PDP factions, governors meet on Monday

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The different groups claiming the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are set to meet on Monday. The meeting will also be attended by governors elected on the party’s platform and members of the Board of Trustees, BoT. The meeting is to try to end the party’s leadership crisis.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt on Sunday that the meeting will hold at the Ondo State Governor’s lodge in Asokoro, Abuja by 8 p.m.

PDP was thrown into crisis after its national convention which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on May 21.

The then national chairman, Ali Sheriff, announced the cancellation of the convention hours before it was billed to commence, citing different court orders.

However, the PDP governors and BoT, went ahead to conduct the convention without electing new set of leaders for the party.

Instead, the convention announced the appointment of former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi as caretaker chairman. Mr. Sheriff rejected that and said he remained the party’s chairman.

Also, some founding members who organised a simultaneous convention in Abuja appointed a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, as its factional chairman of the PDP.
The Mantu-led group has since aligned with the Makarfi group

The Director General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Osaro Onaiwu, told journalists on Sunday that the agenda of Monday’s meeting is to resolve the crisis rocking the party.

He also said a decision will be taken on the forthcoming Edo State gubernatorial election. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had earlier stated that the PDP risks being barred from participating in the election if its leadership crisis is not resolved.

“The leaders of the party, the Governors’ Forum, National Assembly Caucus, BoT, Makarfi group and Sheriff group will meet tomorrow to address the issues in the party.

“We want to resolve the crisis in party once and for all. We want to find lasting solution to the party. All parties involved are invited for this meeting. The forthcoming Edo election will also be addressed,” Mr. Onaiwu said.