INEC to PDP: Who is your Secretary?

INEC to PDP: Who is your Secretary?

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday held a high-level meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address internal challenges within the party.

The session, described as a troubleshooting effort, was led by the PDP Governors’ Forum and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Governors in attendance included Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.

Joining them were several prominent party figures such as former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, former Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson, PDP National Organizing Secretary Umar Bature, and Senator Ben Obi.

Ahead of the closed-door session, PDP Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum stated that the delegation was at INEC to engage the Commission on critical internal issues facing the party—especially those requiring regulatory guidance and intervention.

The two main characters laying claims to the office of PDP national secretary, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu and Udeh Okoye were absent.

PDP had on May 30 written INEC, invited by it to her 100th meeting of its National Executive Committee NEC slated for June 30.

The letter was signed by PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

However, INEC in its reply dated June 13, said the letter was not in compliance with the requirements of Part 2(12)3 of its Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.

INEC in the said guidelines, states that both the National Chairmen and National Secretaries of political parties shall jointly sign notices for convention, congresses, conferences or meetings and submit same to it.

At the Tuesday meeting, Damagum said they were at the INEC headquarters to interact and seek clarifications and guidance regarding the office of its National Secretary.

He said; “We are here today, as you are aware that we have issues pertaining to the status of our National Secretary.

“We have gone into litigations, I think, from the beginning of last year until when the Supreme Court made a pronouncement of which INEC was a party to that litigation.

“We are 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.

“I have received your reply to that letter, urging us to be guided. So, I think we are here to interact sincerely with you off-camera so that it will guide us when we get back, to have a position that would further help us in taking decisions that will help us out of the situation we found ourselves”.

Speaking after the meeting, Damagum who declined to give details of what transpired at the closed door session said the meeting was “very fruitful”.

He said his delegation would meet with the larger PDP stakeholders on the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting and come back to INEC before June 30.

Earlier during the opening session, the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed that the meeting was at the instance of the party, noting that the commission maintains an open door policy with all political parties.

Yakubu said the party needed to clarify who its National Secretary is.

He stated; “You may recall that not long ago we received similar visitors from the Labour Party LP. So when the PDP said they were going to visit, we welcomed them.

“The acting Chairman has stated the purpose of the meeting – to discuss the status of the party’s National Secretary particularly regarding the letter we sent to the party on the request for us to monitor their 100th NEC meeting which was only signed by the chairman and not the chairman and secretary as provided in our Regulations.

“I am glad that that meeting was the 100th meeting of the NEC of the party, meaning that 99 times in the past you fully complied by inviting us by means of a letter signed by the chairman and secretary of the party.

“So, there are issues to discuss and we look forward to this important clarification from the party as to who is the secretary”.

The INEC boss noted that the commission had received several confusing correspondences from the party, each time with a different signatory as National Secretary.

“In the last couple of months, we received letters from the party saying that one Mr Sunday Udeh-Okoye was the secretary. Thereafter, the party changed its mind and said it was Samuel Anyanwu.

“Thereafter, the party changed its mind to say that it is Mr Setonji Koshoedo. And again the party changed its mind to say Anyanwu.

“The last letter from the party actually had no secretary at all. It was only signed by the chairman which we responded to.

“But we are here as the registrar and regulators of political parties and we hope when we go into the working session we will fully understand where you are coming from and what more you expect from us as the registrar and regulator of political parties,” Yakubu said.

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