PDP in MAKE-OR-BREAK CONVENTION in Abuja

PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

The police on Friday sealed off the Federal Capital Territory commercial nerve centre, the Central Business District, Abuja ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party’s make-or-break convention today.

The convention is significant to the party in many ways. Its success will go a long way in determining the outing of the party in the 2015 general elections.

The party has been enmeshed in a lot of controversies in the last few months with n

oticeable divisions among its members. Some of its governors openly spoke against the party.

If the party fails to get its acts right at this convention, it may give the newly registered All Progressives Congress an upper hand in 2015.

A total of 3,500 delegates will decide the fate  of 75 aspirants who are jostling for the 17 available positions in the national leadership of the party at  today’s mini convention.

Hundreds of riot and conventional policemen who were deployed to provide security for the  event blocked all the access routes to the venue of the convention and directed motorists to take alternative routes.

The Force headquarters had on Thursday informed the public that the main access roads  to the Eagle Square will be  barricaded and traffic diverted with effect from 4.00pm on Friday.

It listed the affected roads to include Ahmed Bello Way Fly-over;  Benue Plaza Road; Ministry of Finance junction; Bullet junction; Bayelsa House junction and  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fly-over.

Our correspondent who went around the city observed security personnel taking strategic positions around the Federal Secretariat and the Eagle Square.

Eagles Square, venue of the mini convention, was wearing  a new look on Friday with different decorations made of red, white and green colours of the party.

Security has also been beefed up around the area, with different security agencies manning all the roads leading to the venue.

Policemen, officers from the Department of the State Security Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp were among the security agencies that had already taken positions in the area.

The Chairman of the Publicity Committee for the convention, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, told journalists at the venue of the convention on Friday evening, that the delegates would start voting as soon as President Goodluck Jonathan  is ushered into the place.

He said,

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