The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed that its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for June 30 will proceed as planned, asserting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no legal basis to stop it.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, criticised INEC Acting Secretary Halilu Aminu for allegedly overstepping his bounds by attempting to define the purpose of the party’s internal meeting.
“INEC cannot cancel our meetings. These are internal matters. The law and various Supreme Court judgments clearly state that INEC’s role is limited to observing party conventions, congresses, or primaries where candidates or officers are elected,” Ologunagba said.
The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political party, has been plagued by internal crises since its loss of power in 2015. A major point of contention currently is the tussle over the position of National Secretary between Sunday Udeh-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who enjoys the backing of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. In a bid to resolve the leadership impasse, the party appointed Setonji Koshoedo as Acting National Secretary.
A fact-finding committee led by Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, later reported that INEC still recognises Anyanwu as the substantive National Secretary. Despite this, the party proceeded with plans for its 100th NEC meeting, having formally notified INEC on May 30 through Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum.
INEC, however, rejected the notification, citing that such letters must be co-signed by both the National Chairman and the National Secretary. The commission advised the party to comply accordingly.
In response, Ologunagba clarified that the June 30 meeting is not for electing officers or nominating candidates. “It is strictly a statutory party meeting. INEC has no role in such gatherings,” he stressed.
He criticised Aminu for allegedly misrepresenting the meeting’s purpose and questioned his motives: “Why the desperation to undermine political parties? Why try to force Nigeria into a one-party state? That is wishful thinking and a dangerous hallucination,” he declared.
Ologunagba reaffirmed that the 100th NEC meeting will review preparations for the upcoming national convention, including reports from the Zoning and Convention Committees formed at the previous NEC gathering.
He warned that INEC’s interference risks damaging its credibility and could erode international trust in Nigeria’s electoral system. “INEC is supported by global partners who expect neutrality and professionalism. This kind of conduct could compromise that,” he noted.
Concluding, Ologunagba questioned whose interests Aminu was serving: “Who authorised him to invent an agenda that wasn’t in our letter? Who is he working for?”
According to the PDP spokesman, the party remains committed to holding its NEC meeting as scheduled and will resist any unlawful attempt to hinder its internal operations.
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