Intrigues as PDP goes into a now-or-never national convention

Deputy Editor, LEON USIGBE, writes on the latest intrigues surrounding the race for the national chairmanship post of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Prince Uche Secondus looked to be coasting home in the race for the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until last week when a group of northern leaders seemed to have applied the brakes to his cruise. The former National Deputy Chairman (South) of the leading opposition party was not even expected to be in the race in the first place because from the onset, the south-west had primed itself for it being the only geo-political zone in the country that is yet to produce the national chairman of the PDP since it was founded in 1998.

Secondus is from the south-south and had acted as the national chairman of the party soon after it was ousted from power when its substantive boss, Adamu Mu’azu, threw in the towel as a way of taking responsibility for the unexpected defeat. He was thus a relatively late entrant into the race arising from the lack of clarity engendered by the National Caretaker Committee (NCC’s) disposition to zoning. The party zoned the post to the south, but the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led NCC had also given the green light to regional leaders to micro-zone it where they are able to achieve a consensus, which meant that a group of stakeholders could sit in a room and determine the specific part of the south that could produce the chairman.

South-west getting a head start South-west aspirants thus took it for granted that the next national chairman would necessarily come from within them and were quick out of the blocks with the blast of the whistle. Six candidates launched themselves into the race including Chief Bode George, Professor Tunde Adeniran, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Chief Jimi Agbaje, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, and Alhaji Rasheed Ladoja who were joined later by Aderemi Olusegun.

Chief Raymond Dopkesi from Edo State in the south-south would not be convinced about micro-zoning. He stayed in the race.  His presence in the contest seemed to have been what egged on Secondus who threw himself into it and quickly emerged the favourite. There have been suggestions that he is being sponsored by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who is thought to have convinced many of the PDP state governors to back the Rivers-born politician for the position. With the perception of being the establishment’s candidate, Secondus’ support groups quickly germinated around the country and to some party members, he is certain to be crowned the next party chairman on the December 9 – 10 national convention in Abuja. Whereas he looked to have secured the backing of some state governors, none of the aspirants from the south-west can boast of the support of one governor, not even Adeniran who hails from Ekiti, the only south-west state with a PDP governor, has been unable to get the endorsement of Governor Ayo Fayose

Northern elders’ interference

But things seem to have taken a different turn in the last few days with the apparent ganging up of a band of party elders from the north who are intent on seeing the emergence of a party chairman from the south-west. This coalition is coming under the influence of some prominent members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) with the likes of Professor Jerry Gana and Senator Ibrahim Mantu at the helms.

The group met last Thursday night in Abuja under the aegis of PDP Northern Elders and Leaders Forum. At the end of the meeting, it issued a communique signed by former Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and former Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Margaret Icheen, where it rationalised the choice of a candidate from the south-west with a directive for all delegates from the north to vote along that line.

Part of the communique reads: “As we head to the national convention, the forum showed keen interest on the position of the national chairman. After extensive deliberations, it was resolved that, in the spirit of fairness, equity, carrying every part of the country along, giving every geo-political zone a sense of participation and inclusion in the affairs of the PDP, we strongly support the quest of the southwest geo-political zone to produce the next national chairman of the party.

“In line with our resolve to rebuild and reposition the PDP, we urge delegates from all the northern states to abide by this decision and vote for only aspirants from the southwest geo-political zone in the forthcoming national convention, in the best interest of the party.

“This is without prejudice to the right of aspirants from other geo-political zones to contest.”

This position though was quickly challenged by a breakaway faction of the group which barely 24 hours later, rejected the attempt by the northern leaders to micro-zone a position on behalf of the south. This group is led by former member of the House of Representatives, Sani Kutugi and former Adamawa State acting governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who told a press conference that the northern elders have no right to interfere in the post zoned to the south.

Kutigi argued that even though the issue of micro-zoning of the national chairmanship position was discussed at the elders’ meeting, an agreement was not reached on the matter. Therefore, they were surprised that it appeared on the communique released as the position taken by the participants. He averred that if the action of the northern elders was left unchecked, it meant that when the time comes, the south too can engineer the micro-zoning of the presidency already zoned to the entire northern states.

Kutigi said: “Various groups and contending interests are jostling for vantage positions ahead of the National Convention of the People‘s Democratic Party coming up on 9 Dec. 2017.  The latest most obnoxious and objectionable plot is by some party members from the north who have purportedly micro-zoned the National Chairmanship of the party to the south-west in a bid to accord undue advantage to a preferred aspirant. This is contrary to the agreed arrangement of the party which has at no time been changed. This group of people lacks any authority or voice to speak on behalf of the north as a homogeneous entity and is therefore on its own.

“Their action is hereby rejected and totally condemned. Majority of members from the north dissociate themselves from this misadventure which portends unintended consequences if left unchallenged. It is a slap on the face and an insult on the face of southern Nigerian politicians/leaders that few members from the north can sit down and determine who to elect. While rejecting micro-zoning, we affirm our belief in the sanctity of the larger, more inclusive arrangement which gave southern Nigeria the position of national chairman of our great party.

“Party members from the north pledge to support only a free and fair process where a new national chairman will emerge regardless of which place he comes, so long as he is from any of the states that make up southern Nigeria. The northern elders are ostensibly not comfortable with Secondus who they suspect might again be subject to the whim and caprices of the all-powerful state governors, thereby putting the party machinery firmly under their vice grip.  But critics of the elders also say they are looking to install a pliant figurehead that they themselves can as well manipulate.

Threat of parallel national convention

Even though expressing his legitimate right to contest, the presence of Secondus in the race and his likely advantage over other aspirants is at the root of discontent among some of them who have privately expressed fears that the national leadership has compromised itself and is working for his emergence as the next chairman. There are analysts who do not buy this argument but think that such aspirants only want a strong contender out of the way to clear the path for themselves.

Despite Makarfi’s consistent assurances that the NCC will provide a level playing field for the conduct of a free, fair and transparent national convention, some of the aspirants have maintained their suspicion and are thought to be behind the threat of a parallel national convention with the aim of painting a picture of a fresh crisis in the PDP where they do not have their way.

Some observers also believe that NCC’s insistence on an open race for all southern candidates is borne out of the need to avoid a crisis which seemingly is now creeping in from a different direction.

Makarfi and aspirants’ shenanigans

Makarfi says he is undeterred by the shenanigans of some party members and has not missed an opportunity to admonish aspirants and their supporters concerning their allegations of favoritism leveled against the NCC. Therefore, to reinforce the integrity of the process; the sincerity and commitment of the national leadership to the conduct of a credible national convention, Makarfi took the unusual step of throwing open for scrutiny the convention’s delegates’ list. He did this last week to allay the fears of some aspirants that it had been tampered with and skewed in favour of a candidate. “This is to reinforce the issue of integrity of the delegates’ list that will be used for the elective convention. It will be open and available to anybody with bonafide interest,” he said during the last meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), explaining: “we understand the fears that they may be tampered with. That’s why we want you to verify the list.”

As all this unfolds, the national convention is only a matter of days away and the various schemes are bound to pass away but with ramifications for all concerned. The PDP hierarchy and membership are conscious of the significance of this exercise which to some is virtually a now-or-never issue.