The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the National Convention of the People’s Democratic Party scheduled for March 29 and 30 will go ahead as planned, saying efforts at reconciling with aggrieved members will continue after the convention.
The Minister, who also said that the PDP will shock Nigerians by using the 2027 general elections to show its strength, dismissed the appeal filed at the Supreme Court by the Tanimu Turaki group, noting that it has no effect on the convention.
Speaking after inspecting the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome, the convention venue in Abuja, on Friday night, the Minister explained that reconciliation is a continuous process.
He was accompanied by Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Chairman of the National Caretaker Working Committee (NCWC), Mohammed Abdulrahman, National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and other members of the NCWC, as well as Chairman of the Rivers State Elders Council, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche and others.
The Minister emphasized that the convention will proceed, while efforts to resolve internal disputes will continue afterwards.
“There is room for accommodation. The PDP is a very large party. Look at the umbrella, it is wide enough to accommodate everyone.
“I have always said that in any group, there will be grievances. You cannot expect that in a family of two or three people, everyone will always be satisfied let alone a party with millions of members. There will always be a few who are not happy. We have agreed to sit down with them, understand their concerns, and see how we can accommodate them. What is most important is the overall interest of the party.”
On the zoning arrangement, the Minister confirmed that positions have already been allocated across regions.
“We have already zoned our positions. Every zone has its own slots. The presidency has been zoned to the South, while the chairmanship is zoned to the North. We believe this consensus arrangement will make the process easier.
“For the first time, the PDP is presenting a unified front, rather than the usual ‘unity list’ that often reflects internal divisions. There are no factions everyone has agreed on the direction we are taking.”
The Minister also addressed the level of preparedness for the convention, saying; “We are fully prepared. This visit is to assess final arrangements. As I said, we are about 95 percent ready, and by tomorrow, everything will be set.
“Seating arrangements for all states have been completed, and the VIP section is ready. We do not expect more than 2,500 delegates.”
The convention is scheduled to hold on Sunday, March 29, and Monday, March 30.
