PDP National Convention may hold June 30

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may hold its national convention on the 30th of June 2017.

This is part of the recommendations contained in the report submitted by the PDP reconciliation committee headed by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson to the Naional Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff in Abuja on Tuesday.

But Sheriff said that the recommendations would be subjected to some amendments by the leadership of the party before final decision would be taken on the conduct of the convention.

Other key aspects of the recommendations are that the Convention Planning Committee should consist of seven State Governors; seven senators including the Deputy Senate President; 12 members of the House of Representatives; six members of the Board of Trustees.

Other categories of party leaders to be made part of the national convention planning committee are six National Vice Chairmen (one per zone); three State Chairmen per zone (18); six serving Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly; six former governors; former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly (Who are still members of the party).

Others are six prominent Women Leaders; six Youth Leaders of the party; six former ministers of the party and 12 other persons to be nominated by the National Chairman in consultation with stakeholders.

The reconciliation committee also recommended that “the Convevtion Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the elections to all National Offices of the party including the zoning of such offices.”

It stated that “all national Officers who may claim that their tenure still subsists beyond the proposed convention are hereby requested to relinquish their claim In the interest of the party

“For the purpose of the convention, all officers elected at the ward, local, state and zonal levels before the first Port Harcourt convention of 21st May of 2016 are deemed validly elected except for the election held in some states that were declared by NEC as inconclusive.” The report added.

It further stated that “the proposed National Convention should hold as soon as possible and not later than 30th June 2017.

In a comment after  receiving the report, Sheriff said: “As we receive these recommendations, we will sit down to look at it. We will study your verdict and make some amendments.  Whatever amendments we make will be made known to Nigerians.

Earlier, Sheriff had received a delegation of northern politicians led by former deputy senate President, Ibrahim Mantu during which he declared that he would not be a stooge to anybody.