In the race to assert control over the soul of the party, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lined up marathon meetings involving key organs and bodies such as the NWC, the PDP Governors’ Forum, ex-ministers and the National Assembly Caucus.

Findings by Tribune Online on Monday indicated that the marathon meetings would start effective Wednesday, December 10, with a session with state party chairmen, where they would be expected to reaffirm their support for the Turaki leadership.

The development came amid a renewed bid by the camp of the party backed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, and chaired by Honourable Mohammed Abdulrahman, to conduct fresh PDP congresses leading to a national convention at a later date.

Rising from a meeting held at Wike’s residence in Abuja on Saturday night, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of his camp, Honourable Mao Ohuabunwa, had spoken of the plans ahead.

He stated, “We are going to work with this NWC, encourage them and support them to ensure that the right things are done.

“We are making meaningful progress in reorganising affected states, including constituting credible caretaker committees to prepare the ground for transparent congresses and the subsequent convention.”

However, a document sighted by the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, gave the lineup of the marathon meetings by the Turaki-led NWC with various bodies of the party in what PDP sources said were intended to pass the message of the “strength and support of the group” amid the ongoing supremacy tussle in the leading opposition party.

The document showed that shortly after the meeting with the state chairmen on Wednesday, it would be immediately followed by the presentation of a certificate of return to the party’s governorship candidate for next year’s Ekiti governorship poll, Dr Oluwole Oluyede.

“This is proof that the PDP is preparing for all the elections ahead, whether in Ekiti or Osun, the party will be there, in spite of what anybody thinks to the contrary”, an official told our Correspondent on Monday.

On the same Wednesday, the House of Representatives caucus and the ex-officios of the party will take their turns to meet.

Similarly, the governors of the PDP, former ministers and former NWC members will have their own meeting on December 16.

The PDP currently has’six governors still officially in its register. They are Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Dauda Lawal (Zamfara); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Caleb Muftwang (Plateau); Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa); and Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers).

But there are rumours linking at least three of the governors to defection plans. It remains unclear how many of them will be available to express strong backing for the Turaki-led NWC during the scheduled meeting.

The Senate caucus will close the marathon meetings on December 17. (Nigerian Tribune)