PDP Leaders Meet with INEC Officials in Closed-Door Meeting
The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, on Tuesday led a delegation of party leaders to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja to discuss lingering issues surrounding the position of the party’s National Secretary. Following initial remarks during media interaction (before the closed-door meeting), the meeting was called at the request of the PDP to clarify procedural issues and legal concerns that have arisen since the Supreme Court issued a ruling related to the party’s internal leadership structure. In his opening remarks, Damagum expressed appreciation to INEC for hosting the meeting. Damagum explained that the meeting was aimed at addressing confusion related to the party’s National Secretary, following both internal decisions and court rulings. “We are here today, as you are aware, to have issues pertaining to the status of our National Secretary. We have gone into litigation, I think, from the beginning of last year until when the Supreme Court made a pronouncement of which INEC was a party,” he said. He further noted that the PDP’s National Executive Committee had mandated him to sign a letter to INEC to clarify the party’s position and to avoid further controversy. “We are here to interact sincerely with you off camera so that it will guide us when we get back to have a position. “Most of my members that are here will also help in bringing out the position that we felt we should combat together,” he added. Responding, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu welcomed the PDP delegation, noting that the commission is always open to engagements with political parties. Yakubu said, “This meeting is at the instance of the party. They requested to interact with us and our doors are always open to meet with leaders of political parties in our capacity as the registrar and regulator of political parties in Nigeria.”
