The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Joash Amupitan, on Tuesday met with the leadership of the two rival groups laying claim to the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The meeting is holding at the INEC headquarters in Abuja and was convened at the instance of the INEC chairman, ahead of the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections as well as the governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states scheduled for next year.
Explaining the reason for the engagement, Amupitan said the commission found it necessary to invite the contending parties following the receipt of separate correspondences from two groups, each claiming to be the authentic leadership of the PDP.
According to him, the meeting was aimed at enabling the commission to better understand the situation and address the contradictions arising from the parallel claims, especially as they relate to the conduct of forthcoming elections.
Those in attendance include members of the National Working Committee led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, as well as the faction led by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
After Amupitan’s opening remarks, journalists were politely asked to excuse themselves, as discussions moved into a closed-door session.
More details to follow shortly…