The Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday ordered its Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, and other members of the partys National Executive Committee and National Working Committee to turn in their letters of resignation.
This was part of the decision taken at the partys 44th NEC meeting in Abuja.
The meeting was presided over by the outgoing chairman.
But President Umaru YarAdua and his deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, did not attend the meeting.
Though no reasonable explanation was given for the absence of YarAdua and Jonathan, Ali said the President would have loved to attend but for pressing national engagements.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also stayed away from the meeting.
But journalists were jolted when the meeting failed to discuss the ongoing probe against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, and her deputy over the alleged contract scam of N628m.
Etteh and the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, were, however, present at the meeting.
According to the new National Secretary of the party, Chief Bernard Eze, who briefed journalists after the meeting, the party would be expecting the resignation of Ali and other officers at the national level on October 8.
He, however, added that the resignation, would take effect on December 8, the day the party had fixed for its national convention.
Though Eze said that by the partys constitution, all officers of the party were expected to spend four years in office, he said NEC decided to invoke a portion of the constitution in order to pave the way for the partys zoning formula.
The secretary said the development was necessary, following the resignation of many officers and the election of some PDP members during the last election.
He added that the situation had affected the zoning formula of the party.
According to Eze, the party had also directed officers at zonal levels to resign on September 24; those at the state level, September 9; while those at ward and local government levels are to turn in their letters of resignation on November 5 and September 10 respectively.
He added that executive members at the ward level, must have resigned by now as they were expected to resign on September 6.
Elections to the offices at the ward level are to hold on November 5; local governments on November 10; states on November 17; zonal on November 24 and national on December 8.
The party also formally announced the zoning of offices to the six geo-political zones in the country.
By the formula, the South-East geo-political zone will produce the national chairman, deputy legal adviser, deputy national publicity secretary, four ex-officio members and deputy national vice-chairman.
South-West will produce the legal adviser, youth leader, vice-chairman and four ex-officio members.
The North-West will produce financial secretary, deputy treasurer and four ex-officio members, while the North-Central will also produce the national secretary, auditor, deputy youth leader and four ex-official members.
The South-South had been allocated the posts of treasurer, organising secretary, deputy auditor, deputy woman leader, while the North-East will produce the deputy national secretary, national publicity secretary, woman leader and organising secretary.
The meeting also ratified the appointment of Mrs. Imeh Udom as the new publicity secretary, while Mi. Olisa Chukwu will serve as the national auditor.
Eze also announced the reconstitution of the board of the Peoples Democratic Institute and the appointment of Chief Olabode George as its chairman while the institutes director-general will serve as the secretary.
The meeting further directed all the governors in PDP controlled states to establish micro finance agencies where people could borrow money to finance small businesses.
By Olusola Fabiyi and Victor Sam, Abuja
The Punch
Friday, September 14, 2007
