The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Turaki has confirmed a meeting with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over the leadership crisis rocking the party.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the meeting was convened in an effort to provide a solution to the leadership crisis currently affecting the party.
Ememobong explained that during the meeting, the INEC Chairman acknowledged that the commission is aware of the pending court cases relating to the leadership situation within the PDP.
He said both parties presented their respective positions at the meeting, after which the INEC Chairman stated that the commission would await the decision of the court on the matter.
Despite this, the factional spokesperson maintained that the leadership headed by Kabiru Turaki remains the authentic leadership of the party.
“Earlier today, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN invited the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and some former members of our party who are claiming to be in different leadership positions in the party, to in his words “find a way to resolve the lingering crisis in the party”.
Both sides exhaustively presented the facts of the situation and confirmed that the issues are now before the Court of Appeal. At the end, the INEC Chairman concluded that the meeting was called to hear from both sides, though the commission is aware of the pending cases at the Court of Appeal and that the Commission awaits the final judgement of the Court on the matter.
At the end of the meeting, National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki SAN said “As the authentic leadership of the party that emerged at a valid convention(though contested in court), while awaiting the pronouncement of the court, we will continue to undertake the duties of an opposition party, which is to hold government to account on critical issues like security, infrastructure, education, healthcare etc,” the statement read.
The leadership crisis in the PDP has been the subject of prolonged legal disputes, with multiple factions laying claim to the party’s national leadership, a situation that has prompted judicial intervention and placed the matter before the Court of Appeal for final determination.
