At last, 12 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have resigned from their positions ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party billed for Thursday in Abuja.
They were said to have opted for resignation option to avoid being disgraced at the NEC, which is billed to discuss the letter received from INEC on the need to regularize the elections of certain officers of the party.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had recently raised observation about the irregularities in the election of some of the national officers of the ruling party.
This has also fueled speculation that the national chairman, Bamanga Tukur, even though not affected by the INEC letter sent to the party leadership, may also be compelled to quit to the pave way for fresh set of executive members.
But, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh who confirmed the resignations of the 12 affected officers however, insisted that the chairman, Tukur will remain his position.
The affected officers are the National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh; Deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja,; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Okechukwu Nnadozie; Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Binta Goje; National Youth Leader, Garba Chiza; Deputy Youth Leader, Dennis Alonge Niyi; Deputy National Auditor, Umar Ibrahim; National Women Leader, Kema Chikwe; Deputy National Women Leader, Hannatu Ulam; Deputy National Treasurer, Claudus Inengas; and National Legal Adviser, Victor Gwom.
Metuh said, “I want to inform you that I am resigning as the National Publicity Secretary with effect from Thursday 20th June 2013. This resignation is in the overall interest of the party and is being done to put a final stop to the controversies generated by the INEC report on the mode of my election as National Publicity Secretary.
“I have served this party as a member of National Executive Committee for over 10 years and therefore my interest is to ensure that this party stabilizes and progress. I have written and submitted my letter; I am resigning with effect from Thursday 20th June 2013”.
On the rumour making the rounds that Tukur may also quit, Metuh said, “The National Chairman is not going to resign; he is not only in office but in power. There is no controversy about his election, he is not in court. The INEC report did not say his election was flawed. He complied with the constitution of the party and the guideline of the 2012 convention”.
