Ahead of the national convention of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fixed for Wednesday, the party will
commence screening of aspirants for various offices to be contested
during the exercise.
However, there were indications on
Sunday that the party might not go into the convention with the much
expected unity as its former acting National Chairman, Senator Ali Modu
Sheriff, has insisted that he would not be part of it.
In a statement issued yesterday by the
Chairman of the National Convention Committee and Governor of Rivers
State, Nyesom Wike, the party asked all aspirants to present themselves
to the screening committee with their original certificates, original
nomination forms and photocopies.
The statement signed by the Chairman,
Publicity Sub-Committee, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, said the party also
summoned all aspirants to a meeting with the national convention
committee monday.
According to the party’s programme of
activities, screening of aspirants is to take place in Port Harcourt on
August 15, while the appeal committee would entertain complaints as from
August 16
The statement read: “All aspirants are
to present themselves to the screening committee with their original
certificates, original nomination form and set of photocopies.
“There shall be a meeting of all aspirants with the national convention leadership today at Government House, Port Harcourt. by 8p.m. prompt.”
“There shall be a meeting of all aspirants with the national convention leadership today at Government House, Port Harcourt. by 8p.m. prompt.”
Meanwhile, the peace efforts of the
party appear to have hit the rocks as the main actor in the intra-party
squabble, Sheriff, said yesterday that he would not attend the
convention organised by the National Caretaker Committee headed by its
Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
Speaking with journalists on phone
yesterday, the Special Assistant to Sheriff on Media and Publicity, Mr.
Inuwa Bwala, said Sheriff was not interested in the convention as he was
busy doing other things.
He said the former Borno State governor was watching to see if Makarfi would succeed in his objective.
Sheriff’s aide however declined to say whether he would attempt to stop the convention, using the court or not.
Sheriff’s aide however declined to say whether he would attempt to stop the convention, using the court or not.
“We don’t have to be reacting. He is
doing his convention, we are doing some other things. They are putting
us on the defensive and that will not sell. We are not part of it, we
don’t know about it and we will not even comment about it.
“Let’s just wait and see whether he will
have his way. We are fixing the party. We are trying to bring aggrieved
members on board so that we can move the party forward,” he said.
The reconciliation committee set by the
Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP had while submitting its report last
Friday said it has recommended measures that would bring Sheriff and
others who are aggrieved back to the fold.
The chairman of the peace committee,
Prof. Jerry Gana, also said they had asked all combatants to withdraw
pending courts cases as a condition to further the cause of
reconciliation.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Publicity
Sub-Committee of the PDP Convention Planning Committee, Ugochukwu has
stated that the national convention would go on as scheduled, urging all
the leaders, members, stakeholders, well wishers and followers of the
evolution of the party to converge on the famous ‘Garden City’ to chart a
new course for the political party.
Ugochukwu charged all stakeholders of
the party to turn up en masse at the Port Harcourt convention, to give a
new lease of life to the party.
He debunked the misconception that the convention had once again been postponed, advising members to disregard any such rumour.
He debunked the misconception that the convention had once again been postponed, advising members to disregard any such rumour.
In a reference to insinuation that the
convention had been rescheduled, he observed that the only recognisable
interim executive of the PDP by law, empowered to organise a convention
“is the one led by Makarfi.”
He cited the tacit recognition of the
Makarfi committee by the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) as the only lawful interim apex leadership of the PDP and the
recent judgment given by a high court in Port Harcourt, restraining the
security services from interfering with the forthcoming convention, to
buttress his argument.
According to him, the Makarfi caretaker committee had worked very hard to achieve its mandate of organising a consensually agreed convention, within 90 days from the date of the rescheduled event.
According to him, the Makarfi caretaker committee had worked very hard to achieve its mandate of organising a consensually agreed convention, within 90 days from the date of the rescheduled event.
He explained that the earlier convention
hosted at the same venue on May 21 had put in place a caretaker
committee “to steer the affairs of the party on an interim basis.”
He added the May 21 convention mandated the interim committee “to organise a fresh convention within 90 days, to put in place a substantive national working committee, the highest executive organ of the party, to steer its affairs on a sustainable basis.”
He enjoined members of the PDP to demonstrate loyalty and solidarity with the party by turning out an masse at the convention.
He added the May 21 convention mandated the interim committee “to organise a fresh convention within 90 days, to put in place a substantive national working committee, the highest executive organ of the party, to steer its affairs on a sustainable basis.”
He enjoined members of the PDP to demonstrate loyalty and solidarity with the party by turning out an masse at the convention.
Ugochukwu appreciated all governors
elected on the platform of the party, for their continued support to
ensure the sustenance and survival of the party.
He thanked Rivers State Governor, Wike, for his generosity and conscientiousness in hosting two critical conventions of the party, within the short span of three months, despite the current economic crunch.
He thanked Rivers State Governor, Wike, for his generosity and conscientiousness in hosting two critical conventions of the party, within the short span of three months, despite the current economic crunch.
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