Rising from their meeting in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Saturday, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), condemned the conduct of the Edo State governorship election, which produced Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as governor, describing it as a rape of democracy.
The governors also give the National Working Committee (NWC) February 2025 deadline to call National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The governors said they were constrained to accept the fourth postponement of the party’s NEC meeting out of empathy with their Akwa Ibom State colleague, Pastor Eno Bassey who lost his wife.
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, PDP-GF, who is also the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said this in a communique he signed after the forum held an extra-ordinary session in Jos, the Plateau State capital today.
Mohammed said, “The Forum is constrained to accept the latest postponement of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the Party in empathy with our colleague, Governor Eno Bassey, whose late dear wife will be buried on the same day earlier scheduled for NEC.
“Once again, the Forum wishes to commiserate with our colleague and pray that God will grant him and the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.“
According to him, the meeting, which was held at the Plateau State Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, was attended by the principal organs of the party.
The organs include NWC, PDP-GF, BOT, NASS Forum, Former Governors Forum, Former Ministers’ Forum and other leaders of the party.
He said: “Rising from the meeting, the organs of the party resolved as follows:
“The Forum notes the concerns of Nigerians, PDP founding fathers, elders and members of our great Party of seeming divisions within the ranks and files.
“The Forum wishes to state categorically that it remains resolute in its determination to ensure unity and cohesion of this great Party that Nigerians have come to trust as the best platform for democratic governance.
“The Forum is strongly advising the NWC to call NEC latest by the first week of February 2025 to allow for elaborate consultations with critical stakeholders of the Party.
“The period between November and February is to address the existential problems confronting the Party, with a deliberate timeline of activities within the period under review to address issues of leadership and litigations confronting the Party.
“The Forum empathises with Nigerians who are groaning under the oppressive economic hardship foisted on the nation by the policies and decisions of the APC-led Federal Government.
“The Forum calls on the President to urgently review both macroeconomic and fiscal policies that will address the welfare and well-being of Nigerians.
“The Forum wishes to pledge that all PDP Governors will continue to aggressively pursue policies and programmes that will reduce the hardship and ensure progress and development.
“The Forum notes with concern the rape of democracy in Edo Governorship elections. It is clear to everyone with conscience that INEC manipulated results in favour of the APC candidate when in fact majority of lawful votes were won by the PDP candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo.
“Meanwhile, we are still examining the documents in Ondo elections where the APC manipulated results after openly buying votes.
“The Forum calls on the judiciary to save Nigerian democracy and the National Assembly to look into our electoral laws to make it difficult for institutional sabotage of the will of the people.
“The Forum recognises the good work that the majority members of NASS is doing. NASS is therefore called upon to critically interrogate all bills to ensure fairness, equity, national balance and even development nationally.
“The Forum commiserates with the Government and people of Plateau State on the recent Katako market fire incident which destroyed properties worth millions of Naira.
“The Forum also commiserates with the Government and people of Jigawa State on the recent tanker expulsion whereby scores of people lost their lives and several others were injured.
“The Forum expresses its gratitude to the Government and People of Plateau State for not only hosting the meeting but extending to all the participants the hospitality for which Jos is reputed.
“In particular, the meeting commends the Government of the state for visible and laudable transformation in social services, tourism and transportation that have taken place and ensure all Nigerians to look forward, with genuine hope to the replication of this not only presently but after 2027 when the party would reclaim its rightful position in the Nigerian political scene.”
Those who attended the meeting include: Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Barr. Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) – Host Governor.
Others are H.E. Dr. Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), H.E Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and H.E. Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
Others include: Sir Monday Onyeme (Deputy Governor, Delta) and Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai (Deputy Governor, Enugu ).
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