2027: PDP South power structure emerges

NWC: Anyanwu, Arapaja, Ologunagba out as PDP South submits names

Barely a week after the directive by zoning committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the six geopolitical zones in the country to produce their individual power sharing formula, the three zones in the South have harmonised their positions. Investigations by KUNLE ODEREMI reveal details of the new power structure.

Following its successful conduct of the 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, held in August, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be consolidating the inherent gains. After being bogged down by a protracted leadership crisis for close to two years, which culminated into weak structures, the former ruling party is steadily implementing a timetable and schedule of activities that commenced on August 24 with the National Working Committee (NWC), which deliberated on issues pertaining to the agenda for the crucial NEC meeting of August 25. The timetable, to run till December 8 this year after the national convention of PDP coming up from November 15 to 16 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, will be rounded off with the formal handover to those to be elected as new national officers.

Meanwhile, the conclusion of the NEC meeting during which chieftains of the PDP reviewed and adopted the recommendation of the National Zoning Committee, headed by Governor Duoye Diri of Rivers State, was followed in earnest by high-level consultations across the six geopolitical zones of the country on matters concerning national offices of PDP. The period set aside on the timetable and schedule of activities for the elective convention was between August 26 and September 1. With the stage concluded, the party outlined that the next phase in the march towards the convention proper is the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms for national offices. Since the NEC had resolved the contentious issue of power rotation between the North and the South ahead of the 2027 presidency, the other matter for amicable resolution had bothered on the micro-zoning of offices across the six zones. This is because the decision by the PDP top echelon to cede the presidency to the South has ultimately altered the hitherto power sharing structures.

The fundamental changes resulting from the new formula are not limited to the national level; it also has far-reaching implications at the zonal levels where much of the micro-zoning traditionally takes place. Therefore, there has to be swapping of positions among states constituting each of the geopolitical zones.

South-South, South-West, South-East

Investigations indicate that the leadership of PDP in each of the three zones in the South has since concluded consultations on power sharing. The three zones have also harmonized their positions and forwarded a harmonized list to the national chairman, Umar Ilya Damagum at the PDP national secretariat Abuja. Checks showed that the list was forwarded to him on Monday, through the current deputy national chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, who incidentally is expected to vacate his seat under the new power sharing formula for the entire South.

Copies of the memo were reportedly sent to members of the National Working Committee of PDP. The list was arrived at after due consultations among the leaders of each of the three zones: South-South, South-West and the South-East. The document was duly signed by Chief (Dr) Ali Odefa (national vice chairman for the South-East); Engineer Ajisafe Kamorudeen (national vice chairman, South-West) and Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, who is the Chairman of the South-South Caretaker Committee. According to a copy of the memo gleaned by Midweek Politics, the document is titled: Forwarding of the Resolution of the South on the Positions of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Deputies Zoned to the South.

The preamble to the document explained that the correspondence was in line with the directive of PDP ad hoc committee on the zones to come up with zoning arrangements for each geo-political zone. The memo emphasised that leaders of the three zones in the South met and took a common position on the distribution of offices allocated to the political divide. But they admonished against tampering with the mutually agreed power sharing structure in the overall interest of the party.

They agreed on 11 key national officers, with four slots each meant for the South-South and the South-East, while three positions are to be filled by the South-West. However, the latter was granted the privilege to produce the next Deputy National Organising Secretary (ONOS). The post of national publicity secretary currently in the South-West was moved to the South-South under the new zonal power equation. Emphasising the need for the sanctity of the structure, the PDP Southern caucus stated: “We implore the leadership of the Party to ensure strict compliance with these zoning arrangements beginning with the sales of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for each position.”

The other remarkable changes in the new sharing formula affect the post of national secretary (NS), which was a major source of acrimony and bitterness in the party. It split the PDP in the South-East where the position resides at the moment and the attendant eddies almost suffocated the PDP at the national level. The division became more pronounced after the party leadership wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission on June 24, regarding the position of National Secretary, further escalating the crisis. The position has now moved to the South-West, which produced the outgoing deputy national secretary. The incumbent hails from Lagos State which is micro-zoned with Ogun State.

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Excerpts of the one page-memo delivered on September 1 to the office of PDP national chairman read:

“Following the resolution of the Zoning Committee of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that the positions currently in the North and South should be maintained respectively for the forthcoming Elective National Convention and a further directive for the North and South to come up with zoning arrangements for each geo-political zone. We the three National Vice Chairmen from the South wish to inform Your Excellency that the Southern Region met and resolved as to zone the positions in the South as follows:

1. South-East: to produce National Financial Secretary (NFS), Deputy National Secretary (DNS), National Women’s Leader (NWL) and Deputy National Youth Leader (DNYL)
2. South-West: to produce National Secretary (NS), National Auditor (NA) and Deputy National Organising Secretary (ONOS)
3. South-South: to produce Deputy National Chairman-South (DNC-S), National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Deputy National Treasurer (DNT) and Deputy National Legal Adviser (DNLA).

Existing structure

Under PDP Constitution, members of the NWC include National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman (South); National Secretary, National Treasurer; National Organizing Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Woman Leader, National Youth Leader, National Legal Adviser, National Publicity Secretary, National Auditor, Deputy National Secretary and Deputy National Treasurer.

The current People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) members are: National Chairman Amb. Iliya Damagum (Acting), Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, National Secretary Sen. Samuel N. Anyanwu, Deputy National Secretary Arch. Setonji Koshoedo, National Treasurer Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Financial Secretary Hon. Daniel Woyegikuro, National Organizing Secretary Hon. Umar Bature, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, National Auditor Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, National Women Leader Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe, and National Youth Leader Muhammed Kadade Suleiman.

Gainers, losers

But most of them are to lose their positions based on the ongoing structural changes occasioned by the zoning formula adopted by the PDP in the buildup to the national convention.

For instance, the South-South is the gainer for the positions of Deputy National Chairman-South (DNC-S) and the National Publicity Secretary (NPS). Those offices are right now occupied by Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and Chief Ologunagba, both of whom are from the South-West.

Conversely, the South-East is losing the office of national secretary to the South-West following the new power sharing configuration. The process of micro-zoning will also lead to some states and power centres becoming gainers, because of the expedient turn-by-turn syndrome in PDP.