₦airaland Forum

THE Peoples Democratic Party is embroiled in a
fresh crisis over who leads the former ruling
party, The PUNCH learnt on Tuesday.
The PDP, after 16 years in power, lost the 2015
general elections amid internal crisis, at the peak
of which five of its governors defected to the
then opposition All Progressives Congress, which
eventually won the presidential election.
The latest crisis has its roots in the desire by
the North to regain the chairmanship of the PDP,
barely three months after Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu
resigned from the position.
Mu’azu, from Bauchi State, had resigned from
the party’s chairmanship on the heels of its
abysmal performance in the 2015 polls thus
paving way for his deputy, Uche Secondus, from
Rivers State, to assume office as acting national
chairman since June.
A former aide of ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, however stormed the
Wadata House headquarters of the PDP in Abuja
on Tuesday and asked Secondus to vacate the
seat.
Gulak said he wanted to take over the seat
though sources said he was fronting for certain
northern interest.
He was on the entourage of a former Minister of
the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Bala
Mohammed, to Ado Ekiti about two weeks ago,
where Mohammed had gone to ask for Governor
Ayodele Fayose’s support to become the PDP
national chairman.
Fayose, however told the ex-FCT minister that it
was the turn of the South-West to produce the
chairman of the PDP at the national level.
The Ekiti governor said Mohammed should go to
his ward and start rebuilding the party, saying
there was no need for a substantive national
chairman now and that Secondus should be
allowed to finish Mu’azu’s tenure, which should
end in March 2016.
The former FCT minister, also from the same
Bauchi State like Mu’azu, had told Fayose that he
merely wanted to complete the former national
chairman’s tenure.
Gulak told journalists on Tuesday that he had
informed members of the National Working
Committee of the PDP that Secondus should
leave office immediately.
He said he had submitted a letter to the NWC,
informing the members that another person
from the North-East should replace Mu’azu.
He said, “My visit was to bring in writing to the
notice of the party my intention to replace the
former National Chairman of the party, after his
voluntary resignation”.
“As a member, and by virtue of the constitution,
I know there’s a vacancy. So it needs to be filled
and I’m here to fill it. We need vibrant, bold and
courageous leadership in PDP.
“The resignation of the former chairman was
done voluntarily. And maybe due to the
disastrous outing of the party in the last
elections, he decided to resign as a man who
wants to take responsibility for his actions
“The position of the constitution is that when a
principal officer of the party resigns, the
replacement should come from the zone from
which the former person had come.”
He berated the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr.
Ayodele Fayose, for suggesting that the South-
West should produce the next national chairman
of the party, saying that the governor must be
ignorant of the party’s constitution.
He said, “Fayose should avail his mind to the
provisions of the party’s constitution. This, if he
had, he should have known that a replacement
for the resigned chairman should come from the
North-East. I didn’t say so, the party’s
constitution did.
“If the National Secretary had resigned, then it
would have been natural for the successor to
come from the South-West.”
He denied being pushed by any interest group to
raise the dust, saying that “I believe that I’m
enough a force in this party to push myself.”
But, the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale
Oladipo, while reacting to the Gulak’s “letter”,
said Jonathan’s former special adviser on
political matters was ignorant of the workings of
the party.
Oladipo denied seeing Gulak at the party’s
secretariat let alone receiving any letter from
him.
He said, “Gulak should know that the current
acting chairman is not leading a Caretaker
Committee, and the constitution provides that
he, being the Deputy National Chairman, should
assume office in the event that the chairman is
not there.
“And there is no time limit for such a situation
as this. So, there is no vacancy for anybody to
come and occupy until the NEC decides on what
to do at a congress.
“Gulak is a lawyer, and so is the acting National
Chairman; and they both, I believe, should be
conversant with the party’s constitution.
“The NWC is not afraid to hold NEC meeting. We
just lost an election. It is not our character to
lose election. This is the first time we are losing
election.
“We need to look at how we got it wrong and
where we erred. We have been meeting
regularly, consulting with stakeholders.
“We don’t call NEC for the sake of NEC. We are
waiting for the Ike Ekweremadu committee to
submit its report. We have had two NEC
meetings before now and we are supposed to
meet again.”
The PDP National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwon,
also said there was no time limit for Secondus
to remain at the head of the party.
He cited relevant sections of the party’s
constitution to buttress the NWC position.
He said, “Section 47(6) of the party’s
constitution enables the NEC to, in the event of
any vacancy, nominate somebody to occupy the
position. And there is really no time limit under
second 45 (2) where an acting national chairman
may cease to act.
“So, it is still within the constitutional provision
that the acting national chairman continues in
his capacity until a congress is called by the NEC
and a nomination is made thereto.”
Also, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr.
Olisa Metuh, said the party’s NWC was waiting
for the Ekweremadu-led Committee’ report
before it could call for a NEC meeting.
“We are waiting for Ekweremadu-led committee
report to know the next step to take. The
decision to either make an appointment from
anywhere lies with the NEC,” Metuh added.
Others jostling for the PDP national chairman job
are Prof. Ahmed Alkali, a former special adviser
on political affairs to Jonathan; former Minister
of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil; and PDP
Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Jalo
Abdullahi.
It was gathered that some northerners are of
the opinion that the PDP is now becoming a
regional party.
A chieftain of the party from the North-West,
who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our
correspondent that “the composition of the
party, it’s management, it’s actions are anti-
North.”
The source added, “When the former National
Chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor
resigned, they quickly replaced him with Dr.
Okwesilieze Nwodo.
“But now, they are dragging their feet when it is
our turn to replace the chairman that came from
the North and left. These are part of the crises
that caused the party to lose the last general
elections.”
The PDP has only two governors from the entire
19 states of the North.
The states are Kogi and Gombe.
Governorship election is to hold in Kogi State on
November 21, while the APC is contesting the
result of the last governorship election result in
Gombe State.
Meanwhile, the party has said it will not
discipline Gulak and others who have been
agitating for the removal of Secondus.
Metuh, who stated this in an interview with our
correspondent in Abuja, said that the former
presidential aide remained a respected member
of the party.
Metuh said, “We are not going to discipline him.
Why are we going to do that? He is a respected
member of the party. He has paid his dues and
he remains a staunch member of the party.
“We respect his view as well because he’s just
expressing his fundamental human right. The
only thing is that we are always encouraging our
members to follow the right channel of
communication.
“But to think that we are going to sanction him
or anyone asking for this, we won’t. We would
only ask them to use the right form of
communication.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/fresh-crisis-hits-pdp-over-chairmanship-position/


Lalasticlala

“The position of the constitution is that when a principal officer of the party resigns, the replacement should come from the zone from which the former person had come.”

With this statement, you can see why the PDP had a crying convention when President Buhari announced his recent appointments. It is already in the constitution of the party to play regional politics and they cant see beyond it.
So if a man from Imo state is the best person to be PDP chairman, he wont get it because the person that resigned is from Taraba? Weird people

It was gathered that some northerners are of the opinion that the PDP is now becoming a regional party. A chieftain of the party from the North-West, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that “the composition of the party, it’s management, it’s actions are anti- North.”

Is it the fault of the party that the members from the North failed miserable while those from the SE and SS were able to "perform" well in the elections? How can the party seem to become a regional party when only members from one or two ge-political zones are the ones who are strong and well grounded in their local politics?

These people should take Fayose's advice and go and develop the party from the ground up then work their way to the top and stop begging up and down

Daura Dullar Booharist Terrorist is to Be Blame for this

Seriously,dis bunch of fools don't knw deir left 4rm deir right anymre!Anyways,is none of my biz!

PDP, from the biggest party in africa to the most confused party in nigeria.

The North wants to continue the northernisation of Buhari in PMB, they need the chairmanship position so that they can remove Metuh who is giving their northern emperor sleepless night.




The North speaks with one voice

I'd have read this shit but then its Pdp politics and its even longer than an average essay

BTW, has Agbaje paid his fine to Ambode as directed by the Court of Appeal?

ECOTERRORS:
The North wants to continue the northernisation of Buhari in PMB, they need the chairmanship position so that they can remove Metuh who is giving their northern emperor sleepless night.




The North speaks with one voice

Can PDP do without the north?

Mynd44:
With this statement, you can see why the PDP had a crying convention when President Buhari announced his recent appointments. It is already in the constitution of the party to play regional politics and they cant see beyond it.
So if a man from Imo state is the best person to be PDP chairman, he wont get it because the person that resigned is from Taraba? Weird people


Is it the fault of the party that the members from the North failed miserable while those from the SE and SS were able to "perform" well in the elections? How can the party seem to become a regional party when only members from one or two ge-political zones are the ones who are strong and well grounded in their local politics?

These people should take Fayose's advice and go and develop the party from the ground up then work their way to the top and stop begging up and down

Bross your suggestion make brain. But if they do it, PDP will remain a regional party till its death.

.

phyllosilicate:
Bross your suggestion make brain. But if they do it, PDP will remain a regional party till its death.

What they need to do is to appoint someone capable as chairman not say because they don't want to look like a regional party the appoint someone from XYZ zone. What if the mist qualified person is from Rivers? What happens?

Mynd44:
What they need to do is to appoint someone capable as chairman not say because they don't want to look like a regional party the appoint someone from XYZ zone. What if the mist qualified person is from Rivers? What happens?

I understand you. But I think a chairman that can bring votes is what a political party needs, than competence. What PDP needs now is to win back the confidence of the west and the north most importantly. A popular Northern chairman can do that. In Nigeria politics, ethnic sentiments plays an important role.

Beremx

ECOTERRORS:
The North wants to continue the northernisation of Buhari in PMB, they need the chairmanship position so that they can remove Metuh who is giving their northern emperor sleepless night.




The North speaks with one voice

Very true. North want to silence PDP for APC.

phyllosilicate:
I understand you. But I think a chairman that can bring votes is what a political party needs, than competence. What PDP needs now is to win back the confidence of the west and the north most importantly. A popular Northern chairman can do that. In Nigeria politics, ethnic sentiments plays an important role.

A northern chairman cant bring northern votes. A competent chairman who is able to come up with ideas for the northern members can

PDP = Poverty Development Party
That none of my business, if them like make them put Chadian as their Chairman all I know is ---> Buhari Till»»»»»»»»»2023

phyllosilicate:
Bross your suggestion make brain. But if they do it, PDP will remain a regional party till its death.

Lol the national chairman is immaterial!! The koko is who will be the next presidential candidate!! Do you really think APC will stand a chance should they present Osibanjo and PDP field a northern candidate with a VP from the east?

Mynd44:
A northern chairman cant bring northern votes. A competent chairman who is able to come up with ideas for the northern members can

I didn't just say northern chairman, I say popular northern chairman. Truth is I don't think they can find that. So they would need a chairman with ideas of a genius.
.
I think one of the ideas should be to make their supporters stop alienating tribes in APC dominating areas.

phyllosilicate:
Bross your suggestion make brain. But if they do it, PDP will remain a regional party till its death.

PDP is a Igbo party