The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to restrategise, to puts its house in order, as its Board of Trustees (BoT) failed Thursday to resolve the crisis currently rocking the main opposition fold.
The crisis is already threatening the tenure of its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
The BoT announced that it would set up a fresh reconciliation committee to address the issues.
The meeting, which was presided over by the chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, failed to reach a truce. It was also unable to recommend sanctions or commendations for any of the parties involved in the crisis.
Consequently, the party opted for further consultations with PDP governors, National Assembly members, the National Working Committee (NWC), former governors, former ministers, among other stakeholders.
Two former Senate Presidents, David Mark, and Bukola Saraki, who briefed journalists after the meeting, failed to divulge sensitive information to journalists.
Mark described the meeting as cordial and fruitful. He said the board resolved to set up a committee not just to resolve issues related to recent resignation of seven deputy national officers of the party, but to make PDP more united.
He denied the rumour that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was summoned to the meeting, saying the governor was a member of the board and he attended as a member.
Asked if the current NWC of the party would be allowed to complete its tenure, another former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said the committee members would meet between 48 to 72 hours for a way forward.
Saraki advised against making a point out of who attended the meeting for the first time, saying “as a member, I was attending for the first time in a long time. We all came together to address some issues and because of the urgency of the matter, we agreed to set up this committee urgently. Within the next 48 hours to 72 hours, the committee will meet, and at the end of the meeting, the country will see the direction the party is going.”
A camp within the party believed to be spearheaded by Wike, is up in arms with Secondus, calling for the removal of the party chairman from office. The crisis has divided the party into two opposing camps, with one camp seeking Secondus’ ouster, while the other wants the chairman to serve out his tenure, which ends in December.
Although it was held behind closed doors, a snippet of what might have formed the agenda of the meeting was deduced from excerpts of the party chairman’s address during the opening ceremony.
Secondus had, during his address, pointed out that it would not augur well for the party if resolutions reached by the meeting were contrary to the smooth running of the ongoing process that would lead to the next party convention expected to hold in December.
The likely inference from his remark was that the present NWC, which he presides over, ought to be allowed to serve out its tenure.
But the chairman was interjected midway into his address by a member of the BoT, Mr. Abdul Ningi, who drew his attention to the presence of journalists at the venue and asked him to save his comments for the meeting proper.
– Media Report