There are strong indications that President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists may dominate the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee after the party’s special convention in July.

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Already, supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party leadership have initiated moves to ensure that some immediate past members of the PDP National Working Committee do not return to the committee.

Investigations by The PUNCH on Sunday revealed that the President and Tukur’s loyalists have also identified some prominent PDP members who lost out during the party’s 2012 national convention as aspirants that must be stopped from being elected into the NWC at the forthcoming convention of the party.

Such politicians are those said to be against Jonathan’s 2015 ambition and Tukur’s continued leadership of the PDP.

According to a source in Abuja said that the loyalists decided to move against such politicians on learning that they had started reaching out to see if they could be favoured in the forthcoming special convention of the party slated for July 20.

The source boasted that the ambition of some of the eight NWC members who resigned during last Thursday’s 61st committee meeting of the party, to return to their former offices would not be feasible.

The eight – Dr. Sam Sam Jaja (Deputy National Chairman), Abubakar Mustapha (National Organising Secretary), Alhaji Garba Chima (National Youth Leader), Chief Solomon Onwe (Acting National Secretary), Kema Chikwe (Woman Leader), Victor Kwom (National Legal Adviser), Chief Olisa Metuh (National Publicity Secretary), and Bala Kaoje (National Treasurer) – were among 17 officers of the PDP whose positions were voided by the Independent National Electoral Commission for not meeting the party’s guidelines.

The source in the PDP said, “Jonathan is in charge. Tukur is also in charge of the PDP. I can tell you that any member of our party perceived to be against the President’s 2015 ambition and Tukur’s leadership of the PDP can not be elected an NWC member. Quote me. The President’s loyalists and many of our governors in support of the chairman have started what I call ‘stop them moves’. So, I do not see how they can seek election on July 20 when our special convention would hold and win.”

Jaja is seen as an ally of the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who has been suspended from the party. Governors close to Amaechi, who heads the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, are believed to be the arrowheads of the oppostion against Jonathan’s 2015 ambition and Tukur’s leadership.

Investigations showed that some hawks in the party have already started pushing for Jaja’s replacement with another candidate.

In this regard, the name of the former occupier of the office, Mr. Uche Secondus, who is also from the state, is being touted.

Secondus, though a native of the state, was loyal to Amaechi but shifted his loyalty during the crisis that led to the disqualification of former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timi Sylva, from running for a second term.

Also, intense lobbying is said to be ongoing to prevent Kaoje from returning to office as he is said not to meet the constitutional provision for the office.

Kaoje is an engineer, while the PDP constitution stipulates that the party’s treasurer must be an accountant.

Chapter V of the constitution, which states the duties and qualifications of national officers, says, concerning the treasurer, “a national treasurer shall be an accountant with track records of prudence.”

Apart from this, Kaoje is said to have argued against the suspension of the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, by the PDP leadership.

He was one of the few members of the NWC, who advised against the governor’s suspension.Wamakko has however been recalled.

Kaoje’s action was termed as “anti-Jonathan” by some close allies of the President.

Our correspondent gathered that it was because of the pressure to replace some of the officers with the President’s loyalists that made the convention committee to call for fresh nominations.

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