By Euclid Myke, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has queried a letter dated May 30, 2025 with Reference Number: PDP/DOM/GF.21/Vol.13/25-078 sent to its headquarters by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) notifying it of its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as it was not signed by the party’s National Secretary.
The letter with the title, “Notice of 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)” was signed only by its Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum.
The letter was to draw the attention of the commission to the 100th NEC of the party slated to hold on the 30th of June, 2025 at the party’s headquarters in Wuse, Abuja.
It has been a tradition that any correspondence to be sent to the Commission should be signed by the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the party. If there is need for another party official to sign the letter, then INEC must he informed officially about it but that was not the case in the stated letter.
However, the Commission in a letter dated 13th June, 2025 and signed by the Commissions Acting Secretary, Haliru Aminu, observed that the letter was only signed by the National Chairman.
The letter reads, “RE: NOTICE OF 100TH NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NEC) MEETING OF THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY(PDP).
“Your Letter on the above subject refers.
“The Commission draws your attention that the notice is not in compliance with the requirement of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022 that provides ‘the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting and submit same to the Commission. Be guided.
“Please accept the Assurance of the Commission’s high regards”.
The PDP did not say why the signature of its National Secretary was missing in the said letter and has not yet responded openly to INEC’s query.
It would be recalled that the true holder of the position of the National Secretary of PDP has been a subject of dispute between two factions in the party.
With the development, the possibility of the party holding the proposed NEC and even a national convention is very uncertain.
