PDP freezes plans for national convention

By The Citizen

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ordered the special National Convention Committee to put on hold all plans relating to the national convention and South-west Congress, citing the committee’s breach of the party’s constitution.

A statement by PDP’s acting national publicity secretary, Barr. Tony Caesar Okeke, said party leadership made the decision to halt the convention and South-west congress, in order to avoid a repeat of the events that affected the party’s convention in 2012.

The PDP leadership has also invited the national vice-chairman of the party, South South, Dr. Stephen Oru, to brief them on the evolving crisis rocking Rivers State.

It would be recalled that a report by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had faulted election of about 18 members of the party’s leadership leading to their resignation on the eve of the party’s last National Executive Committee meeting.

Only last week, the chairman of Special Convention Committee, Prof Jerry Gana accompanied by his deputy, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu disclosed that the special national convention now holds on Saturday August 31, in Abuja, while the South West Zonal Congress would hold on Saturday August 24, in Ibadan.

He further announced that the date for acquisition of forms of interest still persists until 14 days before the convention. Gana, said the new date was arrived at following the postponement of an earlier date because of the ongoing Ramadan fast.