PDP convention: Port Harcourt wins

3619 delegates to elect presidential candidate

The leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has finally decided to hold its national convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

This was one of the key decisions taken at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Friday at the Abuja secretariat of the PDP.

The agreement to hold the convention in Port Harcourt was reached after the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was said to have tendered an apology to the leadership of the party and other stakeholders at the meeting.

An inside source said some party chieftains also apologized on behalf of the Rivers Governor, adding that he was sober and contrite while tendering his apology.

Governor Wike had on Wednesday, gone on air, threatening to, among others, “teach the PDP a lesson” if the party failed to hold the convention in Port Harcourt.

The governor’s threat was in response to a statement by the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin.

Jibrin had, at a stakeholders meeting on Monday, dismissed reports that the PDP convention would hold in Port Harcourt, saying that the party had yet to take a decision on venue.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the meeting, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, confirmed that the issue of venue was amicably resolved by all stakeholders.

Saraki said, “We all agreed to hold it in Port Harcourt. Some of the issues that we are having before, which were reported in the newspapers were discussed.

“Everybody decided that we should stay with the party. Where tempers were flared, people apologized and everybody felt that yes, there was a commitment to assure everybody that there will be free and fair primaries. So today has been a very good day”.

All the aspirants were said to have collectively assured the meeting that their initial fears over the Port Harcourt venue for the convention had been allayed by the leadership of the party.

They were also said to have reposed confidence in the ability of the leadership of the party and the convention committee to conduct a seamless exercise.

However, the convention, where the party’s presidential candidate will be elected has been shifted from October 5-6 to October 6-7.

No fewer than 3619 delegates across the country are expected to vote to elect the party’s presidential flag bearer at the convention.

Other resolutions arrived at included a written commitment of all the 12 presidential aspirants to a bond accepting the outcome of the primary election and to join forces with the eventual winner to form a united front.

The party on its part, pledged to ensure a transparent, free, fair and acceptable primaries that will be acceptable to all the aspirants and their supporters.

The PDP also expressed the readiness to engage democratic stakeholders all over the world towards achieving a credible free and fair general election in February 2019.

The meeting, which was presided over by the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus was attended by all the presidential aspirants, the party’s governors, members of the National Assembly among other stakeholders.