By Henry Umoru & PETER DURU
ABUJA- AHEAD of Saturday’s National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the acting National Chairman of the party, Abubakar Baraje yesterday charged the convention planning Committee to ensure that delegates vote at the Eagle square.

Inaugurating the 75-member 2012 Chapter Congresses/ National Convention Planning Committee, Baraje who noted that they must be allowed to vote for candidates of their choice, stressed that even though the party encouraged the emergence of candidates through consensus, the committee must conduct a free, fair and credible election in line with the present administration’s position of one man one vote.

According to him, the committee which conducted yesterday’s zonal congresses were also instructed to ensure that delegates at the venue exercise their franchise, stressing that he was glad to report that the committees adhered to the instruction, even as he reminded the committee that all eyes were on the PDP to see if it could hold a free and fair congress, adding that the committee members must build on the solid foundation that has been recorded in the present dispensation.

The Committee is chaired by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and an ambassador designate, Chief Ojo Maduekwe.

According to Baraje, “PDP has found its foot rigidly in the annals of this country. You were carefully chosen to ensure that the foundation you laid bears solid fruits. You were carefully chosen because you have served the nation well in various capacities.”

The Acting Chairman said that they were appointed from the six geo-political zones of the country.

In his remark, the chairman of the committee, Ojo Maduekwe, promised that in view of the standing of the members of the committee, none of them could be pressured to do the wrong thing.

According to him, “no name on the list can be pushed around to do what is not honorable. All persons in the committee have achieved enough not to mortgage their conscience. No single person here can announce wrong results.”

North Central  delegates kick against return of party officials by consensus

Meanwhile, there was a major disagreement at yesterday’s Peoples’ Democratic Party’s, PDP North-Central delegates’ convention held in Makurdi, Benue State capital as some delegates kicked against the decision of leading members of the party to return all officials of the party to their positions by consensus.

The convention which had in attendance all leading members of the party from the zone including the Senate President Sen. David Mark; Ministers, Governors of the North-central states as well as some founding fathers of the party like Chief Solomon Lar and former Senate Deputy President Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, merely re-affirmed the zone’s working committee

The action of the delegates caused stir at the IBB Square, venue of convention, but it took a lot of pleadings from some stalwarts of the party to calm them to allow a peaceful process at the convention.

Almost all the former Executives retained their position with Alh. Yusuf Ayitogo, Zonal National Vice Chairman, Johnson Kumbut Paah, Zonal Secretary; Hon. Isyhaku Usman, Zonal Financial Secretary, Hon. Yahaya Hassan, Zonal Organizing Secretary, Hon. Siadu Garba, Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hajiya Saratu Mamman, Zonal woman leader, Hon. Amande Kwaghgba, Zonal youth leader and Alh. Usman Mohammed Nadokotsu Zonal Treasurer.

The convention also adopted Dr. Joyce Agi, Benue, Mrs. Victoria Madaki, FCT and Prince Abdullahi Ogbaje, Kogi state as ex-officio while Victor Koum, Legal Adviser and Garuba Umar, Giza, National Youth leader and Mrs Hannatu Ulaam were endorsed from the zone for the forthcoming National convention

Speakin after the return of the officisls, Senate President, David Mark urged the zonal working committee members to move fast to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party in the zone ahead of the 2015 elections.