Dying PDP Kicks, Says INEC Has No Authority To Interferes In Party’s Internal Meetings 

Dying PDP Kicks, Says INEC Has No Authority To Interferes In Party’s Internal Meetings 

 

 

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of overstepping its constitutional boundaries, declaring that the commission has no authority to interfere in the party’s internal meetings, particularly its upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) session scheduled for June 30.

 

At a media briefing on Sunday held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, PDP National Publicity Secretary Hon. Debo Ologunagba said the party had formally notified INEC of the meeting in line with established practices, but insisted that INEC’s involvement is neither needed nor legally required.

 

“INEC has no role in the regular meetings of the National Working Committee (NWC) or NEC,” Ologunagba stated. “These are internal party matters, as clearly affirmed by multiple Supreme Court rulings.”

 

He explained that under both Nigerian law and the PDP constitution, INEC is only mandated to be informed of conventions, congresses, or primaries that involve the election of party officials or candidates. He added that the June 30 meeting falls outside those categories.

 

“We did not indicate that this meeting involves any form of election or nomination. Yet, INEC’s Acting Secretary, Halilu Aminu, presumed to assign an electoral purpose to it,” Ologunagba said.

 

According to him, the 100th NEC meeting will focus on reviewing preparations for the party’s upcoming national convention. This includes progress reports from the Zoning and Convention Committees, which were constituted during the 99th NEC meeting.

 

He further clarified that the PDP had complied with the electoral commission’s 21-day notification rule, submitting its notice on May 13—a correspondence that was acknowledged by INEC on the same day.

 

However, INEC later contested the validity of the notice in a June 13 response, citing a lack of joint signatures from the PDP’s National Chairman and National Secretary, as required by INEC’s internal regulations. Ologunagba rejected this reasoning, stating that both the Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary are legally recognized within the party’s structure.

 

“Who signs a party letter is an internal affair. INEC has no jurisdiction to dictate that,” he argued. “This is a blatant attempt to undermine our party.”

 

He accused the electoral body of seeking to frustrate the PDP’s internal processes and suggested it could be part of a broader agenda aimed at weakening opposition parties and promoting one-party dominance in the country.

 

“Why this desperation? It appears to be a calculated effort to stifle opposition voices and tilt Nigeria toward a one-party state. This is not only unconstitutional but also dangerous,” he warned.

 

Ologunagba went on to question the conduct and motivations of INEC’s Acting Secretary, urging the commission to scrutinize his actions closely.

 

“The challenge for us now is to ask: Who is the Acting Secretary working for? Why is he manufacturing controversy where none exists?” he queried.

 

Addressing reports on social media that INEC had cancelled the PDP’s NEC meeting, Ologunagba dismissed them as “laughable” and “false,” reiterating that the authority to hold or cancel such meetings lies solely with the party.

 

In addition to discussing the face-off with INEC, the PDP spokesman addressed unresolved internal issues such as the South East Zonal Executive and the status of the National Secretary’s office—both of which, he said, would be discussed during the June 30 NEC session.

 

He also spoke on reconciliation efforts within the party, ongoing legal matters related to party properties, and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

 

“The reconciliation process is moving steadily. We are not rushing it—it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he said.

 

Concluding his remarks, Ologunagba emphasized the PDP’s resilience in the face of what he described as persistent attacks from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

“The APC is jittery. They thought our challenges would break us, but we’ve emerged even stronger. We remain committed to democracy, transparency, and unity,” he stated.