BEVERLY HILLS, July 18, (THEWILL) – The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fixed a non-elective national convention in Abuja forAugust 12, 2017.
The decision was arrived at on Tuesday, following series of consultative meetings involving the party’s National Caucus, the Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee and members of the Caretaker Committee.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, spokesman of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, explained that time constraint forced the party to opt for non-elective convention seeing that the tenure of the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee is to expire onAugust 16, 2017.
The non-elective convention is expected to extend Makarfi’s tenure to allow the Caretaker Committee conduct an elective convention before the end of the year because it would be practically impossible to meet timelines prescribed by the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution for the conduct of elective convention prior the expiration of Makarfi’s tenure.
Another resolution taken at the meeting was the decision to disband the caretaker committees set up in Jigawa and Benue States by the sacked National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff shortly after he was declared Chairman by the Court of Appeal in February 2017.
The two state chapters have been directed to revert to their existing executive committees prior to their dissolution by Sheriff.
The party also announced plans to set up standing Disciplinary Committee and Reconciliation Committee to handle issues of discipline and reconciliation among members adding that both committees would have no time frame and will permanently remain recognised bodies of the party.
The meetings, which were held at the party’s secretariat attracted unprecedented number of party faithful across the six geopolitical zones.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and all the governors elected on the platform of the party attended the meetings, same with members in the National Assembly, former governors, ex ministers, past party chairmen and other former executive members. However, Sheriff and his loyalists were absent.
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