PDP may be in for another challenge as new BoT scribe election ends in scurry

Nigeria’s main opposition People Democratic Party (PDP) which just ended its leadership squabble might just be faced with another challenge as low turnout of its Board of Trustees (BoT) members yesterday, Thursday scuttled the election of the board’s new secretary.

Some of the boardmembers at the party’s headquarters in Abuja for the election, as well as discuss other issues at a meeting, were disappointed and left the venue looking saddened.

The office of BoT secretary has been vacant since a former minister of foreign affairs, Chief Ojo Madueke, died last year.

One of the BoT members from the South-east, however, ‎revealed to the media in confidence that the meeting could not fulfil its purpose as there was no quorum.

In his words, “it’s because of vested interests. Some of the BoT members are within this town (Abuja) but they deliberately refused to show up. As a result, the meeting could not do anything because there was no quorum.”

Another member of the board, who spoke with journalists, said members from the South-east region who are supposed to produce the replacement were divided, leading to the absence of some members.

“We decided to put the matter on hold until we have a full house,” he said, explaining that there were intrigues during the meeting‎ as one of the power brokers at the meeting insisted that the next BoT secretary must come from his state.

In their remarks during the opening session, chairman of the national caretaker ‎committee of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, said the only way to coast home to victory in 2019 is when the PDP gets it right at the next national convention.

The PDP has just survived a protracted leadership tussle which lasted about two years and was settled by the Supreme Court about a months ago.