The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve the confusion surrounding its National Secretary position during a closed-door meeting with the party's National Working Committee (NWC) and stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting was requested by the main opposition party to address its leadership crisis, particularly regarding the status of its National Secretary position, which has been a point of contention in recent months.
Inconsistent Communication from PDP
Professor Yakubu highlighted the inconsistency in the party's communication with INEC regarding who holds the position of National Secretary. "In the last couple of months, we received letters from the party saying that one Mr. Ude Okoye was the Secretary," he stated.
"Thereafter, the party changed its mind and said it was Anyanwu. Thereafter, the party changed its mind to say that it's Mr. Okoye and again the party changed its mind to say it's Anyanwu. And the last letter from the party actually has no Secretary at all," the INEC Chairman explained.
The electoral body's concern stemmed from a recent letter sent by the PDP requesting INEC to monitor the party's 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Professor Yakubu noted that the letter was only signed by the party chairman, contrary to INEC regulations which require both the chairman and secretary's signatures.
PDP's Response to the Situation
Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Iliya Umar Damagun, acknowledged the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status of the party's National Secretary, particularly regarding INEC's response to their request for monitoring the NEC meeting.
"We've gone into litigation I think from the beginning of last year until when the Supreme Court made a pronouncement of which INEC was a party," Damagun stated. "We're here today to discuss and interact with you sincerely because we had NEC and there was a decision of NEC which mandated me to sign a letter to avoid controversy."
This meeting follows a similar interaction INEC recently had with the Labour Party, which also sought to address its leadership issues with the electoral commission.
The resolution of this matter is crucial for the PDP as it prepares for upcoming electoral activities, including the FCT Area Council chairmanship elections scheduled for 2026.
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