PDP to hold national convention in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party has chosen Abuja as the venue for its national convention. The decision was reached at the party’s 92nd National Executive Committee meeting held on Saturday.

The acting National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, presided over the meeting. The NEC also agreed to reconvene in September. Main opposition party PDP has recently been hit by multiple defections as some embittered members call for the resignation of Uche Secondus as National Chairman.

Mr Secondus has been accused of having “no clear road map, blue print or policy programme for the PDP.” At least two court judgements have asked Mr Secondus to step aside as party chief while a court judgement obtained in Kebbi said he could continue in the role. Mr Secondus was absent at Saturday’s NEC meeting.

NEC meeting

At the meeting, Akinwonmi said consultations within the party are yielding desired results. He condemned the country’s deteriorating security situation and high cost of living owing to the weakness of the naira against other currencies.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jubril, said the problems in the party are not insurmountable. He noted that challenges and disputes are a fact of life in any party, but how they are resolved matters most.

He advised the party not to fail Nigerians, as it remains the last hope of citizens. There is no way the PDP can win elections if it is divided, he added. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, also expressed confidence in the party’s internal mechanism to resolve its crisis.

He also took a swipe at the incumbent government, insisting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government has taken the country backward since they came into power in 2015.