PDP National Convention: Secondus, Adeniran in decisive battle

The contest for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic twist on Friday with a key contestant, Chief Olabode George, announcing his withdrawal from the race over what he said was an insult on his Yoruba people by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

The withdrawal of George from the race further narrowed the contest to a battle between the two frontliners, Prince Uche Secondus and Professor Tunde Adeniran.

Adeniran is believed to have the backing of prominent leaders of the party, including former presidents Ibrahim Babangida, Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Secondus is generally seen as the candidate of some influential PDP governors led by Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose of Rivers Ekiti states.

Apart from George, there were reports also of the withdrawal of Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Mr Jimi Agbaje from the race. It was not clear why the two left the race and who they could be backing among other contestants.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday night, George alleged that Governor Wike insulted the Yorubas on a national television by saying that the region had not brought much to the PDP.

He therefore demanded an apology from Wike over the alleged insult, saying that he would not stand by while insult was heaped on his people.

George accused the national leadership of the PDP of doing away with micro-zoning which he said was meant to strengthen the internal workings of the party.

He observed that beside the position of the president, all other positions were supposed to be micro-zoned.

George said the chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, was wrong not to have insisted on micro-zoning of the relevant positions.

“Anybody that says there is no micro-zoning is talking rubbish,” he declared.

The party chieftain however maintained that he would never leave PDP but would work to quickly correct the ills of the party.

All the candidates except two are from the South West geo-political zone which had hoped that the post would be micro-zoned to it, being the only region that is yet to produce the national chairman of the party since its inception in 1998.

Beyond the office of the national chairman, also up for grabs are the Deputy National Chairman (North and South), National Secretary, Deputy National Secretary, National Treasurer and the National Financial Secretary.

Others included National Organising Secretary, National Auditor, National Legal Adviser, National Woman Leader and National Youth Leader.

Many of the contestants for these positions are veterans and very significant members of the party. Most of the posts have the positions of deputies which are  also being contested for.

Apart for the post of the national chairman, party stakeholders have managed to micro-zone most of the positions to the various regions in the North and South, making the contest for the positions less contentious. But the plum position of the party boss zoned to the South is a different kettle of fish.

We don’t have preferred candidates —Jonathan, Atiku

Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Friday, declared that they were not supporting any particular candidate over others  at today’s elective national convention of the Peoples Democratic Pary, PDP,as being speculated

This was contained in   separate statements made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday by the media offices of the two leaders.

They stated that rather, they were in  support of the emergence of a more virile political party post-national convention.

According to Atiku’s statement, “he (Atiku), as an advocate of internal democracy in a political party system, believes all the aspirants for respective elective positions in the PDP National Executive Council (NEC) are eminently qualified.”

He noted that the challenge before the delegates of the party “is to vote according to their consciences”.

The statement reads: “As our great political party sets forth to elect new set of national officers for the party today, we must put the interest of the party first and I urge our delegates to vote for people they believe will better promote the interest of the party

“I am an advocate of democracy and it is my belief that the best way to strengthen a political party is to promote the principle of internal democracy in the workings of the party

“I  believe that all of the aspirants for respective positions are eminently qualified and the task is before our delegates to pick people who will make PDP even a stronger party after the convention

“I do not have any preferred candidate, all I ask of our delegates and members of the organising committee is that they should give us a national convention that is transparent, free and credible – one that will establish a standard for how intra-party elections are to be held in the country

“I wish all members and leaders of our great party, PDP, a successful national convention just as I wish all the aspirants luck in their endeavors.”

Former President Jonathan  in his own statement said that a stronger PDP  would emerge after the national convention, adding that he has no preferred candidates.

The former president, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, also expressed optimism that the convention would produce positive outcomes which would help “the

party regains its pride of place in the affairs of the nation.”

The message also quoted Dr Jonathan as restating that he has no preferred candidate, stressing that he was prepared to work with all those that would emerge as new leaders, in the interest of the party and nation.

The message read: “As the father of the party, ex-President Jonathan has no preferred candidates for any of the positions and is prepared to work with all those that will emerge as members of the new NWC, to ensure that the party regains its pride of place in the affairs of the nation.”

“Ahead of today’s scheduled National Convention of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP), former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan wishes to extend his felicitations to the candidates, delegates, convention committee members, as well as all other party members for their interest and participation at this important congress.

“The former president is pleased with the dedication and enthusiasm of all party members towards building a strong PDP and wishes all participants successful deliberations, as they seek to freely elect members of the National Working Committee (NWC), that will lead the party for the next four years.

“Dr Jonathan is impressed with the level of preparations for the convention, especially with the number of the candidates and the spread and vibrancy of the campaigns which has established a new paradigm for intra-party elections in the country.

“As the father of the party, ex-President Jonathan has no preferred candidates for any of the positions and is prepared to work with all those that will emerge as members of the new NWC, to ensure that the party regains its pride of place in the affairs of the nation.

“Contrary to speculations and permutations by some interest groups, Dr Jonathan has never discussed or plotted with others against the ambition of any of the candidates, as is being falsely reported by those who are adept at spreading negative stories against the immediate past president.

“The former president is therefore optimistic that the convention will produce a positive outcome that will help PDP consolidate its position as the party with the best democratic ideals in the country”.

The South West has been unable to reach a common ground among the contenders who now look poised to settle their score at the polling booth today, alongside the two other candidates from the South South.

The individual candidates are convinced that they are best placed to offer the former ruling party the desired rejuvenation and a plausible path to a return to Aso Rock. They had consequently embarked on a presidential campaign-style nationwide, to win the sympathy of delegates to the national convention. It is a first in the history of the PDP which was in power for 16 years before its ouster in 2015.

The chairmanship candidates have been to all states of the federation drumming up support for themselves in a way that not only registered them in the consciousness of the party faithful, but also ensured that the PDP had occupied the front burner of discussion among many Nigerians across all divides. Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, put this in perspective when he noted during the last meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party that the fact that the candidates had transversed the length and breadth of the country had ensured that PDP had become the only political party being talked about around the country.