The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once again delayed its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, initially scheduled for November 28, 2024.
The party cited the need for members to attend the funeral of the late First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Patience Umo Eno, as the reason for the delay.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP explained that the NEC meeting had been rescheduled from October 24 to November 28 after consultations with key party stakeholders.
However, due to the coinciding funeral events for the late First Lady, which are set to take place on the same dates, the National Working Committee (NWC) decided to postpone the meeting once more.
The NWC’s announcement noted that the postponement was made to allow party leaders to attend the funeral and express condolences to Governor Umo Bassey Eno.
It assured members that the new date for the NEC meeting would be communicated shortly, apologizing for the inconvenience caused by the change.
This development comes amid mounting tensions within the party, particularly regarding the leadership in the North Central region.
During a meeting with youth leaders from the region in Abuja, former PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, criticized the repeated postponements of the NEC meeting, describing them as a blatant disregard for the party’s constitution.
Ologbondiyan emphasized that only a commitment to the party’s constitutional framework would enable the PDP to overcome its internal challenges and contribute to solving Nigeria’s problems.
He stressed that attempts to undermine the PDP’s founding principles or treat it as the domain of any single individual would ultimately be futile.
He also pointed out that the North Central region’s concerns, which were supposed to be addressed at the 99th NEC meeting, have been repeatedly postponed, undermining the party’s unity and focus.
He further criticized the continued hold of Damagum on the North Central position, asserting that without addressing this issue, the PDP’s efforts to rejuvenate itself would remain mere rhetoric.
