PDP National Officers Resign Enmass

AHEAD the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for today, eight members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party affected by the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have tendered their resignation letters. The resignation letters would, however, take effect from today. This is as the party hold a make or mar NEC meeting in Abuja, today, a year after the last one was held. The NEC meeting was convened at the instance of the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, after the NWC of the party failed to summon the meeting quarterly, in line with the constitution of the party. Those affected were the deputy national chairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja; national organising secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; national youth leader, Alhaji Garba Chima; acting national secretary, Solomon Onwe; women leader, Kema Chikwe; national legal adviser, Victor Kwom; national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh and the national treasurer, Bala Kaoje. Confirming the development to newsmen, Chief Metuh said the action was taken in order to lay to rest, all the controversies surrounding their elections at the national convention of the party. He, however, said the national chairman, Dr Bamanga Tukur and the national financial secretary were not affected by the mass resignation which, he said, was done in the overall interest of the party. According to him,“the national chairman is not going to resign; he is not only in office but in power. There is no controversy about his election, he is not in court. “The INEC report did not say his election was flawed. He complied with the constitution of the party and the guideline of the 2012 convention.” He added that “I want to inform you that I am resigning as the national publicity secretary with effect from Thursday, June 20, 2013. This resignation is in the overall interest of the party and is being done to put a final stop to the controversies generated by the INEC report on the mode of my election as national publicity secretary.”