The political atmosphere in the country, lately, has become abuzz with high pitch activities following the ongoing special national convention of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The event held at the Eagle Square was to fill then hitherto, existing vacancies in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party following a court ruling that nullified elections into those offices.

The affected offices include the Deputy National Chairman, National Secretary, Assistant National Secretary, National Publicity Secretary and National Women Leader, among others. The court based its decision on the grounds that the conduct of the elections did not follow the party’s guidelines and Constitution. The candidates were chosen by affirmation and consensus instead of through the process of election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which manages the electoral process in Nigeria had also drawn attention of the party to the alleged breaches and irregularities that characterised the nullified elections. As a responsible political party which believes in the rule of law and due process, the PDP, under the dynamic leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, in its wisdom, decided to go back to the starting blocks  with a view to ensuring that the right thing was done.

At a well-attended National Executive Committee meeting of the party presided over by Alhaji Tukur, a special national convention planning committee with the erudite Professor Jerry Gana as chairman and Deputy Senate President,  Senator Ike Ekweremadu as secretary was set up to organise the convention to fill the said vacancies. Other members of the Committee include the following elders and leaders: Dr Musa Babayo; Ambassador Aminu Wali, Governors Shehu Shema (Katsina), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Sir Philip Salau and Senator Florence   Ita-Giwa, among others.

In other to ensure that the convention was properly organised and seamless, Professor Gana and his team put in place 14 sub-committees. One of such sub-committees is publicity chaired by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.

The sub-committee was saddled with the responsibility of publicising the activities of the convention. Other sub-committees include the following: Security; Accommodation/Transport and Logistics; Contact and Mobilisation; Accreditation; Finance; Protocol; Welfare/Entertainment; Venue and Venue Preparation; Screening; Electoral; Essential Materials; Security; and Secretariat.

The planning and execution of the convention has been very flawless, given the methodical and professional manner Professor Jerry Gana and his team went about the entire project.

At a meeting he held on Tuesday at the PDP national headquarters with all the chairmen of the sub-committees, Professor Gana emphasised the need for a transparent, hitch-free and flawless convention that would be memorable. The briefings given by the various sub-committee chairmen indicated that all was set for good outing by the ruling party.

Professor Gana did not fail to remind his audience and party delegates that the PDP was founded on noble ideological principles with emphasis on democracy, good governance and the rule of law, noting that the PDP has succeeded in the last 14 years in deepening democratic values in Nigeria. He added that there was no viable alternative political platform to the PDP.

He observed that opposition political parties that laid claim to being progressive were nothing but a bunch of political pretenders and anarchists whose sole aim was to acquire power for self-aggrandisement. Professor Gana commended President Jonathan for the achievements being recorded under the transformation agenda of the PDP-led federal government.

The Publicity sub-committee chairman, Ihedioha, in his comments, commended the prevailing spirit of amity and concord in the party; contending that the party was on the path of self re-discovery and consolidation. He was particularly upbeat with the return of the previous officers from the South East through their unanimous endorsement by the South East leaders and stakeholders at a meeting of the zone on Wednesday in Enugu.

He expressed the view that with a re-invigorated PDP, the party was unstoppable in its mission to reposition the country for greatness. There is no doubt that this convention is one of the best so far organised by the ruling party since it came into being in 1998. Professor Gana and his team deserve all the accolades for a job well done. If the party is able to consolidate on its new found unity, it may be difficult for the opposition to displace it in future elections.

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Read this article in the Leadership Newspapers