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Warring factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have revealed the details of their meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Friday.

It was earlier reported on Friday that INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan stated the meeting was aimed at finding a solution to the party’s festering conflict.

The PDP is currently led by two factions: one led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who has held on to the party’s national secretary position, and backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the other led by Kabiru Turaki and backed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

Both sides spoke to the media following their meeting with the election arbiter at the INEC national headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

Speaking, Anyanwu characterized the INEC chairman as a man who has been gifted by God with wisdom for convening the meeting, adding that the way they were greeted by the election umpire demonstrates that INEC genuinely wants the PDP to continue to thrive as Nigeria’s biggest opposition party.

“So they, INEC, are looking at the issues and options of how to bring peace for us. So we are yet to get a decision of NEC on the matter, but both sides spoke,” he said.

He stated that both sides were able to punch up the loopholes where the problem comes from, saying that “It has to do with grief, aggression and ego of some people. As a matter of fact, as a responsible party, we believe in the rule of law, the electoral guidelines and the NEC guidelines.

“Yes, we all, Nigerians know that PDP has a mechanism of managing internal crisis. And that is what we are doing now. And I can tell you, we will come out strong and stronger.

Turaki, the PDP’s national chairman from the Oyo convention, stated, “We were invited last night by the Commission to attend the meeting this morning.

“Now, when we received the invite, we thought that it was in respect of an earlier request. When we arrived this morning, however, we discovered that some former members of our party, who had earlier been expelled, were also invited.

“According to INEC, with a view to looking for possible solutions to what the Chairman described as lingering problems within the People’s Democratic Party. So, we have spoken with him from our own perspective. We’ve made a presentation of what we think the issues are.

“And we’ve spoken about those issues. And INEC had listened to us. And INEC had said, even though that there are matters that are before the Court of Appeal, and matters have not been heard, and INEC cannot take the place of a Court of competent jurisdiction, but that they will look into what we have said very seriously.

Regarding the faction recognized by INEC, he added, “Where elders, for instance, sit down to settle a land dispute between brothers or between people who are laying different claims to that land, certainly elders will know that one of those people is a legitimate owner, and the other person may be claiming to be the owner.

“But at the end of the day, everybody will be heard by the elders. So that at the end of the day, nobody will say that elders came, they spoke to us, but I have not been given opportunity of a hearing.

“So I think what they have done, in the spirit of wanting to reconcile, I think it’s something that was proper. If you are inviting us, and then you are not inviting other people who are claiming to be what they are not, then probably it will be us talking to ourselves.

“And so I don’t see any difference in what you’re saying. I don’t see any problem with that. I don’t.”

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