S’West PDP Leaders Beg Obasanjo Not to Retire
20 May 2011
Views: 1,657

Font Size: a / A
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo


By Imam Imam in Lagos and Chuks Okocha in Abuja


Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in the South-west have appealed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to retire from active politics, warning that the party would be doomed in the zone without his “fatherly guidance”.

Various party leaders who spoke to THISDAY Thursday said the last few weeks have been the most difficult for the PDP in the South-west as the party is now effectively on the fringes.

A party elder from Lagos State who attended the meeting said Obasanjo was reminded that he was the zone’s most important link to the government of President Goodluck Jonathan and if he departs from the scene now, the party should be considered as dead.

The PDP suffered tremendous losses in the South-west in the last two years from onslaught launched by the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

From having control of five states in 2003, it lost all the states after last month's elections. It had earlier lost Ekiti, Ondo and Osun following tribunal verdicts.

In the National Assembly election held on April 9, PDP won only five seats out of the 71 available in the South-west, while of the 18 Senate seats, the party won only one.

This figure contrasts sharply with that of 2007 when PDP won 47 House of Representatives seats and 15 in the Senate.

Meanwhile, elder statesman and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo, and Princess Gloria Adebajo-Frazier, Thursday said they were not aware of the reported plans by Obasanjo to retire from active politics after the election of a Deputy National Chairman which is zoned to the South-west.

But THISDAY stands by its story, following further confirmations from high-ranking members of the party.

One of them, a former governorship candidate, said he was surprised the story was just getting to the media as the former president had told him several times that the 2011 general election would be his last as an active politician.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Jafojo said even though he met Obasanjo along with other Lagos PDP stalwarts in Abeokuta last weekend, the issue of his retirement from politics was not discussed.

He urged journalists to cross-check their facts and avoid being used by mischief makers to cause disaffection among senior citizens of the society.

Meanwhile, the ripples caused by the zoning of key political offices by the expanded national caucus of the PDP remain unabated as the party has threatened to wield the big stick against members of the House of Representatives who are threatening to jettison the approved zoning formula.

This is coming on the heels of the South-east’s meeting to review the crisis and adopt a position. But it has said whatever happens, “we remain loyal party members”.

THISDAY was reliably informed that the Acting National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Harilu Mohammed Bello, held a closed door meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives moments after they amended the voting system in the House to secret ballot.

The National Caucus and NWC of the party had agreed to the following zoning formula: Senate President (North-central); Speaker (South-west); Deputy Senate President (South-east); Deputy Speaker (North-east); National Chairman (North-east); Secretary to the Government of the Federation (South-east); Senate Leader (South-west); House Leader (South-south); Senate Chief Whip (North-west); and House Chief Whip (South-east).

According to a source at the meeting, Bello said that as far as the party is concerned, it has no special or anointed candidate for any of the key offices at the National Assembly, explaining that its position and interest is to ensure that the party directives are adhered to.

“We, as a party, have taken a position based on a wide consultation and it is for PDP as a party to enforce that position. There is no special interest, but the efficacy of party supremacy,” he reportedly said.

It was gathered that Bello was forced to hold the meeting when it became glaring that the members of the House of Represen-tatives were not responding positively to the entreaties made by Vice-President Namadi Sambo to them in a meeting organised by the outgoing Deputy Speaker Bayero Nafada.

At the meeting, Bello was quoted as threatening that the party would not watch and see its decision rubbished and warned that any member that goes contrary to the position of the party on zoning would be sanctioned, no matter their status in the House.

THISDAY gathered that Bello told the House leadership to revert to the old voting pattern of electronic voting and voice affirmation.

According to the source, “it was because of this that the duo of the Chairman, House Committee on House Rules and Business, Hon. Ita Enang sponsored a bill to revert to the old House rules”.

The Southeast caucus of the PDP yesterday in Abuja said that the zone was yet to take a position on the zoning of the office of the SGF and the Office of the Deputy Senate President to it.

Addressing newsmen, the South-east Zonal Secretary, Mr. Vincent Okpaleke and the Zonal Financial Secretary, Tony Caesar Okeke, said that the zone would soon meet to take a position.

Okpaleke, however said “we are part of PDP, whatever the national leadership of our party agrees we believe will be in the interest of our people. We are going to be loyal and abide by that”.

According to him, “the meeting will be attended by PDP Governors, members of the National Assembly and other important stakeholders from the zone. Any decision taken at this meeting would be binding on the zone”.

He hinted that the zone may be asking for “grade A” ministerial positions such as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Minister of Works and Environment.

“The zone has never been treated well. You see, that is why we want to take the whole issue holistically, it is not just about speakership or party chairmanship that rightly belong to the zone or the issue of SGF or deputy speakership.

“The entire southeast will be meeting very soon and they will come up with a position that will ultimately address these issues. You can be assured that our position will not be myopic and will address these issues in such a way that it will not affect the unity of the nation,” he said.

The Zonal secretary announced that there would be a retreat to be jointly organised by the party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for the newly elected lawmakers