There is furore in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over failure of the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) which is the second highest decision-making organ of the party.
Some PDP stalwarts who spoke with our correspondent yesterday in Abuja, expressed worry that the NEC meeting had not been summoned for two quarters of last year and had rolled into the third quarter.
Section 31(4) of the PDP Constitution says, “The National Executive Committee shall meet at least once in every quarter at the instance of the national chairman or at the request of two-third of its membership, who shall notify the chairman at least seven days prior to the meeting; and an emergency meeting may be summoned by the national chairman having regard to all the circumstances of the agenda.”
Section 31 (5) added, “The quorum of the National Executive Committee shall be two-third of the membership drawn from at least two-third of the zones in the federation, and a simple majority shall pass any motion.”
Daily Trust reports that the PDP held an emergency 86th NEC meeting on June 20, 2019, but since then no other NEC meeting has been summoned.
A former national officer of the party who does not want to be mentioned told our correspondent in a telephone chat yesterday that if Secondus failed to call for a NEC meeting in the first quarter of this year, some party leaders would revolt.
“Yes, we will revolt if this continues. There are critical issues we need to discuss during the NEC meeting but all of us are kept in suspense.
“We participated in governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states on November 16, 2019. We need to be briefed on that. The Edo State governorship election is this year. We need to meet and discuss the issues.
“The issue of 2023 zoning is there, no one is talking about it. This is not how to run a political party. We need the financial report and other matters ironed out,” he said.
Our correspondent gathered that the party’s national convention which is the highest decision-making organ of the party, would be held next year where a new leadership of the party would emerge, but NEC is the organ that would determine what transpires at the convention.
The NEC has the responsibility to approve the zoning formula for the 2023 presidential ticket. It is also saddled with the responsibility of approving the date for the party’s national convention among others.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan declined comment on the matter when contacted by our correspondent.
