THE National caucus of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to meet today at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with the growing insecurity in parts of the country likely to feature prominently on its agenda.

The meeting, which is a prelude to the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, will also review yesterday’s gubernatorial election in Edo State as well as the progress of its new National Working Committee (NWC) under the National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur.

Both the BoT and NEC meetings have been scheduled for this week in the Presidential Villa and the party’s national headquarters in Abuja respectively.

Sunday Tribune learnt that the party was desirous of fashioning out new options in the battle against the Boko Haram insurgency, which appears to have entered a new phase with the Friday’s attempt at the life of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Umar Kyari, as he was leaving a mosque near his palace in Maiduguri.

It was gathered that the caucus is expected to express its support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s current effort at tackling the terrorist menace through the security agencies and also encourage him to press ahead with the dialogue option with the insurgents.

“It is not just about Boko Haram. There is a deteriorating situation in Plateau and other security issues nation wide; they worry us as a party and we should be able to work together towards finding lasting solutions,” a senior party source, who wished to be anonymous, volunteered.

The source also pointed out that the caucus meeting was a routine constitutional requirement that must be fulfilled by the party, even as it provides an avenue to chart the way forward for the PDP.

The Tukur-led PDP NWC has come under close scrutiny following the leadership crisis generated by Tukur’s appointment of Alhaji Habu Fari, former National Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP) as his Chief of Staff, even though the position does not exist in the organogram of the PDP.

Alhaji Fari and the National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, frequently clashed over administrative issues within the party until Tukur relived the former NDP chairman of his appointment recently to ensure that peace reigned within the party leadership.

The caucus, which is an advisory body, will also look into the salaries that have been proposed to be received by members of the NWC which would see the National chairman taking home about N2million a month apart from his weekly sitting allowance of N50,000.