…as faction drags party to court in Gusau

By John Alechenu, ABUJA

Amidst growing tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairman of its National Reconciliation Committee, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has said the committee has reconciled feuding members of the National Working Committee, NWC.

He made this announcement shortly after a meeting with members of the NWC in Abuja, on Tuesday.

In response to a question about what transpired during the meeting, Oyinlola said: “The outcome of today’s meeting is that, to the glory of God, we have been able to resolve the differences that have been causing our party some headache within the National Working Committee.

“We thank God that we have been able to open up to ourselves and resolve to move on as a United National Working Committee, which is what we needed for the progress of our party, the People’s Democratic Party.

“The issues resolved are the differences that have been permitted to stay by the National Working Committee. I cannot itemise them for you.”

He was asked whether the coast was now clear for the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting scheduled to be held on Thursday.

Oyinlola said: “That wasn’t part of our discussion and I’m not in a position to talk about NEC meeting.

“I’m the chairman National Reconciliation Committee. There were differences in the National Working Committee, and I have done that, and my job is finished.”

Roll call

Those who attended Tuesday’s meeting include the Ag. National Chairman, Umar Damagum; Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Treasurer, Yayari Ahmed; Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeeq Arapaja.

Others were National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; a member of the Reconciliation Committee, Otunba Segun Showumi, among others.

Recall that the PDP Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, suspended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.

In response, Ologunagba and Ajibade suspended Damagum and Anyanwu. This led to a stalemate which was broken by the PDP Governors Forum.

Chairman of the PDP-GF, Governor Bala Mohammed, had, after a meeting with the feuding party leaders, called for a ceasefire and a return to the status quo.

However, uncertainty persists as some persons, believed to be acting at the behest of Governor Bala Mohammed, are said to have filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the party to hold its NEC meeting on Thursday, October 24, as scheduled.

The five-count suit, which was reportedly filed on Tuesday at a Zamfara Federal High Court, had the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the first and second respondents respectively.

As contained in the suit, the plaintiffs are asking the court to restrain the Damagum-led NWC from postponing the NEC meeting.

Vanguard News