The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fixed its national convention for November 15, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
A new set of party officers in the National Working Committee (NWC) that will run the day-to-day affairs of the PDP, are expected to be elected at the convention.
The decision was taken at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, held on Thursday at the party’s Abuja national secretariat.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting, expressed the party’s determination to retrieve its mandates from all National Assembly and state assembly members who recently defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The, communique, read by the PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said the NEC had mandated the party leadership to take immediate legal action to retrieve the seats from the defectors.
“In its determination to preserve all the electoral mandates given to our party by Nigerians across the country, NEC directed the National Working Committee to take immediate legal action to recover the seats of all serving members of the National and State Assemblies elected on the platform of the PDP but defected to another party.
“By virtue of the self-executory provision of Sections 68 (1) (g) and 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) such defectors have irredeemably lost their seats, there being no division or merger with regard to the PDP,” the communique stated.
The party expressed serious concerns and frowned at the reported participation and involvement of some PDP members in the activities, meetings and gathering of newly revived African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The PDP called on its members who are involved in the ADC coalition to reconsider their actions and return to the party.
It reminded the affected individuals that the law does not permit membership of two political parties at the same time.
The NEC assured such members that the party has resolved the grievances that made them leave the PDP.
The communique added that the NEC had mandated the PDP National Chairman and the National Secretary to communicate the party’s latest decisions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This, it said, was in accordance with the requirement of Section 82 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Part 2(12) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022.
The party consequently fixed its next NEC meeting for August 25.
Some PDP governors at the meeting were Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau).
Prominent party chieftains at the meeting were Ahmed Makarfi, Bukola Saraki, Chief Olabode George, Prof Jerry Gana, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Babangida Aliyu, Abba Moro among many others.
All the party’s national officers in the NWC also attended the meeting.
