EX-PRESIDENT,OBASANJO RESIGNS AS CHAIRMAN OF PDP

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s resignation as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees has been accepted.

The Secretary of the Board, Senator Walid Jubril, confirmed this at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

Jibril said the resignation was accepted at a board meeting in Abuja on Monday night.

Jibril, who spoke with reporters after the party’s National Executive Committee meeting, also said Obasanjo attended the meeting.

He, however, said the board had yet to decide on Obasanjo’s replacement, saying a decision would be taken after the party had ratified its new constitution.

He said, “The BoT did not discuss Obasanjo’s replacement, but accepted his resignation. No one has been nominated or tipped to replace him for now.”

However, our correspondent learnt that a former National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, is being tipped to take over the position.

If Ali is elected, Jibril might be asked to resign as both of them are from the North Central. While Ali is from Kogi State Jibril is from Nassarawa State.

Meanwhile, moves by the NWC of the party to reconstitute the party’s Disciplinary Committee suffered a setback on Tuesday as women present at the NEC meeting protested against the lopsidedness in its proposed membership composition.

PDP Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, in his memo to the party’s NEC dated July 16, 2012 recommended seven people as members of the committee.

Those on the list were Mr. Femi Pedro( Chairman), Okey Ezenwa(South-East), Chidi Wiyoka(South-South), Tanimu Adamson(North-Central), Yakubu Shehu(North-West), Yusuf Jangwe(North-East) and Bola Doherty(South-West).

The NEC directed that the members of the NWC should look into the list and attend to the grievances of the women.

The Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who confirmed the development, said the party was right in its decision, adding that the NWC would look into the issues that were “raised at the NEC and consider them before representing the list at the next NEC meeting”.