Tukur meets PDP convention panel, inaugurates committees Wednesday

At last, the rift between the Bamanga Tukur-led national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Jerry Gana-led Special National Convention Planning Committee of the party has been

resolved. Both men and their teams held a joint press conference on Monday at the party's National Secretariat in Abuja where they announced that the crisis had been amicably resolved.   Gana who heads the convention panel together with Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had before now engaged the National Working Committee (NWC) members led by Tukur in war of supremacy. The open quarrel over the control of the processes leading up to the convention resulted in the NWC declaring as illegal all the steps taken by the committee towards hosting the mini-convention. The committee was, therefore, ordered by Tukur to stop further progress in its preparations for the convention. Continue after the cut..

The Gana-committee was set up following forced resignations of some members of the NWC at the instance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which had noted that the affected party officials were occupying their posts through a selection process that did not conform to electoral rules. However, the committee shunned the NWC directive and continued working until President Goodluck Jonathan intervened and restored order, asking the convention committee to harmonise its positions with that of the NWC members. Specifically, Tukur was not happy that the Gana committee inaugurated itself rather than have it inaugurated by the NWC, just as the committee also began selling nomination forms to party members without consulting the NWC. The committee also announced composition of its sub-committees without consulting the NWC, thereby excluding serving interim NWC members in carrying out its job. However, Jonathan on Sunday night called both parties to a round table where the issues were settled. As early as 9.00 a.m. on Monday, members of the Gana committee were seen arriving the PDP National Secretariat for a closed-door meeting with Tukur. The meeting lasted for hours. At the end, Tukur and Gana addressed the press and revealed that the crisis had been resolved. Tukur told journalists afterwards that the party was better for it. He pledged the support of the NWC to the committee, adding that the party will conduct a convention that is worthwhile. Gana openly admitted that there was crisis between the convention committee and the NWC, but added that the rift had been settled. The decision of the NWC to cancel the self-inauguration of the panel was accepted by the convention committee. The cancellation by NWC of the convention dates unilaterally selected by the committee was equally accepted. Gana in his acceptance of the supremacy of the NWC said: "I like to confirm that we just concluded a very fruitful, a very peaceful meeting with the NWC under the able leadership of our chairman and all the issues concerning planning and execution of all arrangements towards the special national convention have been fully and properly resolved; therefore we are delighted that the National Chairman will very graciously inaugurate formally the special convention planning committee on Wednesday and all the subcommittees of this committee also will be publicised so that all the subcommittees under the central planning committee will now set to work effectively. "We are also delighted that the party has shown that all issues can be resolved. "We are pleased that the PDP has shown to Nigerians that at every point in time we do have the means of resolving conflicts wherever they will come and to really face the future with determination, with a very clear sense of direction so that Nigerians can be assured that this is one party that can also solve the problems of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because there will always be problems, the important difference is the capacity and the ability to resolve them amicably." He added that if anybody was thinking that the PDP was in trouble, "I think they must be thoroughly disappointed, because the PDP will always find solution and we are so delighted such solution is found today, so APC you are in trouble."