- PDP factions met INEC in Abuja over ongoing leadership crisis
- INEC said talks aimed at restoring unity within the opposition party
- Both camps expressed confidence in PDP’s internal crisis resolution
Details have emerged from the meeting between the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC over the party’s prolonged internal crisis.
The meeting brought together the rival PDP factions led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Kabiru Turaki at the INEC national headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, said the engagement was aimed at finding solutions to the leadership dispute that has continued to affect the opposition party. Both factions later addressed journalists after the closed door meeting.
Speaking on behalf of his faction, Anyanwu described the INEC chairman as a leader endowed with wisdom for convening the meeting. He said the manner in which INEC addressed both sides showed the commission’s desire for the PDP to remain strong as Nigeria’s major opposition party.
“So they, INEC, are looking at the issues and options of how to bring peace for us. So we are yet to get a decision of NEC on the matter, but both sides spoke,” he said.
Anyanwu added that discussions helped both factions identify the root causes of the crisis, attributing them to personal grievances, aggression and ego. He said the PDP remained committed to internal mechanisms and the rule of law in resolving disputes.
“Yes, we all, Nigerians know that PDP has a mechanism of managing internal crisis. And that is what we are doing now. And I can tell you, we will come out strong and stronger,” he added.
Also speaking, Turaki, who emerged as national chairman at the Oyo convention, said his faction received the invitation from INEC late Thursday night and initially believed it related to an earlier request they had submitted.
He said it became clear at the meeting that INEC invited all parties to explore possible solutions to what the commission described as lingering problems within the PDP.
“We’ve made a presentation of what we think the issues are. And we’ve spoken about those issues. And INEC had listened to us,” Turaki said.
He noted that INEC acknowledged the existence of pending cases before the Court of Appeal and stressed that the commission could not replace the courts, but promised to carefully consider submissions from all sides.
On INEC’s decision to invite all factions, Turaki defended the move, saying reconciliation efforts require hearing every claimant to avoid allegations of bias.
