Key points
- The Peoples Democratic Party has formed Appeal Panels to handle grievances arising from its presidential, gubernatorial, state, and National Assembly primary elections.
- The panels aim to ensure transparency, fairness, and internal democracy during the party’s candidate selection process.
- National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed will head the governorship and presidential appeals panel, which includes Samuel Anyanwu.
- Suleiman Afolagbe has been appointed to lead the nine-member panel overseeing state and national assembly disputes.
- Both committees are scheduled to sit at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja between June 8 and June 10.
Main Story
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up dedicated Appeal Panels to handle petitions and complaints arising from its primary elections for presidential, gubernatorial, state, and National Assembly slots.
According to the party leadership, these panels were established to ensure transparency, equity, and internal democracy throughout its internal electoral processes. In an official statement released on Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, explained that the committees will carefully evaluate grievances brought forward by unsatisfied contestants and party stakeholders.
Mohammed noted that the initiative highlights the political party’s determination to maintain a credible candidate selection framework ahead of the upcoming general elections.
The administrative composition and sitting schedules for the various committees have already been finalized. The party’s National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, is tasked with presiding over the governorship and presidential appeals panel, with Samuel Anyanwu serving as a member of the team.
On the other hand, the panel responsible for reviewing state and national assembly disputes will be led by Suleiman Afolagbe. This nine-member legislative appeal committee is scheduled to conduct its sessions on June 8 and June 9, utilizing the National Working Committee (NWC) Hall at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. Additionally, the 24-member gubernatorial and presidential review team will hold its meetings on June 10 at the same national party headquarters in the federal capital.
The Issues
- Resolving internal friction and contestant grievances following primary elections to prevent post-election legal disputes.
- Upholding statutory party guidelines and constitutional provisions during the screening of electoral complaints.
- Managing the logistics and tight schedules for multi-member panels sitting at the national headquarters.
What’s Being Said
- Outlining the operational mandate of the newly formed committees, National Publicity Secretary Jungudo Mohammed stated: “The appeal panels will hear and review appeals from contestants and stakeholders who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the primaries.”
- Explaining how the committees will determine the validity of petitions brought before them, Mohammed added: “They will also make recommendations in line with the party’s Constitution, Electoral Guidelines and relevant provisions of the law,”
What’s Next
- The nine-member state and national assembly appeals panel will convene at the NWC Hall in Abuja on June 8 and June 9 to hear petitions.
- The 24-member governorship and presidential appeals panel will commence its official sessions on June 10 at the party’s headquarters.
- The leadership will look to implement the panels’ recommendations to solidify its candidate list ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Bottom Line
The PDP has inaugurated separate primary election appeal panels led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and Suleiman Afolagbe to review complaints from aggrieved contestants at its Abuja headquarters between June 8 and June 10.
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