Newbiee:
Makarfi, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Lamido, Shekarau on shopping list

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition was hanging in the balance at the weekend, with the governors taking control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

New power brokers have emerged in the party — courtesy of the Saturday national convention where erstwhile leaders’ influence took a big bashing.

Some of their candidates for National Working Committee (NWC) positions were rejected by governors based on a “Unity List” produced by the new power brokers whose emergence has shattered Atiku’s hope of securing with ease the party’s 2019 presidential ticket.


Atiku has just quit the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the main opposition party.

The governors are weighing the following aspirants and likely defectors, among others: ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi; ex-Governor Sule Lamido, ex-Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, ex-Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (still being wooed by PDP) and Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (who is a political ally of the coordinator of the power brokers, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike). Tambuwal is of the APC.

Atiku , who has the backing of ex-Presidents Babangida and Jonathan, will have to court the governors to secure the ticket.

The governors are said to have had their list of presidential aspirants before Atiku rejoined the PDP.

It was learnt that the governors had an “unwritten pact with Makarfi” who fulfilled his part of the bargain, with the election of Prince Uche Secondus as chairman.

Although Tambuwal and Kwankwaso have not shown interest in defecting to PDP, the opposition party is believed to have been pleading with them to come back.


Some of Tambuwal’s supporters reportedly prefer a return to PDP. Kwankwaso’s are thinking of mounting the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) platform to displace APC in Kano State in 2019.

A party source said: “Atiku has many hurdles to cross before he can get the party’s presidential ticket. He has to convince the governors to support him. He will also face tough primaries with many presidential aspirants who are not ready to step down for him,

“The emergence of Secondus has altered Atiku’s permutations of an automatic presidential ticket.

“Atiku’s case is more complicated by the fact that some of the governors are disposed to Makarfi going by the way he was resilient in tackling the PDP crisis.

“It is an open secret in PDP that there was ‘an unwritten agreement’ between the governors and Makrafi on the election of the new national chairman and 2019 presidential poll. Secondus’ victory showed some signs of a deal by the two camps.

“There are also fears in the party that Wike might woo Tambuwal back to PDP and allow him to try his luck for the presidential ticket. With the huge resources displayed at the convention, Tambuwal may alter equations in the party.

“Atiku is certainly in a tight corner. As an experienced politician, he could see the signs. He has been ingenious politically and he can find his way through the landmines.”

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the roll call of the new power brokers, who determined the outcome of Saturday elective convention, includes new brigade of leaders taking over the PDP.

The power brokers are Nyesom Wike, Ayo Fayose and nine other governors; former Senate President David Mark, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio; ex-Governor Ibrahim Shema; ex-Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Zainab Maina; ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam; a businessman, Ladi Adebutu; ex-Minister of Special Duties Tanimu Turaki; ex-Governor Babangida Aliyu, ex-Minister Aminu Wali, ex-Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed; Chief Dan Orbih and others.

It was gathered that the “Unity List”, which facilitated the election of the new PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and NWC members was the outcome of a tough political compromise by the governors and the new top leaders of the party.

Most of those on the Unity List were anointed candidates of the power brokers.

A breakdown of the list of the concessions by the power brokers is as follows:

National Chairman—(Uche Secondus)——Governor Nyesom Wike(Rivers)
Deputy National Chairman(South) —(Elder Yemi Akinwonmi) by Ladi Adebutu(Ogun)
Deputy National Chairman(North)—(Sen. Gamawa Babawa Garba) by ex-Minister of FCT, Sen. Bala Mohammed
National Secretary——(Sen. Ibrahim Tsauri)—by ex-Governor Ibrahim Shema(Bauchi)
Deputy National Secretary—(Dr. Agbo Emmanuel)—by ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam(Benue)
National Treasurer—(Hon. Aribisala Adewale)—produced by Governor Ayo Fayose(Ekiti)
Deputy National Treasurer—(Alh. Wada Masu) —a Personal Assistant to ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali(Kano)
Financial Secretary—(Abdullahi Husseini Maibasara)—handpicked by ex-Governor Babangida Aliyu
National Organising Secretary—(Col. Austin Akobundu)—by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State
National Publicity Secretary—(Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan) —slot conceded to Mark.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary—(Diran Odeyemi) produced by Governor Ayo Fayose.
National Legal Adviser—(Emmanuel Enoidem)— by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Governor Emmanuel Udom
National Youth Leader— (Ude Okoye)—by Ekweremadu and Governor Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
Deputy National Youth Leader—(Umar Babangida Maina)—son of a former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina.
It was learnt that others were products of zonal consensus and micro-zoning.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The PDP governors decided to do away with the old order in the party by engaging in fresh political permutations on how to win the general election in 2019.

“In some states, they threw away the baby with the bathwater to please some power brokers. For instance in Ogun State, they opted for Ladi Adebutu’s candidate instead of deferring to ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel.

“In Niger State, the governors romanced ex-Governor Babangida Aliyu and abandoned the likes of a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana.

“The governors are hopeful that the Unity List can take the party far in 2019. And they are likely to dictate who will be the party’s candidates for some offices, it is evident that they are now in charge of the party.”

But, to another party source, the “so-called Unity List is an ambitious agenda to take over the structure of PDP by the governors”. “We believe that the politics behind the list is projection for 2019 general election,” he said, pleading not to be named.

“They also used the list to split the North in order to test the waters for 2019. For instance, the North agreed to vote en masse for a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran until the Unity List was released and the story changed at the last minutes,” the source added.

The governors’ joker has created a setback for some leaders who indirectly and covertly supported some candidates.

These leaders include ex-Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, ex-Governors Gbenga Daniel, Rashidi Ladoja, Ibrahim Idris, Idris Wada, and Ramalan Yero; Prof. Jerry Gana, Jimi Agbaje, Raymond Dokpesi and ex-Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, who supported Adeniran.

Others are ex-Minister of Finance Nenadi Usman, ex-Deputy Governor of Bauchi State Abdulmalik Mahmood, former Woman Leader Hajiya Inna Ciroma (the wife of one of the founders of PDP, Alh. Adamu Ciroma).

A PDP leader said: “The advice of some of these leaders did not count. For instance, Gen. Babangida wanted the chairmanship slot for the Southwest but the governors ignored his permutations.

“ If ex-President Jonathan had his way, he would have loved a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Olarewaju Suleiman, to be the party’s National Publicity Secretary. The governors thought otherwise.

“Mantu and Gana did not hide their preference for Adeniran for national chairman, but the intrigues surrounding the election of Secondus caused them a setback.

“Sambo backed Abubakar Mustapha from Kaduna for National Secretary but his candidate lost to the governors’ choice.”





How national chairman, others won

Prince Uche Secondus scored 2,000 votes out of 2,396 votes cast at the party’s national convention, which ended in the early hours yesterday at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

Chairman of the Electoral Sub-Committee of the convention and former Governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswan, announced the results.

“In this contest, nine gentlemen indicated their interests to contest, but here, four of them sent letters of withdrawal and so four were left.

“The other ones we were told have withdrawn but there was no letter to that effect.

“The four gentlemen that contested were Uche Secondus, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Founder of Daar Communications; Prof. Tunde Adeniran, former Education Minister and Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, former Minister of Sports and Special Duties.

“Secondus scored 2,000 votes; Dokpesi, 66; Adeniran, 230 while Adedoja scored no vote,” Suswan said.

The candidates that withdrew are: Chief Bode George, former Deputy National Chairman; Gbenga Daniel, Rasheed Ladoja, erstwhile Governors of Ogun and Oyo States, respectively, and Jimi Agbaje, PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State in 2015 elections.

Other elected officers are Sen. Babayo Garmawa, Deputy National Chairman (North); Mr Yemi Akinwunmi, Deputy National Chairman (South); Sen. Umar Tsauri National Secretary and Mr Agbo Emmanuel, Deputy National Secretary.

Retired Col. Austin Akobundu is National Organising Secretary, Yakubu Hassan, Deputy National Organizing Secretary; Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary and Diran Odeyemi, Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

Mr Abdullahi Maibasira emerged National Financial Secretary, Irona Gerald, Deputy National Financial Secretary; Aribisala Adewale, National Treasurer; Wada Masu, Deputy National Treasurer; Adamu Mustapha, National Auditor and Arong Divine, Deputy National Auditor.

Mariya Umar was elected National Women Leader, Umoru Hadiza, Deputy National Women Leader, and Emmanuel Enoidem, National Youth Leader.

Source:http://thenationonlineng.net/2019-atikus-plan-shaky-governors-seize-pdp/

lol atiku don't use style enter one chance

Built2last:
Atiku may not get PDP ticket.

They will go for a new face from the north.

If PDP presents a fresh and unknown face. they will win.

people like me are tired of Buhari and Atiku


#ELECTION IS A GAME OF NUMBERS

2015 number of Registered Voters for election = 67,422,005

2015 number of Registered who came out to cast their votes = 28,278,083

2015 number of Registered who didn’t come out to vote = 39,143,922

2015 votes scored by Presidential candidates:
APC = 15,424,921
PDP = 12,853,162

APC won the election with 2,572,759. Too close to call.

Remove this winning figure from 39 million that never voted . You have over 37million that can cause damage to any political party

It is almost 3 years down the line these figures have changed, but to which direction?

Almost 40 million Nigerians did not vote. Who are they? Where are they and which party and candidates will they vote in 2019.

My prediction is that any party that penetrate social media, present a fresh vibrant fellow and do a lot of grassroot work will win 2019.

Most ofvthe people that did not vote are northerners and south westerners.

The southEast had 60% turnout.
The south south had 70% turnout and the North and South west had 40% turn out.

If people that stayed back in 2015 had voted, the gap would have been over 10mil.

All dis bmc people, so this is Wat u have been reduced to checking people's English. No wa oh. U better resign before hypertension kill u.

yarimo:
Kikikik WENT he lost the primaries rip English

waveman2:

All dis bmc people, so this is Wat u have been reduced to checking people's English. No wa oh. U better resign before hypertension kill u.

sai baba BUHARI til 2023 beware

Ur fada.

yarimo:
sai baba BUHARI til 2023 beware

Built2last:
Atiku may not get PDP ticket.

They will go for a new face from the north.

If PDP presents a fresh and unknown face. they will win.

people like me are tired of Buhari and Atiku


#ELECTION IS A GAME OF NUMBERS

2015 number of Registered Voters for election = 67,422,005

2015 number of Registered who came out to cast their votes = 28,278,083

2015 number of Registered who didn’t come out to vote = 39,143,922

2015 votes scored by Presidential candidates:
APC = 15,424,921
PDP = 12,853,162

APC won the election with 2,572,759. Too close to call.

Remove this winning figure from 39 million that never voted . You have over 37million that can cause damage to any political party

It is almost 3 years down the line these figures have changed, but to which direction?

Almost 40 million Nigerians did not vote. Who are they? Where are they and which party and candidates will they vote in 2019.

My prediction is that any party that penetrate social media, present a fresh vibrant fellow and do a lot of grassroot work will win 2019.

Go back and check again.
Majority of those names as registered voters are ghost voters mostly from the south that were voting in previous elections before the use of voters card readers and because of card readers those ghost voters couldn't come out to vote again in 2015.

How you ask yourself why PDP members were in court to try and stop the use of card readers even upto the night before the 2015 elections?

Don't you know that the drama that went on in Jonathan polling unit in the presence of the media on voting day that the machine refused to read his voters card was planned to force Jega to stopped the use of card readers.
But we thank God that Jega stood his ground and insist that card readers should be use and that was why many fake voters mostly from the south couldn't vote and that help Buhari to win because if not for that,probably all the registered voters from most states would have voted.


So,if anybody tell you that we have such high number of registered voters that didn't come out to vote,tell that person that most of those register voters are ghost.

People like Mike Tyson,Nelson Mandela and other fake names were voting in the past but card readers stopped them from voting in 2015.

Also do you know that for an opposition party to use 2million plus to defeat a sitting president in Africa is a great achievement.

We all know that the figures would have been more than 2 million votes if the party in power didn't use federal might.

It was just that the margin was too huge that was why PDP rigging couldn't swallow all the figures that APC used to win 2015 election

NtoAkwaIbom:


Most ofvthe people that did not vote are northerners and south westerners.

The southEast had 60% turnout.
The south south had 70% turnout and the North and South west had 40% turn out.

If people that stayed back in 2015 had voted, the gap would have been over 10mil.

The Southeast had 60% turnout?.
Dude what have you been smoking?
I get you have to post something for your pay,but try making sense while you do it.
Anambra had 2.3million registered voters,less than 330,000 voted.
Enugu had 1.8million registered, 700,000 voted.
Imo was 1.9,less than 800,000 voted.
Kano had slightly above 2.3million registered and 2million voted,equalling 40% to you of course.


Little wonder your principal made the 97% v 5% comment,maths and percentages aren't your strong suit.
Dunce

waveman2:

Ur fada.

this is how I see your trash called comments in politics

see d fifu who want to displace Buhari.I just laugh in Swahili......lollll

mrvitalis:
PDP get back Ribadu and make him your presidential candidate and win the election

Anything Buhari can claim to have Ribadu has and is younger

It's not rocket science

Absolutely!

adem30:


truth must be told, PDP can not get upto 7million in a real election as at 2015. If not because of Massive rigging in SE+SS I bet you PDP will only manage to have 5million votes. We all remembered Rivers State returning Office shaking to announce His figure

i believe you can also relate the story of the inec officer in kano state who was burnt with his family

NtoAkwaIbom:


Most ofvthe people that did not vote are northerners and south westerners.

The southEast had 60% turnout.
The south south had 70% turnout and the North and South west had 40% turn out.

If people that stayed back in 2015 had voted, the gap would have been over 10mil.

self deception is the nearest to madness. continue

Lmao.

I said I won't comment on PDP.

I would have said this yesterday.

Atiku, try again.

The governors decide.

Haha haha! This is extreme savagery! Fan yogo ke?
The gentleman may not recover from this

EponOjuku:


Keneshuku, you see why gala and fan yogo hawkers should keep shut when intelligent matters are being discussed?

Read the posts before yours, read your post, then park your fan yogo bicycle under the tree and sit in one corner to think about your life.

I won't take this news as worthy considering the source, APC newspaper

Wanted to take this write up serious until I looked well and saw nation newspapers. .Lol.APC and bola tinubu newspaper. Makes me believe all these speculations that buhari and APC are very jittery over Atiku's defection

mrvitalis:
PDP get back Ribadu and make him your presidential candidate and win the election

Anything Buhari can claim to have Ribadu has and is younger

It's not rocket science

can't even win his state election sef abi u don forget?

Anybody, be it old or new face that want to contest against PMB is just wasting his time,just as el rufai said,no one born of a woman today can match PMB popularity.

I find it hard to believe Babangida and Jonathan are in support of Atiku.I believe Atiku is unmarketable and with this unity list.Adeniran calling for a fresh election PDP has a long way to go.

mystmoze:

can't even win his state election sef abi u don forget?

Atleast he won a state Osun

Has Atiku ever won any state in Nigeria ?