- Risks losing national chairmanship slot
There is no doubt that the decision of the National Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party to zone the national chairmanship of the party, among others, to the South West, has continued to cause ripples in the region.
What many political observers initially viewed as a blessing to the region, politically, seems to be taking the opposite turn.
It is fast becoming a reason for discord, disunity and disharmony among the leaders of the party in the region.
At its August 4 meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the PDP NWC had zoned four positions, including those of the National Chairman, National Vice chairman (NWC position), National Treasurer and National Deputy Publicity Secretary to the region.
Obviously, the news was well received by party members across the region, as many notable individuals almost immediately indicated interest in taking the plum job of the PDP national chairmanship. If successful, it would be the first time the region would have produced the party’s overall boss.
Aspirants quickly emerged from Lagos, Oyo and Osun states while it was still being speculated that many others would surface before the screening scheduled for next week.
From Lagos, a former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Bode George; a party chieftain, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and the PDP governorship standard bearer in the 2015 elections, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, threw their hats into the ring.
Also, a former minister of sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja and ex-education minister, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, from Oyo and Osun states, respectively, declared interest in the prime position.
But the matter took a difficult dimension when a faction of the party leaders in the South West met in Akure, Ondo State, and decided to reserve the number one position for aspirants from Lagos and Ogun states, before the leaders and delegates who attended the NWC meeting in Port Harcourt could report to the zone on its outcome.
The meeting, which was spearheaded by Governors Olusegun Mimiko and Ayodele Fayose of Ondo and Ekiti states, respectively, held last Monday at the Government Banquet Hall, Alagbaka in Akure. The group also decided that the treasurer position be zoned to Ondo and Ekiti, while the assistant publicity secretary was left for Osun and Oyo states.
A former Ondo State commissioner for information, Mr. Eddy Olafeso, explained the decision of the group and how the positions were shared, disclosing that a sixman committee had been raised to restore peace to the party in the zone.
However, another faction, under the aegis of the Constitutionally Elected and Legally Confirmed South West Zonal Executive Committee (2014-2018), led by the National Vice Chairman (South West) of the party, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, at the end of another meeting at the PDP South West Zonal Secretariat in Ibadan, kicked against the decision reached at the Akure meeting.
They described the decision of the Akure meeting as “Executive rascality.”Ogundipe, who was reportedly denied entrance to the Akure meeting, dissociated himself and the entire excos from every decision taken by the group in Akure.
He called on the National Caretaker Committee, led by Alhaji Ahmed Markafi not to accept any of the decisions reached at the meeting.
But the Ogundipe faction, on their own part, at the end of their meeting in Ibadan, decided to leave the position of the national chairman of the party open to all the aspirants from the six states in the zone to contest in the forthcoming PDP National Convention.
While clarifying the matter after the zonal executives meeting in Ibadan, Ogundipe noted that it was only logical for the position to be left open to all the aspirants because each of the six states in the zone had eminently qualified and suitable candidates who could lead the party ahead of the 2019 elections.
“As to the position of the National Chairman of our great party, because incidentally, we have aspirants from every bloc and every state, virtually all the axis have vibrant aspirants.
“The meeting has decided not to zone the position to any particular place for reasons of giving effect to the dictates of our constitution that allows everybody to freely contest positions that are available within the party “To this effect, we have announced publicly that the position of the National Chairman zoned to us has been allowed to float within the three axis. This is for us to have the best candidate to be presented to the national convention. With this, we will have the best candidate to go and slug it out with whoever is there in the opposition so that we will have the best person with the best credentials, integrity, pedigree and with the best mobilisation ability,” he said.
Justifying the action, the SW zonal chairman whose tenure as the national vice chairman of the party runs till October 2018, quoted Section 27, sub-section (2a) and (2b) of the party constitution, explaining that his executive is the only group or organ constitutionally empowered within the zone to make or take such decisions.
According to him, for easy sharing of the remaining offices, the three recognised blocs existing in the region would share the other positions that had been zoned.
“You need to understand that the position of the National Vice Chairman, South West has been settled since May 2014 running through to October 2018. So, in accordance with our constitution, we are the ones that have the constitutional right to actually zone and announce to you the outcome of our meeting as it has to do with the zoning of these offices.
“So, therefore, we have resolved that Ekiti/Ondo which has me as the NVC will continue to be so. The position of the National treasurer will go to Oyo/Osun axis while the position of the Deputy National publicity secretary will be zoned to Lagos/Ogun,” he said.
Ogundipe, who could not hide his anger at the action of the Akure faction, said the people behind the meeting must be brought to book, otherwise, “this kind of executive rascality would continue n our party.”
While opposing and insisting that Governors Mimiko and Fayose would not be allowed to impose any candidate on the region, the SW chairman reasoned that if the party was talking of winning elections in 2019, the PDP should be more focused on harmonising and reconciling its members across the country, rather than giving room for sheer impunity on the part of some selfish leaders.
Sources at the Akure meeting disclosed that there were also series of discordant tunes from the delegates as many of those present kicked against the zoning decision, aside from pockets of physical assault unleashed against some perceived disloyal members of the faction.
The Akure meeting was attended by Chief Bode George; Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo; Ekiti Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olushola; Senator Teslim Folarin, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Erelu Olusola Obada and Mr. Kola Ademujimi while the Zonal Chairman was accompanied at the briefing by the Zonal Secretary, Chief Pegba Otemolu; Zonal Auditor, Prince Adekola Rasak and other executive members.
Insisting that the party was making serious and genuine reconciliation effort as being championed by the the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the zonal chairman pleaded with leaders of the party, especially in the zone, to team up with the PDP national leadership to bring lasting peace to the opposition party ahead of the 2019 election.
“This time around we are involved in serious reconciliation and this is the reason that this zone has been given this opportunity and we do not want to impose anybody on the party to contest the position of the national chairman. I want to appeal to our leaders and elders across the zones that, it is high time we teamed up together.
“We must fight with one spirit, we must fight with one vigour to make sure that the reconciliation being spearheaded by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu is successful. Whatever is your grouse, in the interest of the party, we want you to have a look at it and contribute your quota to the development and progress of the party”, Ogundipe pleaded.There are fears, however, that with an end not in sight to the wrangling within the embattled opposition party in the zone, the South West might lose the unprecedented opportunity to produce a national chairman for the main opposition party.
