By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: Eminent stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP including the G-5 group led by the Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, have vowed not to allow the enthronement of a monarchical system in the party by elements bent on foisting their wards on the PDP.

Wike had on Monday night in Abuja hosted critical stakeholders of the PDP under the aegis of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP”, with a resolution demanding the party to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

The meeting which lasted several hours also resolved not to let the party die and demanded that the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu issues a notice for a meeting of its National Executive Committee NEC.

Some of those who attended the meeting were members of the G-5 and former Governors Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

Others at the meeting included the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda; serving and former federal and state lawmakers, some zonal and state party executives, among a host of others.

Addressing the stakeholders, Wike said; “We will never accept the wrong thing, the right thing must be done. We should allow the PDP Constitution to be the authority and the Laws of this country to prevail. No intimidation, no blackmail should ever worry anybody. If nobody has blackmailed you, you have not started as a politician. If nobody has said anything against you, you have not started as a politician. The right thing must be done.

“We are here to salvage our party. It does not matter the platform and national television they give to them, it will not work.

“You the state chairmen and your committees, you the National Assembly, you the state of Houses of Assembly, you own a stake in this party. There are people who have come to create monarchy in this party and if they are not there, they bring their sons. We will not allow that to happen and we are here. So, that is why you have called for this concerned stakeholders meeting, so that we will deliberate because we will not allow the party to die”.

In a communique read by Wike after the meeting, the stakeholders emphasized the need to reinforce internal democracy, equity and justice within the ranks of the party.

Part of the communique reads; “That to finally arrest the inexorable drift towards extinction in our party, the party must, without further delay, respect the judgment of the Supreme Court. We, therefore, unequivocally reaffirm Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive National Secretary of our great Party.

“Furthermore, it is clear from the Constitution that only the National Convention, properly and duly constituted can remove Senator Sam Anyanwu, the National Secretary, arising from his status as a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party.

“We, therefore, demand that the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary jointly issue a notice to INEC with an attached agenda for the National Executive Committee Meeting of the Party being the only pathway to abide by extant laws.

“We, the stakeholders reiterate our commitment to our great party and urge all members to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional mandate, resist all machinations aimed at destabilizing the party and support the efforts of the National Reconciliation Committee headed by His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki”.