Barring any last minute change of plans, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, faction backed by the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has slated their National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for today. The meeting is slated for Wadata Plaza, the National Headquarters of the PDP in Abuja. However, the meeting is coming up against the backdrop of the petition by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki led faction backed by the PDP Governors asking the Independent National Electoral, INEC to stop the recognition of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary. The Turaki faction in a petition by its lawyers signed by the Legal Team of Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN said their petition was based on the fact that there is a subsisting Judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory affirming the Expulsion of Anyanwu from the party. The legal team therefore said what this means is that Anyanwu has ceased to be member and officer of the PDP and has “no competence to act on behalf of the Party in any capacity whatsoever since his expulsion. “Anyanwu being fully aware of the import of the judgment against him only filed Notice of Appeal just few days ago against the decision affirming his expulsion which does not amount to a stay.
“By implication, the judgment of the Court dismissing his case challenging his expulsion is subsisting and remain in force and the Commission has constitutional obligation to enforce, comply and implement the judgment even without prompting”.
Meanwhile, speaking on the NEC meeting in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of the party said the court judgement in their favour has paved the way for the party leadership to go ahead with their activities.
He also expressed confidence that the Supreme Court judgement will be in their favour, adding that the NEC will decide on the sale of forms, amount to be paid, and the process that will allow members to contest the 2027 general elections.
He said, the judgment of the High Court that was upheld by the Court of Appeal has reinforced the declaratory reliefs granted by the Court, adding “since there is no any stay of execution of the judgment, then it becomes clear and open for the party to go ahead with its activities pending when there’s a contrary court judgment.
“So for us as a political party, by Monday we are going to have our NEC meeting and we are quite hopeful that the NEC will approve a timetable for the conduct of primaries and as well the NEC will also approve the cost.”
Other issues to be discussed by NEC are the sales of each of the nomination forms, “starting from the position of the House of Assembly up to that of the President. So the Secretariat, as you can see, is undergoing serious renovations and activities will have started and we hope that by next week everything will normalize.
“So irrespective of what the Supreme Court will say for now we are going ahead with our activities and we are very optimistic that the outcome of the Supreme Court will not be anything different from that of the Court of Appeal, certainly it will be our favor.”He said.