NIGERIA: Tukur meets PDP convention panel, inaugurates committees Wednesday

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As a fallout of the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan in the face-off between the National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and the Mini-Convention Planning Committee of the party, the committee Chairman, Prof. Jerry Gana, led officers of the convention committee to the headquarters of the party in Abuja on Monday and met with members of its National Working Committee, led by Tukur.

In the entourage were the the Deputy Chairman of the committee and Akwa Ibom State GovernorGodwill Akpabio; Secretary and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; and a former Chairman of the party, Dr. Haliru Bello.

Tukur received them in company with the Acting Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tony Okeke; and the Acting Secretary, Dr. ReminAkintoye .

Our correspondent gathered that Gana and members of his committee had been directed by the President to also allow Tukur and the members of the NWC leadership to determine heads of some of the sub-committees like Publicity, Election, Protocol and Screening.

These committees had been identified as very crucial to the convention.

Tukur said the committee would be formally inaugurated by him before they could start work.

The committee, which was put in place at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party on June 20, had since commenced work.

It had announced subcommittees and their membership and also fixed dates for the convention and the South-West congress.

While the National Convention, according to Gana and members of his committee, would hold on August 31, the South-West congress would take place on August 24.

But Tukur and the NWC asked the Convention Committee to put a stop to all the programmes related to the convention and congress, saying that issues bothering on constitutional breaches by the committee would have to be addressed first.

To show his anger, Tukur locked his door against both Gana and Ekweremadu when they visited him in his residence.

The intervention of the President, who called the two parties together for meetings, necessitated the Monday meeting.

Tukur told journalists after the meeting, “The members of the NWC met today (Monday) with the members of the special national convention committee and all issues affecting the conduct of the forthcoming convention have been resolved.

“The committee will be inaugurated by the national chairman on Wednesday. After, the committee to organise the South-West zonal congress will be inaugurated. All party faithful should know that the PDP is one and unity, we are working together.”