Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and key members of the party’s leadership are currently in a closed-door meeting with the management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the ongoing controversy surrounding the position of the party’s National Secretary.

The high-level delegation, led by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, includes Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

Also in attendance are former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governors Ahmad Makarfi and Seriake Dickson, and former PDP National Secretary, Ben Obi.

The meeting, taking place at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, follows a letter from the commission dated June 13, which rejected the party’s notice for its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for June 30.

INEC faulted the notice for being signed solely by the acting chairman, without the required co-signature of the National Secretary, in violation of the commission’s 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

Speaking during the open session of the meeting, Damagum thanked INEC for granting the audience, describing the engagement as both rare and important.

“We are here today to discuss and interact with you sincerely because we had NEC, and there was a decision of NEC which mandated me to sign a letter to avoid controversy. And I received your reply on that letter, urging us to be guided by rules. So I think we are here to interact sincerely with you, off camera, so that it will guide us when we get back to have a position,” he said.

In his response, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed that the meeting was requested by the PDP and emphasised that the commission remains open to all registered political parties in line with its regulatory responsibilities.

Yakubu expressed concern about inconsistencies in the party’s communications, noting that INEC had received letters naming different individuals as the party’s National Secretary and called for clarity on the issue.