By Nkechi Eze
In a meeting convened at the instance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, formally welcomed the acting National Chairman of the PDP and other stakeholders to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to transparency, collaboration, and due process in its dealings with political parties.
Speaking during the opening session of the meeting, Professor Yakubu noted that INEC’s doors remain open to all political parties in its capacity as the registrar and regulator of political organizations in Nigeria. He referenced a similar courtesy visit by the Labour Party, describing the PDP’s outreach as part of a healthy tradition of institutional engagement between the Commission and political stakeholders.
The core of the engagement centered on recent developments concerning the PDP’s internal documentation and the official status of the party’s National Secretary. According to the INEC Chairman, the Commission had raised concerns after receiving a formal invitation to monitor the PDP’s 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. The invitation, he observed, was signed solely by the party’s Chairman and did not include the signature of the Secretary, in contradiction of INEC’s established regulations and guidelines for such communications.
Professor Yakubu highlighted that in the past, the PDP had consistently complied with the procedure by jointly signing letters through both the Chairman and the Secretary. “I am glad that that meeting was the 100th meeting of the NEC of the party, meaning that 99 times in the past, you fully complied,” he said.
However, Yakubu expressed concern over recent inconsistencies and confusion regarding the identity of the party’s legitimate National Secretary. “In the last couple of months, we received letters from the party indicating different individuals as the Secretary. First, it was Mr. Ude Okoye. Then the party changed its position to Senator Samuel Anyanwu. Then again, to Mr. Sunday Shokpekaun, and back to Senator Anyanwu. The last communication we received had no Secretary’s name at all, only the Chairman signed it.”
He reiterated that as the official regulator of political parties, INEC requires clarity on such vital organizational details to properly discharge its functions, particularly in areas such as election monitoring, party congresses, and convention oversight. “There are issues to discuss,” he stated, “and we look forward to this important clarification from the party as to who is the Secretary.”
He concluded his remarks by expressing hope that the technical session of the meeting would yield a clearer understanding of the party’s current administrative structure and expectations from the Commission. “We hope, when we go into the working session, we will fully understand where you are coming from and what more you expect from us as the registrar and regulator of political parties.”
The meeting marks a crucial step toward resolving the ongoing ambiguity within the PDP’s leadership structure and reinforces the role of INEC in upholding accountability, internal democracy, and procedural compliance among Nigeria’s registered political parties.
