Posted by By JACOB EDI, Abuja on
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) underwent some major structural changes Wednesday with the party's National Chairman, Col Ahmadu Ali (retd), announcing the resignation of four national officers, paving the way for President Olusegun Obasanjo's trusted aides to assume full control.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) underwent some major structural changes Wednesday with the party's National Chairman, Col Ahmadu Ali (retd), announcing the resignation of four national officers, paving the way for President Olusegun Obasanjo's trusted aides to assume full control.
At the end of long hours of meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, at the party headquarters in Abuja and the presidential villa, Ojo Maduekwe emerged the new national secretary and Bode George until Wednesday the national vice chairman of the party (South West) named the national deputy chairman.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Sule Lamido replaces Iro Safana as deputy national chairman (North).
Among the national officers who were said to have resigned at the meeting are Vincent Ogbulafor, former national secretary; Inuwa Labaran, former national organizing secretary; Umaru Kareto Lawal, national treasurer and Shaibu Oyedokun.
Though the officers were said to have resigned voluntarily, information available to Daily Sun, however, pointed to something different. It was learnt that the Chief Tony Anenih report, which probed the complicity of some NWC members in the Governor Chris Ngige/Chris Uba saga, found some of them liable .
Daily Sun sources at the meeting said the officers were pressured to resign following a meeting by President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Ahmadu Ali. The meeting reportedly lasted into the early hours of Wednesday.
Wednesday's meeting also pushed Governor Dariye's case to the Board of Trustees. Professor Jerry Gana, secretary of the BOT, who confirmed this to newsmen, said the Plateau governor is to report before the body within one month "so that he will have a fair hearing," or otherwise consider himself expelled.
He also revealed that NEC discussed the issue of Ngige and decided to seek legal advise.
All the PDP governors were in attendance, except George Akume of Benue, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti and Chris Ngige who is still on suspension.