The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday said the suspension of its proposed national conference was to accommodate all interests within the party.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the issue.

Metuh confirmed that the party’s leadership received a letter from Prof. Jerry Gana’s committee proposing the conference.

He said that on receipt of the proposal, the National Working Committee (NWC) supported the proposal but felt the need to accommodate all interests in such conference.

“We felt that if we are going to do it, all interests will be accommodated in terms of the leadership of the National Assembly and the Governors’ Forum.

“We will take nominees from state Houses of Assembly, nominees of youth leaders and the youth forum, because we want the party to go back to the youths.

“We want the youths to be involved in whatever we are doing.”

Metuh said that due to a communication gap, the advert on the proposed conference was aired before Gana received the NWC’ letter.

“Immediately the advertisement was aired, the NWC was bombarded with lots of complaints saying that why should we spread the membership of the committee to include some of those who have left the party.

“They also complained about why we should exclude a lot of people whom they felt should have been involved and not those who walked out on this party.”

Metuh added that the NWC also felt it was necessary to suspend the propose conference as it was still awaiting Senator. Ike Ekweremadu’s committee’s report on reconciliation of members, due for submission next week.

“The NWC felt that the delay was necessary, especially when the highest elected member of the party, in the person of the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, had been given an assignment that he is yet to turn in.

“Without waiting for that report, and without considering the input of that report, it means that we have discarded and foreclosed the issue of the Ekweremadu committee.

“That would also be a huge insult on the office of the Deputy President of the Senate, on the part of the NWC, more so when members of the governors’ forum, BOT, and other high caliber individuals are also there in the committee.

“We felt that the conference will still hold but we should put a stop to it.”

Metuh said that copies of the Ekweremadu committee’s report would be sent to the governors’ forum, the BOT, National Caucus, and to the zones, for their inputs before such conference.

Metuh explained that the NWC had no problem with ‘committed leaders of our party’ who had been called into the conference committee.

“They will participate in the conference, but we need more people; we need more hands because this is the state of our party.

“We need the youths and members of the National Assembly to be involved because that is all we have at the national level.

“We have neither President nor Ministers, but we have Senators and leadership of the National Assembly.

“We wouldn’t want them to bombard us with complaints later.”

Metuh stressed that leadership of the party and all its organs were in one accord, saying “NWC, BoT and even the Governors’ Forum are on the same page on this.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Chief Metuh

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