The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa; the G-5 governors led by the former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and other aggrieved members were absent from a select committee of the national working committee meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abuja yesterday.
The acting national chairman of the party, Mr. Umar Damagun, appealed to party members to let bygones be bygones and come up with practical solutions to the challenges bedeviling the PDP.
He said the meeting was in continuation of the National Working Committee’s consultation with critical stakeholders, in a bid to chart the way forward for the party after the last election.
“This meeting will give us the opportunity to review the outcome of the last general elections and to share ideas about how to strengthen the party to face the challenges ahead.
“We have had a series of meetings with the members of the national ex officio, state chairmen, select BoT, and members of the national assembly. This is a continuation of that meeting and it was borne out of what has happened during those meetings and we said there was a need for us to call this one,” he said.
For his part, the secretary of the party’s national organising secretary, Mr. Umar Bature, explained that the meeting was called to douse tension and kick start reconciliation within the party in the aftermath of the election.
He said the party would not point fingers, suspend, expel, or accuse anybody of participating in pro- or anti-party activities during the last general elections.
“This party believes that Atiku Abubakar won the election, but we are in court, and without prejudice to what the court will decide; we will keep it aside. Let me acknowledge that this is not a NEC meeting, but an interactive meeting with the aim of jump-starting a reconciliation process.
“We are here today and everyone knows what happened in 2023. We contributed both individually and collectively. If you rise to speak, I beg you to spell out your own role in the 2023 elections, either positive or negative before you jump to accuse someone else, either negative or positive,” he said
In his remarks, the acting chairman of the board of trustees, Mr. Adolphus Wabara, said that court will give the candidates of the PDP in the last presidential election their stolen mandates.
He expressed delight that a large number of those invited turned up for the meeting.
“Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect that we still have this number in our party. I want to congratulate all of us for this having faith in this party. This is what will make us strong to clinch our stolen victory. We should not despair. We are in politics!
“We hope the tribunal and the courts will give us back our stolen mandate.
“Much as some of us may disagree with the synopsis, because we are still in court, we should mind what we are going to say today so it doesn’t work against us in the court.
“Let us watch how we attack ourselves. There will be time for that. The BOT waits to take some advisory decisions but then this is not the time,” he said.
