PDP NWC submits reports on Wike as NEC meets Thursday

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party will on Thursday present a report naming members involved in anti-party activities during the 2023 general elections to the National Executive Committee.

The national leadership of the PDP had on March 26 directed the chairmen of the 36 state chapters and the Federal Capital Territory to identify their members involved in anti-party activities during the 2023 general elections.

The PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, gave the directive during a meeting of the National Working Committee with state chairmen in Abuja.

He said, “After the elections, we expected the state chapters to give us their reports, that is the post-2023 election reports. A lot of the states have not submitted their reports and we need those reports to be compiled for the next NEC meeting.

“A lot of agitations are coming from party members, suspend this, suspend that, you are the ones that are in charge of those states. You are to tell us who was involved in anti-party activities and who did not; and based on that, the NEC will take a decision. Write to us and tell us what transpired, no matter what happened.”

A high-ranking member of the National Working Committee, who did not want to speak on record due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that the NWC would submit the anti-party report to the NEC on Thursday.

Our correspondents gathered on Tuesday that ex-Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who openly worked against the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, may likely be on the list to be submitted to NEC on Thursday.

Wike, leading his counterparts in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Benue, Samuel Ortom; Ebonyi, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Abia, Okezie Ikpeazu, under the aegis of G-5 PDP governors, had opposed Atiku.

Wike’s opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition stemmed from the ex-vice president’s decision not to select the ex-Rivers state governor as his vice presidential candidate following his victory in the presidential primary.

Subsequently, Wike actively campaigned against Atiku and the PDP and also supported the erstwhile All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Party sources had said Atiku’s camp had mobilised various independent groups affiliated with the party to request the NWC to pencil Wike, Ortom, Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu, and other party leaders linked to the G-5 for sanctions over alleged anti-party activities during the 2023 elections.

The NWC members, who spoke to The Punch, stated, “The list will be submitted to the NEC. The list of those involved in anti-party activities is not viewed as a punishment. The report will be presented to the NEC, and based on the report, the disciplinary committee will identify individuals according to their roles and recommend appropriate sanctions.

“So, the report will be submitted to the NEC, then forwarded to the disciplinary committee for review, and recommendations will be made back to the NEC.”

Aside from the anti-party report, another issue likely to take centre stage at the NEC meeting is the question of whether the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, should remain in office or be replaced.

There have been calls for Damagum to be replaced with a substantive chairman.

The former PDP National Deputy Chairman (North) became the party’s acting national chairman following the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, by the court in March last year.

Speaking on the position of the NWC on Damagum, an NWC member, who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, stated, “The NWC convened to agree on the agenda for the caucus and NEC meeting. The issue of the party’s national chairman will not be on the agenda due to an ongoing court matter. Once the case is resolved out of court, it will be referred back to the North Central for recommendations.

“Currently, there is no vacancy in the NWC. Therefore, the NEC cannot confirm a replacement for Ayu nor can they confirm Damagum as the substantive chairman. He will continue to act.

“The agenda for the caucus is to discuss our state congresses. We will also seek ratification of decisions made by the NWC. Additionally, we will form a committee to address reconciliation and disciplinary matters.”

In the meantime, 52 members of the National Caucus Committee are expected at Thursday’s meeting to make decisions on reconciliation and disciplinary matters and any other issues that could impact the future of the PDP.

The PDP National Caucus is a crucial assembly of party stakeholders that convenes before the NEC meeting and sets the tone for every major decision to be made at the NEC meeting.

In many instances, when the national caucus reaches a consensus on any matter, the NEC simply approves it, but if there is a disagreement, other qualifying members of the NEC will vote either for or against the issue in question.

Findings indicate that 52 current members of the PDP National Caucus may attend Thursday’s meeting.

According to the PDP Constitution 2017, as amended, Part VIII, section 30 (1), the National Caucus of the party shall consist of the national chairman, who serves as the chairman of the caucus.

Meanwhile, the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives has called on the NWC, the National Executive Committee and the BoT to resolve all litigations to move the PDP forward.

The caucus led by the Minority Leader, Chinda, handed down the advice at the end of its meeting held at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The meeting had in attendance the Governor Fubara-backed lawmakers led by the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere.

The parley was sequel to the NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the meeting, Chinda said, “The House of Representatives minority caucus agreed to call on all party caucuses, the Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee, and the National Working Committee to embark on reconciliation measures to revolve all litigations that are pending and hindering the party in any way whatsoever from having a substantive chairman.

“We call on the leaders of PDP to continue to demonstrate unconditional loyalty to the party and ensure that the party is moved to her pride of place where she enjoyed the position of the largest party in Africa which is supposed to be our birthright.”

Chinda further noted that if all hands were on deck, there is no reason the party would not win the presidential election in 2027.

The caucus further gave the President Bola Tinubu-led administration three months to address the security situation in the country.

“We resolved that we can no longer take the situation where Nigeria is almost tagged ‘one life, one minute silence.’ The government is, therefore, called upon to immediately take steps to ensure the security situation in the country is normalized, and the government is also given a three-month ultimatum to normalize the security situation in our country.

“After three months, the caucus will take further steps to sensitize and mobilize Nigerians to take their security into their own hands,” he added.

The caucus called on the Senate leadership to recall the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, who was suspended a few weeks ago for accusing the National Assembly of paddling the 2024 budget to the tune of N3trn.