PDP convention to hold on schedule, Aug.31

Following the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan, the special national convention of Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) has again been put on track for the previously scheduled date of August 31.

The convention date, which was cancelled by the party's National Working Committee (NWC) last Monday, was revived following a stakeholders' meeting in the Presidential Villa presided over by the President, Tuesday night.

The earlier cancellation followed animosity between PDP's National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and the Special National Convention Committee appointed at the meeting of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) last month.

Tuesday night's stakeholders' meeting had in attendance Tukur; Chairman of the Special Convention Planning Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana and some members of the committee.

The South-West zonal congress earlier scheduled for August 24, but also cancelled by the PDP NWC, is also back on track for the same date.

It was gathered that the President intervened following what party insiders revealed as a complete breakdown of communication between Tukur and the Gana-led committee, which forced Tukur to influence the NWC into canceling the convention plans of Gana.

At the height of the face off, Tukur locked out Gana and his committee Cecretary, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy President of the Senate, when both men went to brief him on their plans for the convention.

At the centre of the dispute between Tukur and Gana were allegations that the SCPC was overreaching itself and not briefing him on their activities.

The national chairman was reportedly peeved by the decision of the Gana committee to announce the convention dates without clearing from him.

In the truce brokered by the president on Tuesday night it was agreed that elements from the Tukur led interim National Working Committee would be nominated into the Gana- led SCPC.

Details of the rapprochement are expected to be released by the party.

The president's intervention nonetheless, the prospects for the August 24 Southwest convention remain hazy upon continuing frictions among party leaders and stakeholders from the zone.

The erstwhile national secretary of the party Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola who was nominated from the zone ahead of the March 2012 convention has kicked against moves by the party to fill the position with another person before the final determination of court processes initiated by him to get redress following his sack by the courts last January.

Prof. Adewale Oladipo who was last week nominated by some stakeholders from the Southwest as the replacement for Oyinlola has been opposed by some other strategic stakeholders including party leaders from Lagos State. - Vanguard.