The two warring factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said the party remained on course and would not disappoint Nigerians.
The party’s National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, made the statements in a separate interview with journalists shortly after the factions met with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, also spoke to reporters in a separate interview following the meeting.
“We want to assure Nigerians and indeed our party members that we are on course. We shall continue to remain on course by the special grace of God,” Turaki said.
Turaki acknowledged that the meeting was held at the invitation of INEC to resolve the lingering leadership crisis within the party. He said that while his led National Working Committee (NWC) attended the meeting, they discovered that some former PDP members who had previously been expelled were also invited. Both sides engaged in discussions with the commission.
“We had spoken with him from our own perspective; we’ve made a presentation of what we think the issues are. We’ve spoken to those issues, and INEC has listened to us,” he said.
Turaki said that although INEC acknowledged that some matters were before the Court of Appeal and others had not yet been heard, the commission could not act as a court of jurisdiction. He added that the commission, however, promised to take the issues discussed seriously and to respond to the party.
He stated that while the party awaited INEC’s response, the PDP under his leadership would continue its work as the leading opposition party in Nigeria. The party would continue to hold the government accountable, uphold best practices, the rule of law, and address the challenges facing the country.
When asked which party leadership INEC recognised, Turaki said the commission’s aim was to find a way forward for the party. He commended INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan and his team for giving both sides a fair hearing, even though the commission knew who the authentic leaders of the PDP were.
“So I think what they have done, in the spirit of wanting to reconcile, I think it’s something that was proper. If you are inviting us, and then you are not inviting other people who are claiming to be what they are not, then probably it will be us talking to ourselves,” he said.
He said that the meeting was not just to avoid jeopardising the interest of PDP in the elections in FCT, Ekiti and Osun in 20, but to conduct acceptable elections. Conducting an election that a major opposition party will not participate in would “cast a dark shadow” on what INEC has done.
Turaki also said it would be in Nigeria’s best interests for INEC to hold similar meetings with other political parties facing internal crises to find solutions.
“It is not only PDP that is having this kind of issue. There are other political parties. We believe that these issues are not just arising from nowhere; they are coming from somewhere,” Turaki said.
On his part, Anyanwu, speaking on behalf of the faction backed by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, also said that the PDP would not disappoint Nigerians.
“The PDP is still PDP. We still remain PDP. Yes, we all, Nigerians, know that PDP has a mechanism for managing internal crises. That is what we are doing now. I can tell you, we’ll come out strong and stronger. Nigerians are actually looking up to PDP. Nigerians want PDP. If you go to every nook and cranny of Nigeria, everybody wants PDP. So, we’re not going to disappoint them. Things will work out right,” he said.
Anyanwu, however, insisted that the court had disqualified the convention that produced the Turaki-led executive. He commended INEC for showing that it genuinely wanted the PDP to continue functioning as Nigeria’s major opposition party.
“We, as members of the party, are ready and prepared. So, they are looking at the issues and options of how to bring peace for us,” he said.
Anyanwu added that while INEC was yet to make a decision, both sides were able to point out the loopholes causing the problem, which he said were due to greed, ambition, and the ego of some people.
“As a matter of fact, as a responsible party, we believe in the rule of law, the electoral guidelines, and the INEC guidelines, and, of course, the constitution of our party,” he said. He advised party members fighting themselves to return to the National Caretaker Committee for reconciliation.
Earlier, Amupitan said that the meeting, aimed at finding a way forward, became necessary due to the conflicting correspondences the commission had been receiving from both factions of the party leadership.
