THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC does not have the powers to prevent the party from holding it 100th National Executive Committee NEC scheduled for Monday June 30, as it is purely an internal affairs of the party.
Debo Ologuagba, the Party’s National Publicity Secretary stated this on Sunday, while briefing Journalists ahead of the scheduled NEC meeting.
Controversy had arose over the arrangement for the meeting following INEC’s response to the party’s letter inviting the electoral umpire to the meeting.
The INEC, citing part 2(12)3 of the 2022 Electoral Act as amended, said the invitation letter signed on behalf of the party by an acting Secretary did not comply with the relevant part of the Electoral Act, which requires the ” Signatures of both the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party.
But speaking on the INEC position, Ologuagba said the party complied with its statutory provisions as stated in section 29(3) and 34(4), of the PDP Constitution.
The party noted that the provisions stated in the INEC letter to the party of June, 13, 2025, deals only with issues relating to ” Mergers and elective convention”
He revealed that the NEC is an internal affairs of the party, adding that the ” Invitation letter to INEC, was just a mere formality or better still a courtesy to invite INEC to our 100th NEC
According to him, the party invited “INEC to witness the NEC as no political party has ever held 100th NEC meeting in Nigeria”
“The only time when we need to give 21 days notice is for the purposes of Convention that is elective, or for Mergers etc.
Ologuagba while noting that the PDP remains the old party in Nigeria, said ” the PDP has been fulfilling necessary requirements and doing everything in accordance with the laws
He wondered why is simple administrative requirement was being twisted and warned that ” plans by the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, to force a one party rule on Nigeria will be vehemently rejected by Nigerians” I’ll
“INEC has nothing to do who signs any letter on behalf of the party”
The party wondered why it took INEC 13 days to respond.
He also queried the rationale behind INEC’s decision to “released the letter to the social media one week before it was received by the PDP on the 19th of June
He noted that the PDP was not under any obligation to write the letter to INEC, sake for a courtesy that the party was celebrating it’s 100th NEC, adding that ” there is no any other party in Nigeria that has attained that fit.
“They have no business at those statutory meetings of the party, except for a meeting that is called for an election of officers, for issues that relates to mergers with another party or regional parties, and three, when you are providing or producing new candidates for elections.
“So if there are conventions that produce members of national working committees, they will be there to monitor and to observe the process, and so that when reports are being sent by the party it will tally with what they have.
‘If the court will not have jurisdiction about what happened with the internal affairs of the party, I wonder why INEC will have jurisdiction over it.
“The letter was dated June 13th. It took INEC thirteen days. Why the desperation to kill political parties? All they need is one party state, stifle opposition. Which is just, like I’ve said earlier here, it’s wishful thinking, it’s hallucination. And INEC should know that this is hallucinating. This country will not go into a one-party state and nobody, no matter how powerful, whether you’re a president or you’re a combination of presidents, it will not work.”
Ologuagba urged the party faithful to remain committed to the PDP adding that the June 30th convention will hold as planned