National convention: PDP in fresh crisis, holds crucial NEC meeting Thursday

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be heading for a fresh crisis ahead of the December 9 national convention scheduled to hold in Abuja.

Sources close to the party told the Nigerian Tribune of double challenges it had to cope with in the run-up to the convention.

It emerged on Wednesday that the chairmen of the party in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had taken up arms against the party by rejecting all the aspirants currently on parade in the build-up to the convention.

Nigerian Tribune was privy to a secret meeting held by the state chairmen at a hotel in Wuse area of Abuja, on Wednesday, where it was resolved that the chairmen would field one of their own to replace the outgoing caretaker committee.

It was gathered that the chairmen, who are members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, had sent a “strongly-worded” message to the national caretaker committee, in which they expressly rejected the existing contestants and declared that the field be open for one of them to contest the position.

One of the chairmen, who spoke in confidence, said the chairmen did not have confidence in those currently campaigning to lead the party.

“At a closed-door meeting of the forum of state chairmen held at Valencia Hotel, on Wednesday, the chairmen resolved that they are going to support one of the serving state chairmen to save the party from an imminent crisis.

“They observed with concerns, the growing agitations and divisive statements by some of the contenders for the position of national chairman and critical stakeholders and their opposition to a particular candidate who is believed to be enjoying some huge backings.

“The chairmen insisted that they would stay put in Abuja to convey their position to the stakeholders in the party. They also resolved to get the message back to their respective states to inform them of the development,” the source said.

When asked to comment on the development, Secretary of the Forum of Chairmen, Francis Orugu, who is the chairman of Nasarawa State chapter of the PDP, said he was not mandated to give details but stated that the forum was concerned about happenings in the party and would take steps to avert another major crisis.

“We believe that the party doesn’t need another crisis that is driven by selfish political ambition and interests,” he said.

 

‘Unity list’ may  tear PDP apart —Source

In another development, the emergence of a list, tagged “Unity list,” may further polarise the PDP, sources said on Wednesday.

It was gathered that some influential members were already compiling the “unity list” which they intended to impose on the national convention.

Sources close to the PDP said the party might get further factionalised after the forthcoming convention as many stakeholders had rejected a list said to have been compiled by those seeking to impose some aspirants on the party.

It was gathered that many members of the party were uncomfortable with the said list, which they said amounted to promoting the same impunity that led the party to the recently protracted crisis.

A source said the chairman of the national caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, had to apologise to members of the party for the impunity of the past when he took over, wondering why the same party would fall for the offensive agenda so soon.

A source in the know said: “we expect that the convention will be keenly contested and its outcome not pre-determined. It is better for all the contestants to face the delegates and let them choose their leaders in a free, fair and transparent convention. We should allow the contestants to be elected on their individual merit rather than being handpicked by some godfathers.”

Another source that pleaded anonymity said: “we are making a passionate appeal to all the organs of the party and the PDP Governors’ Forum to critically look at the ‘unity list’ because of its potential to destroy our party. “The onus is on the party to do the right thing by allowing a level-playing field during the convention.”

The source asked party leaders who had earlier spoken against the planned micro-zoning to also take the same steps to stop the imposition of the said list,” to avert a final collapse of the PDP.

 

NEC may approve waiver for Atiku, others today

Meanwhile, the 77th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP will hold today, in Abuja, ahead its national convention slated for next week.

Top on the agenda of the meeting, according to Nigerian Tribune source, is the deliberation and approval of the list of members of the national planning committee of its forthcoming national convention.

It was gathered that the meeting would conclude delibration on the proposed amendments to the constitution of the party which could not be completed during its last meeting due to time constraint.

The meeting, being seen as a make or mar to the party, source added, would look into the issue of waivers for the influx of old and new members into the party since the Supreme Court’s verdict on the leadership crisis that rocked the party to its roots.

Among those to be considered is former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who dumped the All Progressives  Congress (APC) last week.

“These are most of the issues before the NEC to deliberate upon for approval ahead of our forthcoming elective national convention. However, the meeting will also attend to other issues that may crop up especially on the convention,” the source added.

However, the Nigerian Tribune gathered from other sources that today’s NEC meeting might be rowdy over allegations and counter-allegations against top members of the party by some chairmanship aspirants on one hand and against some of the chairmanship and other aspirants to other offices of the party on the other hand.

A source told the Nigerian Tribune that some fundamental issues had been raised against some of the aspirants which had to be resolved internally ahead the convention, and, if not, could tarnish the image of the party.

“Several petitions had been written to the National Caretaker  Committee of the party which may crop up at the NEC meeting as they cannot be swept under the carpet without deliberating on them,” the source  hinted.

In another development, a national chairmanship aspirant of the party, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, has said the success of the party in 2019 elections is dependent on the outcome of its December 9 convention.

Adedoja stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja, on Wednesday, after submitting his nomination form for the race.

He said the PDP needed a new orientation and that it could no longer be administered by “guesswork but by intellectuals.’’

“The success of the party in the 2019 general election is dependent on the success of the December 9 convention.

“If the convention goes wrong, there will be no PDP in 2019; the strategy to win elections in 2019 starts with a free and fair national chairmanship election at the convention,” he said.

Adedoja expressed confidence in the party’s National Caretaker Committee led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

He said he was unaware of any plan to conduct a parallel convention, pledging that he stood by the caretaker committee.

The aspirant said it was important that the South-West produced the next national chairman of the party.

He said  there would be consequences should the zone not produce the chairman.

According to him, the zone would be porous and a vulnerable prey to other parties should it not produce the next chairman of the party.

Also, former Minister of Education and a national chairmanship aspirant,  Professor Tunde Adeniran, on Wednesday, denied being sponsored by any politician or political group to become the party’s national chairman.

Adeniran, who stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while soliciting the support of the delegates from the state, described the insinuation as a deliberate attempt to provoke his aspiration.

According to him, “This is just a propaganda to pull me down and provoke me because they all know I have the potential to turn around the fortune of PDP.

“To me,  this is a wicked insult and the greatest insult. Nobody is sponsoring my aspiration and I want to tell you that I stand for truth, equity and fairness. This should not be used to further destabilise the party.

“I am not being  sponsored by Kashamu, Atiku, Ibrahim Babangida or anybody. I know this is the handiwork of mischief makers and it will not work, God will deal with them soon.”

He added that  the sponsors of the allegation were those afraid of defeat at the  December 9 convention.

Adeniran, however, did not rule out the possibility of the South-West chairmanship aspirants to come out with a consensus candidate in order to give the region an edge on the election.

He said: “we are discussing among ourselves and our decision will be taken and make public soon. l am sure we will get it right before the convention. God does not make mistakes,  I am sure He will step in.”

Adeniran said he was interested in the race in order to reposition the party and give room for internal democracy by eradicating impunity and imposition within the party.

“We need to retrace our steps. Though we have many drivers who can drive, it will be better to have a driver who is also a mechanic. I remain the best for the job based on my past experience.

“l am both a driver and  mechanic because l know this party from onset and can fix the problems for it to have a smooth drive.

“All the acrimony, disunity and other things that have gone wrong will be corrected,” he said.

 

PDP convention: Aspirants back call for micro-zoning

The call for micro zoning of various positions being contested for at the convention got a boost  as two aspirants from the northern part of the country maintained that micro-zoning had helped the party to stabilise over the years and that it should not be jettisoned for any reason.

A national treasurer aspirant, Aminu Bala, said micro-zoning of political positions was introduced by the founding fathers of the party to ensure stability and sense of belonging by every part of the country.

“Micro-zoning has stabilised the party since inception. It was created by the founding fathers to allow people from all parts of the country to have access to political power. Macro-zoning will only allow major tribes to dominate the rest of other people.

“So the practice, over the years, is that major positions are shared by the six geopolitical zones. Even within the zones, positions are  micro-zoned among states,” Bala said.

Speaking on the same issue, a Deputy National Chairmanship aspirant, A. Y. Gombe, said zoning had helped the PDP to stabilise and that it had helped the party to be truly national.

“Micro-zoning is also important. Like I am from the North-East and in our zone, Adamawa/Taraba will produce national vice chairman, Borno/Yobe go for national auditor while Gombe/Bauchi will go for deputy national chairman.

“Since the party’s NEC said presidency is zoned to the North and the national chairman is zoned to the South, the leaders in the South have to meet and zone the position to a particular zone. If that has not been done, it should be done before the convention,” he said.