In a bid to put its house in order ahead the 2019 general elections, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has extended the tenure of its Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, by another four months.
That was the resolution taken at its non-elective national convention held in Abuja Saturday.
The extension, according to the party, is to enable it, reorganize, strengthen and prepare the party to conduct an elective National Convention to fill various national offices.
Party members voted overwhelmingly for extension of the tenure of the Caretaker Committee at the convention held at the Eagles Square with over 5000 members in attendance.
This is the first national gathering of the party members since the Supreme Court judgement that reaffirmed Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the Caretaker Committee Chairman, after ousting the former chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff.
The party equally dissolved the executive committees in 7 states of Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun and Osun states. The dissolution of executives, according to party leaders, was the fall out of the crises bedeviling the party in the affected state in which case, parallel and conflicting organs had arisen.
The National Convention in addition, mandated the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to set up caretaker committees which in turn would conduct states and local government congresses in the 7 states by the party’s mandate.
Also, the PDP ratified the results of the Congresses which successfully held across the states of the federation between May and March in 2016.
Speaking at the occasion, Chairman of the PDP Senate Caucus, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, assured that the party will not support any separatist agenda in the country.
Akpabio assured of the PDP’s support for policies of the present administration, which were aimed at taking the country out of recession but, however, said that the party would not support any policy that would plunge the country into depression.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, his former Deputy Namadi Sambo, Chairman of the 2017 Special Non-Elective National Convention Planning Committee, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Akwa Ibom state and Senate Minority Leader, Obong Godswill Akpabio and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Sen. Walid Jubril were in attendance.
Also in attendance were Governors of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose; River, Nyesom Wike; Akwa Ibom, Emmanuel Udum; Taraba, Arc. Darius Ishaku; Gombe, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo, deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral John Jonah, deputy governor of Cross River State, Professor Ivara Esu, deputy governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, National Vice Chairmen, State Chairmen, Party stalwarts and other leaders of the PDP nationwide.