PDP New Chairman Election Emerges March 19, 2016

In an attempt to placate aggrieved members from the North-East who are kicking against the eligibility of the Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus, to stay in office, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday issued the  timetable for 2016 chapter congresses and national convention.

PDP

In a four-paragraph statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the NWC fixed March 12, 2016 for state congresses, while zonal congresses would hold on March 16, 2016. According to the statement, the national convention to elect new national officers would hold on March 19.

The statement was, however, silent on whether the timetable was subject to the approval of the national executive committee.

But Daily Sun learnt that the NWC at the end of its meeting on Wednesday, arrived at the decision as part of measures to disabuse the minds of party faithful from the North-East, who are already kicking against Secondus from the South-South.
An aspirant for the office of national chairman and former Special Adviser to former President, Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, had dragged the PDP and Secondus, before an Abuja High Court, over his (Secondus) continued stay in office, submitting that it was “a gross violation of the party’s constitution.”

Gulak, in the suit filed by his lawyer, J. S. Okutapa (SAN), said as a registered member from Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, North-East zone, he was qualified for the position, which he alleged he was being denied.

He said Secondus, who was elected the Deputy National Chairman from Rivers State and who, upon Mu’azu’s voluntary resignation on May 29, 2015, assumed the position of Acting National Chairman, has continued to run the affairs of the party in gross violation of its constitution.
In his reaction, Gulak vowed to pursue the case against PDP and Secondus.

He dismissed the timetable as a ploy by the national leadership of the party to buy time and ultimately perpetuate  its grip on the administration of the main opposition party.
Gulak said: “I’m not aware of the timetable. But the idea behind such is to buy time and for the NWC members to perpetuate themselves in office.

“The release of the timetable won’t stop the case we instituted in court. Rather than stop the case, the court action would even stop the convention.z
“The NWC also bypassed the NEC of the party and unilaterally picked dates for the convention. That is illegal,” he said.

• Party releases congresses, convention time table as Gulak kicks

From Taiwo Amodu, Abuja