of the party.
He added that the party’s attention was drawn to a court order which purports to restrain its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, from summoning and presiding over the meetings of the organs of the party.
He said the situation led to leaders of the party to consult widely and agreed on the postponement of the National Working Committee meeting slated for the party’s national Secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse in Abuja until further notice.
He disclosed that the decision is in the overall interest of the Peoples Democratic Party and further decisions will be taken after wide and extensive consultations.
While declaring that there is no victor, no vanquish, Akinwonmi called on the party faithful to join hands with him in piloting the affairs of the party.
“I am a man of peace, not a man of crisis. PDP has a good succession order. There is order here. The chairman is followed by the deputy national chairman one (South), followed by the deputy national chairman two (north),” he said.
Referring to the meeting earlier presided over by deputy national chairman (North) of the party, Senator Sulaiman Nazif, the acting national chairman said “everything conducted while I was not here is null and void. At the appropriate time, we will call on a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, and the Board of Trustees, BoT.
He added that he played no part in the fate that befell Secondus.
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Reminded that Nazif had in his absence described him as incapacitated, Akinwonmi pointed out that “Sickness is not a friend of anybody. I was on my way to Wadata Plaza when I had a stroke in my car. I was at the Cidacrest Hospital for three months. Anybody can be sick but I am getting back and better. It was not my making to be sick. In the past, I could not stand up but I stoop up singing the national anthem here this afternoon.
“It is wrong for people to start making reference to my ill health. Anybody can be sick but I am getting better now,” he said.
Also speaking, the national secretary of the party, Ibrahim Tsauri said no faction exists in the NWC, adding that Nazif only presided over the meeting of the working committee earlier because Akinwonmi was not present at the time.
“NWC was one under Secondus and there was no division. We are here to adopt the doctrine of necessity. PDP is a law-abiding party, with people of integrity and respect. PDP is the only political party in Nigeria today. We never changed our name, we never changed our logo.
“Yesterday (Monday), we were faced with something very challenging, which we never expected. We have no other option but to accept the order of the court. There are people that took this matter to court. We have given the judgement to our lawyers to study,” he stated.
Zainab Sa’id
