Crisis brews between INEC, PDP over state congresses

[MrVan]

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—STRONG indications emerged yesterday that crisis is brewing between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, following disagreement by the latter with the recently conducted state congresses that produced the present executive of the party in eleven states.

While INEC is insisting that the congresses were marred with some irregularities and called for fresh congresses and non-inauguration of the new executive committees, the PDP has vowed to go ahead with the inauguration of the executive committee members.

INEC, for the third time, had written to PDP intimating the party of flawed wards and local government congresses in eleven states of the federation which produced the state executive councils.

The affected states with flawed congresses, according to the electoral body, are Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Lagos, Yobe, Anambra, Katisna s and Cross Rivertates.

Barely two days after the conduct of the congresses in the states, INEC had in its first letter, dated March 5, 2012, informed the party of problems with the congresses.

It also directed that the PDP must conduct fresh ward congresses in nine states where there were recorded problems. The second letter which was dated March 14, 2012, followed with same subject matter.

Following failure to address the issues raised in the first two letters, the commission's Secretary, Abduallahi Kaugama, in a fresh and third letter, dated April 2, 2012, reminded the party of the need to conduct fresh congresses in the affected states.

The third letter from INEC read in part:  "You may recall in the course of recently conducted wards, local government, states and zonal congresses of your party, the commission wrote to advise on the non-compliance with relevant provisions of the PDP constitution and guidelines in some states.

"I am to further remind you that your party is yet to reschedule the congresses in the affected states except Lagos and Nasarawa. You are accordingly advised to reschedule the ward, local government and state congresses in Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Jigawa, Anambra, Katsina and Yobe states, including part of Cross River State, for the emergence of a constitutionally recognized party executives at all levels."

Reacting to the development, the National Vice Chairman of PDP, North East, Senator Girgir Lawan, who explained that he was not aware of the letter from INEC faulting the congresses in the affected states, however, said the party would go ahead with the inauguration of the state executive committees that emerged from the congresses in the affected states in the zone.

Lawan, who noted that he was not aware of the letter from INEC as correspondences from INEC were directed to the national headquarters of the party, said: "We are going ahead with the inauguration of the states congresses in the north on Saturday.

"The national headquarters of the party has not communicated to us in the North-East of flawed congresses. The communication is between INEC and the national headquarters."

Meanwhile, chairman of PDP in Yobe State, Abba Tata Gana, has complained of what he described as gross irregularities in the election of wards, local government and state congress.

According to a petition co-signed by the state secretary, Adamu Waziri, and addressed to Senator Lawan as the national vice chairman of PDP, North East, they complained that the congresses in the state were plotted to favour the Minister of State (Finance), Yerima Ngama, who had a governorship ambition for 2015.

Vanguard Nigeria