NO fewer than 2,800 delegates have been cleared to vote at the December 9 national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja.

The figure could be higher as the list is yet to accommodate delegates from Osun State, where the congresses to elect them were inconclusive.

Rising from its 77th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday, the party dismissed threats by some stakeholders to conduct a parallel convention to ventilate their grievances.

Some of the aspirants have complained about the failure of the party leadership to micro zone the position of the chairman to the South West. Some other aspirants have kicked against micro zoning the position of National Secretary.

The party threw the contest for chairman open to all the three geopolitical zones in the South, while micro-zoning that of National Secretary to Kaduna and Katsina states.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, National Publicity Secretary Prince Dayo Adeyeye confirmed that the NEC had approved the decisions on zoning of offices.

Adeyeye also said the NEC approved the list of the convention committee and other sub committees set up for the purpose of the convention.

He, however, declined to reveal the identities of members of the committee.

The party spokesman said the NEC warned aspirants to the various positions against campaign of calumny and utterances that could hurt their opponents in the course of campaign.

Chairman of the Caretaker Committee Senator Ahmed Makarfi said the leadership had refused to take offence at the criticisms and verbal attacks directed at him by the various aspirants.

Some chairmanship aspirants had accused Makarfi of favouring a particular aspirants to the detriment of others and went ahead to call for his resignation.

He called for tolerance and unity among members, stressing that there is a lot of strength in unity and forgiveness.

“If you don’t get what you want today, you can get it tomorrow,” Makarfi counseled, adding that the leadership would ensure a level playground for all contestants.

Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, assured that all the party’s governors were working hard to ensure a successful convention.

The meeting, which was well-attended by key party stakeholders, lasted over three hours.

Those that attended the meeting included governors of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Gombe and Delta.

The governors of Abia and Bayelsa states sent their deputies.

However, governors of Ekiti, Taraba, Enugu, Cross River and Ebonyi did not attend and were not represented.   –   The Nation

– Dec. 1, 2017 @ 09:02 GMT