The National Working Committee (NWC) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has declared that they will continue to exercise their duties as authentic leadership of the party pending ruling of the court.
In a statement after a meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the factional caretaker committee loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, the NWC said they were waiting for the court to decide.
In a statement entitled, “We await Court Judgement on PDP leadership”, Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary insisted that many people in the Abdulrahman Muhammed faction were no longer members of the PDP having been expelled at the Ibadan National Convention and issued their expulsion letters.
He said, “Earlier today, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, invited the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and some former members of our party who are claiming to be in different leadership positions in the party to find a way to resolve the lingering crisis in the party.”
Ememobong said both sides exhaustively presented the facts of the situation and confirmed that the issues are now before the Court of Appeal.
He explained, “At the end, the INEC Chairman concluded that the meeting was called to hear from both sides, though the commission is aware of the pending cases at the Court of Appeal and that the Commission awaits the final judgement of the Court on the matter.”
At the end of the meeting, National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki said, “As the authentic leadership of the party that emerged at a valid convention (though contested in court), while awaiting the pronouncement of the court, we will continue to undertake the duties of an opposition party, which is to hold government to account on critical issues like security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, etc.”
Credit: Daily Trust
