BoT chair splits PDP • Presidency backs S/East • OBJ group wants Ali • Atiku considers options



THE mother of all crises is now looming in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), barely 24 hours to the election of the chairman of its Board of Trustees (BoT), slated for Abuja.

A reliable source close to the Board revealed to Nigerian Tribune in Abuja on Sunday that the crisis which would either make or mar the party ahead of the 2015 general election is centered on the choice of who becomes the new chairman of the BoT, vacated some months ago by former President Olusegun Obasanjo out of the over 20 aspirants, including non-members of the Board who had indicated their interest to vie for the vacant seat.

Among the aspirants who had already indicated their interest for the position are Senator Amadu Ali, a former national chairman of the party, from the North-Central, the same zone that produced the new secretary of the Board, Senator Jibrin Walid; Senator Bode Olajumoke, South-West; Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, a one time Deputy National Chairman of the party from the South-West; Chief Harry Akande, a new entrant from the South-West and non-member of the Board, Senator Ken Nnamani, a one-time President of the Senate, South-East; Chief Emmanuel Iwanyanwu, Publisher of the Champion Newspapers from the South-East; Chief Tony Anenih,a former chairman of the board from the South-East zone and a host of others.

However, our source said that as part of a game plan to foist Senator Alli from the North-Central zone on the party as the chairman of the Board, there has been severe pressure from various quarters on the incumbent Secretary of the Board, Senator Walid, also from the North-Central, to resign his position to pave the way for Senator Ali, which he had reportedly refused.

According to our source, “all is not well in the party,we thought we could use this golden opportunity of selecting a new BoT chairman to redeem the image of the party before Nigerians and the international community, but with the ways things are going now, I’m afraid if not promptly checked, it may be the thing that will end PDP.

“Come to think of it, why are they be prevailing on the secretary of the Board to resign? To resign for who? This is not going to be possible, they have been having their way in the past, they will fail woefully this time around, the secretary should stay put while they shop for a new chairman from other zones among those who had already indicated their interest,” a member of the Board told the Nigerian Tribune in confidence in Abuja on Sunday.

Meanwhile, it has been gathered that former President Obasanjo was initially in full support of the aspiration of Senator Ali to fill the vacant seat until recently that he reportedly told some of the aspirants who approached him for support that President Jonathan as the sitting president and the leader of the party would have the final say on who would occupy the position, since he would work directly with the person and not him (Obasanjo).

The Nigerian Tribune further learnt that while all efforts were being made by the presidency to pacify the members of the Board to accept any proposal brought before the Board tomorrow, some aggrieved members across the six geopolitical zones were said to be spoiling for a total showdown with the leadership of the party in an attempt to ensure that the constitution of the party and its zoning arrangement are followed to the letter.

“The battle field for a real fight to save the soul of the party is being shifted to the Aso Rock and the dateline is tomorrow January 8 all the surviving founding fathers of the party will be there and we will speak our minds, at the end the day, I think reasons will prevail on them and do the right thing, as the ruling political party we should lead by examples and not otherwise,”another member of the Board declared while speaking with Nigerian Tribune in confidence.

However, despite all odds, findings also revealed that the trio of Chiefs Anenih (South-South), Iwanyanwu (South-East) and Oyedokun (South-West) still maintain the lead and that one of them might likely clinch the seat, should the Ali project for the position stop.

While the South-East caucus of the party had already endorsed the candidature of Chief Iwanyanwu and the decision communicated to the leadership of the party, the South-West rose from an emergency zonal meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State last week demanding that the post be given to the zone because of its marginalization and Chief Anenih is said to be enjoying the support of President Jonathan.

Meanwhile, remembers of the Board have started arriving in Abuja ahead of the meeting and have been engaging in further consultations.

Meanwhile, as the chairman, BoT of the PDP emerges tomorrow, three governors of the party are reported to be hinging their rumoured presidential ambitions on the outcome of the race.

Weeklong investigation by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the governors of Katsina, Kano and Jigawa may finally make up their minds on whether to run for the presidency or not, depending on which faction of the party emerges victorious at the BOT contest.

The Tuesday race for the board is reported to have polarised the party among supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan and those of former President Obasanjo, with the Otta farmer said to be angling for Chief Ahmadu Ali.

Insiders within the northern caucus of the party disclosed that the emergence of Alli may provide leverage for the three governors to eventually indicate their presidential interests which they have consistently denied in recent past.

While Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shema have not been mentioned directly in the 2015 race, it was learnt that the two men are potential contenders who are even more rooted in the Obasanjo caucus than Governor Lamido of Jigawa State.

A PDP chieftain in Kaduna told the Nigerian Tribune in confidence that “both Shema and Kwankwaso are strong characters with better qualifications,” adding that “the two are also very close to Alli and former President Obasanjo.

“When Alli was national Chairman, Governor Shema was the deputy national chairman of the party and Kwankwaso was the defence minister. Both men are interested in the presidency. Forget about Lamido who we see as just a bait to hide the real contenders against the president,” the source said.

Further checks showed that anti-Jonathan forces see tomorrow‘s race as final battle for the last organ of the party, especially as the president and his caucus are seen to have taken charge of the party national executive committee, leaving only the BoT for grab.

Presidency Backs S/East

While the Obasanjo caucus is allegedly pushing for Ahmadu Ali tomorrow, reports indicated that the presidency has finally thrown its weight behind the South-East, after rejecting the South-South, South-West and North-Central zones.

Nigerian Tribune was told that the decision of the presidency to support the South-East was due to three reasons, namely the alleged appointment of Chief Tony Anenih as the chairman of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the fears of a North-Central candidate who is not loyal to the presidency.

A loyalist of the presidency explained to the Nigerian Tribune that all the three northern zones had key governmental and party positions namely: North-East, party chairman; North-Central, Senate presidency and BoT Secretary; North-West, vice-president and Speaker, House of Representatives.

“South-East and the South-West are the odd ones out. Here, the president needs the block votes of South-East as he cannot be sure of block vote from the South-West. The South-South votes are also very small compared to block votes from South-East. So, conceding the position to South-East is for a deal,” the official said.

While the South-East caucus of the party was reported to have endorsed Chief Iwuanyanwu late last year, some close friends of the president were said to be pushing for the candidature of Senator Nnamani.

It was learnt that the candidature of the two men had split the president‘s men down the line, with some supporting Iwuanyanwu and others supporting Nnamani.

Another caucus from the zone was said to be proposing the former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme to break the division.

Sambo camp denies rift with Jonathan

While the scheming for the BOT seat hots up, some loyalists of Vice-President Namadi Sambo have described reports of a rift between the president and his deputy as a ploy by opponents to destabilise the president and his political team.

In a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, the coordinator of Arewa New Initiative, Mallam Aminu Salihu, said the report of Kaduna visit of the former president, Chief Obasanjo, was being manipulated to divide the presidency, adding, however, that “both the president and the vice-president are aware of this agenda from forces within and outside the party.”

“The vice-president is committed and absolutely loyal to his boss. What will he gain by working against a president who has made him one of the most engaged vice presidents in our history? The report is not true and nobody will buy the plot of schemers behind this report,” Salihiu said.

Atiku Considers Options

Meanwhile, loyalists of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are reported to be brainstorming for the right option for their principal in the face of scheming and plotting for the presidential ticket of the PDP.

Reports indicated that outcome of the sessions may soon be presented to the former vice-president in a Middle Eastern country in the next few days.

A source within the group told the Nigerian Tribune that while his boss had indicated interest in contesting in 2015, “all issues are still on the table in the light of recent developments within the party.”

It was gathered that the former vice-president had, of late, been relating with President Jonathan, though it was not known whether the relationship had anything to do with the second term ticket for the president.

Nigerian Tribune was told that while Abubakar had increased his war chest since the 2011 polls, it was not clear if the Turakin Adamawa would still launch his presidential bid after the ongoing consultations with his caucus.

Board decries underhand tactics of aspirant

Barely 24 hours to the election of the new chairman of the BoT, the board has spoken against aspirants who, it said, had resulted to underhand tactics to gain advantage in the election scheduled to take place in the Presidential Villa.

The secretary of the board, Senator Walid Jibrin, revealed in Abuja, on Sunday, that a particular unnamed aspirant had begun a campaign which suggested that he (Jibrin) would step down as secretary of the board to enhance his (aspirant) chances of emerging in the poll.

Jibrin, who said preparation for the election was going on as planned, also denied insinuation that a candidate had already been anointed for the post, saying nothing could be further from the truth.

“May I seize this opportunity to advise contestants not to make the campaign a do or die affair and never to apply the campaign of calumny in a desperate desire to become the BoT chairman,” he said.

Culled from the Tribune.

sorry, I wasn't planning to comment ..