The National Executive Council meeting of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was moved to 2pm today, to avoid a clash with the declaration ceremony of Ibrahim Babangida in Abuja.

The meeting had originally been slated for 12pm, which would have dampened the focus on Mr Babangida's rally. However, it appears that last ditch talks enabled the meeting to be moved to a later time.

The ceremony itself lasted a little over two hours, with a crowd of thousands in attendance. Mr Babangida arrived a little after 11am in an open-top motorcade, amidst great fanfare and jubilation. When he eventually took his place on the podium, he was joined by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, and former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili. Also in attendance was the Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, who denied that PDP factions were trying to disrupt the rally.

"Thank God that democracy has prevailed, which allowed the meeting to be shifted," he said.

Several affirmations were given by a representative of each geopolitical zone before Mr Babangida eventually took the stage. Notably, each affirmation centred on the fact that zoning must prevail, to ensure peace in Nigeria.

Mr Babangida insisted that he had learned lessons after being out of office for "almost two decades". He said that the "youth are the country's most critical resource." The former military president vowed to focus on "ignored sectors", such as tourism, hospitality, agriculture and the film industry, if elected next year.

The rally ended at about 2pm, as PDP officials quickly moved to Wadata House for the pivotal NEC meeting. A PDP spokesperson confirmed last night that the meeting would determine the order in which the party would conduct their primaries.

The influential Governors' Forum has already convinced the National Working Committee to hold the presidential primaries last. It is now left to the executive council to ratify that decision.

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This is a joke in the face of those families that he murdered their breadwinners during his burtual regime. What shall we say to the families of Dele Giwa and others if we Nigerians failed to shun this man and send him back to Niger? I think he failed to read the hand writing on the wall now is the time for us to act and show him he had his own time with gun and killing but we the people have the votes and we will determine our true leader period.