By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

abuja—The plan by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for e-registration is not aimed at disengaging the influence of governors over the party but aimed at improving internal democracy and transparency in the administration of the party.

The national publicity secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, spoke in response to news reports of a plan to put a wedge between the governors and the party through the e-registration project.

Metuh, also dismissed insinuations on the presence of the erstwhile national chairman, Chief Okwesileze Nwodo, at last week’s retreat of party officials in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Noting how the party’s determination to win the governors over on the e-registration project, Metuh said:

“We will continue to convince the governors that the creation of internal democracy is more important than personal interest.”

Continuing on the importance of the governors, he said:

“You cannot but appreciate that the governors are super delegates even in America and they are super delegates here by convention and by right. You must take their opinion into consideration, they hold the sway. We need them to support us for us to have the e-registration, if they don’t support it would be difficult. We are to engage them and we are trying them to let them know that apart from raising funds for the party it is important for internal democracy in the party.

“If we say that we want transparency in party administration, we must have e-registration otherwise we will continue to play around.”

The e-registration project first introduced in 2010 was aborted after the party’s set of governors mobilised against it on the allegation that having a computerised base of party members could distort their influence over the party.

The governors’ agitation eventually dovetailed into the forced resignation of the then party chairman, Chief Okwesileze Nwodo who was at the forefront of the campaign for the e-registration.

Asked if Nwodo’s presence at the retreat of party officials in Uyo last week was indicative of a restoration to favour, Metuh said: “Nwodo as national secretary and as national chairman of the party garnered a lot of experience and it is imperative that we use that knowledge, that we allow young members acquire that knowledge that he gathered as national secretary and national chairman.

“Nobody can take it away from him, he is a huge asset to the party and he is very knowledgeable in party affairs. His knowledge is unassailable. The only thing you can do is to transfer it by magic, but now we are trying for him to teach younger party officials on how they can get prepared for leadership.”