NEC Membership: PDP Mounts Pressure On Legislators

ABUJA, Dec 01, (THEWILL) – There were strong moves today to suggest that the legislators elected on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may abandon their plans to entrench themselves as automatic members of the National Executive Committees (NEC) of political parties.

National Chairman of PDP, Dr Okwesileze Nwodo at a meeting with legislators consolidated the position which he aired on his Monday at a public hearing, to further persuade the lawmakers to jettison the idea of becoming automatic NEC members with a constitutional amendment.

Nwodo had stated at that the party is not be pleased with the proposal in view of the large population of the federal legislators who would become members of NEC.

He said at the moment about 46 members of the National Assembly were members of the PDP NEC, adding that an improved ratio could still be worked out but not through legislation.

Though the meeting between the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and the legislators held behind closed doors, sources disclosed to THEWILL that on the agenda was the party’s admonition to its lawmakers to back down on the proposed legislation and use their numerical strength to kill it on the floor of the two chambers.

The meeting with the House of Representatives had in attendance all the principal officers including the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada, while Nwodo, the PDP National Secretary, Abubakar Baraje and the party’s legal adviser, Olusola Oke led the PDP-NWC delegation.

Nwodo said the party executive had come to inform the legislators on their plans for the upcoming general election. He commended them for ensuring at all times that the unity of the nation was paramount in the discharge of their legislative duties.