If the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agrees tomorrow to dissolve the National Working Committee, indications have emerged that either Jerry Gana, former minister of information or Walid Jibrin, secretary to the Board of Trustees (BoT), may emerge interim chairman of the PDP.
The Anyim Pius Anyim led presidential committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to look into the crisis rocking the party was reported to have recommended that the Bamanga Tukur-led NWC resign as a solution to the crisis that had seen the governors of the party sharply divided.
Sources disclosed that Jonathan had on Monday night endorsed the recommendation and directed that all the members of the NWC resign before the NEC meeting of tomorrow.
The directive and submission of the report which noted that the party was drifting coincided with the lifting of the suspension of Aliyu Wamakko, Sokoto State governor, by the 12-member Tukur-led NWC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier in its report on the conduct of the party’s national convention of March 2012 said it was fraught with irregularities and that the elections of eight of the national officers were fraught with irregularities.
Anyim’s report had said that though Tukur and former national secretary and national auditor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and Bode Mustapha, respectively, were the only duly elected national officers, only Tukur is remaining and the governors felt it would be untidy for him to remain in office.
The governors on the Anyim committee were said to have asked that Tukur should resign and then reapply to re-contest the chairmanship position.
Tukur was reported not to have bought the bait to resign and re-contest but would want only those indicted by INEC report to resign.
The NEC meeting called for today is expected to be stormy with the governors loyal to suspended governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, spoiling for war and would be pushing for a pass of vote of no confidence on Tukur-led NWC.
Sources disclosed that governors loyal to Jonah Jang of Plateau State, who recently emerged the chairman of a faction of Nigerian Governors’ Forum and who are in the majority, are said to be already reaching out to counter all moves to remove Tukur and other NWC members.
