How Secondus won PDP’s chairmanship

AS the electoral sub-committee of the national convention committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commenced the collation of the ballots late on Saturday, the resolute of the most coveted seat on hand had become apparent.

Professor Tunde Adeniran, the man expected to fly the South-West flag in the electoral battle had no agent to collate his votes. And that was a race already touted as a straight contest between him and the front-runner, Prince Uche Secondus. Adeniran had walked out of the convention ground in protest against what was apparently turning out a coronation ceremony of the former acting national chairman of the PDP.

Earlier in the day, things were looking upbeat for Adeniran, one of the seven men the South-West threw into the  chairmanship race. A number of his compatriots, including former Govenors Gbenga Daniel and Rashidi Ladoja of Ogun and Oyo states respectively and Mr Jimi Agbaje had earlier withdrawn from the race. Ladoja issued a statement indicating that Adeniran had emerged the sole candidate from the South-West. Before their withdrawals, Chief Olabode George, former deputy national chairman of the party, had also withdrawn himself in an anger-laced statement, which appeared to pour cold water on the ethusiasm the PDP was taking into that convention.

 

Why was it a little too late?

But that was a little too late as the deed has been done. The caucuses had sealed the fate of the convention as the South-West aspirants acted too late in the day. At the start of the process for the convention, the stage was widely open for the zone to explore, in its bid to produce its first national chairman of the party.

Stakeholders still appeared to stick to the agreement reached ahead of the botched Port Harcourt convention of 2016 where the southern states agreed to cede the post of chairman to the South-West.

The man who was endorsed for chairmanship at the botched Port Harcourt convention, Mr Jimi Agbaje, was, however, non-committal immediately the process was reopened. Stakeholders were said to have observed his aloofness on party matters immediately the convention was aborted.

A stakeholder declared that the endorsement of Agbaje could not be reignited because he was not seen around party matters after the aborted convention in 2016. So, following the X-ray of the emerging scenario, some stakeholders were said to have stepped in.

 

Stakeholders step in

Immediately after the non-elective national convention in Abuja in August, it was learnt that high level stakeholders of the party decided to intervene by seeking out an acceptable chairmanship candidate for the PDP from the South West. Sources confirmed that one of the candidates shortlisted is not a member of the PDP, but the leaders undertook to fast track his return to the party. The attempt, however, got aborted as it was said to have leaked.

Outside the number one candidate, Professor Tunde Adeniran was seen as the next acceptable candidate. It was expected that stakeholders from the South-West would rally round him and sell his candidacy to the other zones to ease the task of the leaders.

The influx of aspirants from the zone and the acrimony that it generated was said to have shaken the faith of the stakeholders in producing a candidate from the zone.

 

Governors step in

As the contestants from the South-West were making things difficult for themselves, the PDP Governors’ Forum decided to step in, in a bid to search for an acceptable candidate. An X-ray of who-is-who in the race was undertaken, including the strengths and weaknesses of the aspirants.

The governors also resolved to dig into classified information about each of the aspirants and the revelations were said to have indicated that some candidates were receiving external support with the possibility of further dividing the party.

That was said to have streanghtened the resolve of the governors to “control their resources” by producing a candidate within their purview.

At that stage, the ambition of Prince Uche Secondus, which was largely muted initially, became energised and the name of the game changed.

In their resolve to produce the most acceptable chairman, the governors were said to have highlighted the need for a candidate who will not be afraid of the battle ahead, one who will be sufficiently experienced to hit the ground running and one who will not be bogged down by internal wrangling within the zone as well as one without a case the anti-graft agencies can latch unto to frustrate the party.

Secondus was seen as the most  experienced of the pack in party administration, having served as state chairman, national organising secretary, deputy national chairman as well as acting national chairman.

Besides, he is from a PDP-controlled state and commands the support of his governor.

 

Makarfi’s role

Independent sources within the party told the Nigerian Tribune that the governors put the outgone chairman of the national caretaker committee of the party in the know of their findings and the need to ensure the emergence of a candidate that could be not controlled by external forces.

In that light, the former governor of Kaduna State frustrated the bid to micro-zone the position to the South-West, while the governors perfected the bid for the emergence of new chairman.

Makarfi’s action earned him names from some South-West aspirants who believe he was doing the bidding of Prince Secondus.

 

IBB, GEJ and other interventions

Following the resolve of the governors on the platform of the party to produce a chairman who would be within “view,” it was understood that they also moved to sell the idea to leaders of the party, including the former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida and former President Godluck Jonathan. The duo were earlier said to have agreed to the candidature of Professor Tunde Adeniran at the start of the campaign.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was said to have undertaken the salesman role. The two leaders were said to have, however, resisted the move but the governors also insisted on doing what they believe is right.

Sources said Jonathan and IBB remained commited to the idea of a South-West chairman of the party even after the South-South endorsed Secondus.

The emergence of further intelligence about some of the candidates with external support was, however, said to be the clincher, as both leaders were said to have given their backing to the Secondus bid in order to prevent any external remote controlling.

With the last straw delivered, the Wike camp was left to tidy the remaining loose ends.

State chairmen of the party had raised issues with the chairmanship aspirants, including Secondus. They threatened last week to raise an alternative chairman amongst them. But Governor Wike was said to have sold them details of the governors’ findings and intimated them of the need to ensure a “tight defence” ahead of 2019.

It was, therefore, not surprising that the bulk of votes at the December 9 convention went the way of Secondus, who polled 2,000 votes ahead of his closest challenger, Professor Adeniran, who managed to score 230 votes. Chief Raymond Dokpesi, also from the South-South, scored some 66 votes.