The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and governors elected under the platform, on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, with a pledge to resolve the impasse surrounding the position of National Secretary of the party.
Emerging from the meeting, PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, described the engagement as “thorough and fruitful,” noting that the party would embark on broader consultations with stakeholders before taking a final position on the matter.
“Politics is not static. We will return to our wider leadership base for consultations and relay the outcome of today’s discussions in due course,” Damagum told journalists.
Earlier, before the session went private, Damagum expressed appreciation to INEC for granting the meeting, acknowledging its significance in clearing procedural ambiguities and addressing the electoral body’s concerns.
“We approached this meeting in good faith. The National Executive Committee (NEC) mandated me to sign the letter, and INEC’s response advised compliance with laid-down protocols. This engagement, therefore, is key to shaping our next actions,” he explained.
The meeting follows INEC’s June 13 letter, which rejected the PDP’s notice for its upcoming 100th NEC meeting scheduled for June 30. The commission flagged the notice as invalid due to the absence of the National Secretary’s co-signature, as stipulated by its 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who confirmed the commission granted the PDP’s request for the interface, reiterated INEC’s openness to all registered political parties. He highlighted inconsistencies in the party’s recent communications, particularly conflicting submissions on who occupies the National Secretary role.
“We’ve received letters with different names submitted as the party’s National Secretary. This situation needs to be resolved for the sake of administrative clarity,” Yakubu said.
Among the PDP governors present were Bala Mohammed, Bauchi, who also chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, Seyi Makinde, Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang, Plateau, and Dauda Lawal, Zamfara.
Also in attendance were notable party figures including former Senate President Bukola Saraki; ex-governors Ahmad Makarfi and Seriake Dickson; and former PDP National Secretary, Ben Obi.
