PDP in battle to avoid rancorous convention

The special national convention of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  will take place next month in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN writes on the controversy surrounding the convention.

Will the special national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) achieve the desired objective? Will the convention committee abide by the guidelines? Is it possible to resolve the internal crises before the convention? To observers, these questions must be addressed, if the PDP plans to conduct a credible convention.

Analysts contend that the proposed convention is a formality because virtually all the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) who resigned their positions last month are likely to return.

This is evident by the statement of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is the the convention committee Secretary. He said the zones and the states where the previous members that resigned came from would fill the slots.

“We are going to keep all the positions within the zones. If there is any strong reason for us to change a particular candidate, that will happen. But for now, we are going to keep all the positions in the zones that keep them presently. We are not changing the zoning formula; we are reopening nominations. This is a new convention. They will pay; it is not the old convention.”

The implication of Ekweremadu’s explanation is that the office of the National Publicity Secretary is retained in Anambra State. Imo State will produce the National Woman Leader. The office of the National Legal Adviser is retained in Plateau state; the National Treasurer will come from Kebbi State, Rivers state will still produce Deputy National Chairman. The National Organising Secretary is retained in Kaduna state while Ebonyi state will still produce the Deputy National Secretary.

 Why special convention?

 The election of some national officers, which was held in March, last year, was faulted by INEC a year after. INEC clearly stated that the mode of election of some of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) was not acceptable. INEC, in its report signed by Col M. K. Hammanga (rtd), the team leader to the PDP national convention held on March 24, 2012, at Eagle Square, Abuja, said the the election was faulty.

“The mode of election adopted for single candidates was not in accordance with that stipulated in paragraph 6.5 (i) of the guidelines for the conduct of the 2012 congresses and national convention and therefore, not acceptable to the Commission, the report stated.

Consequently, the elections of the following officers were voided: The Deputy National Chaairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja; National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Youth Leader, Alhaji Garba Chiza; Deputy National Youth Leader, Dennis Alonge Niyi; National Auditor, Senator Umar Ibrahim; Deputy National Woman Leader, Hanatu Ulam; National Woman Leader. Kema Chikwe; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Okechukwu Nnadozie; Deputy National Treasurer Claudius Inengas; National Legal Adviser , Victor Kwom; National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Methu and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Binta Goje.

INEC declared their elections improper despite the fact that these single candidates were duly nominated and their candidature ratified by a majority voice vote at the convention.

The commission also noted that the open secret ballot system was adopted for the election into the offices of the national Chairman , Auditor, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer, in accordance with paragraph 6.5 (I) of the guidelines. It stated that all other positions had single candidates and were affirmed by motions, except for National Chairman, which was put to vote by open secret ballot, despite the fact that only one candidate was in contention.

INEC also pointed out that the elections to the PDP congresses were not properly conducted in some states. A letter signed by INEC Secretary Abdullahi Kaugama, listed the affected states as Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Lagos, Anambra and Katisna.

 Special convention guidelines

 To avoid INEC sledge hammer, the Chairman of the Special Convention Planning Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, said the election is open to all the qualified members of the party.

According to the new convention guidelines released by the committee, all the delegates that took part in the March 24, 2012 national convention are expected to attend the special convention. The process shall be by secret ballot where the candidate is unopposed by voice vote. In the event of tie, a run- off election shall be immediately conducted between the candidates with the highest equal number of votes.

The guidelines further stated: “Election of zonal officers shall recognise the principles of zoning and spread of the party and public offices. Each candidate seeking election must be nominated by 20 registered members from the two-thirds of the states in the zone. Election shall be by simple majority to produce the officers of the zone.

“Election of national officers shall recognise the principle of zoning and be conducted on the basis of existing zoning formula as amended by the National Executive Committee of the party. Each candidate shall be nominated by at least 20 registered members, five of whom must come from the aspirant’s zone.”

The guideline emphasised that all the members seeking elections into the various offices must be registered members for, at least, two years.

 Tukur/Gana feud

 From all indications, the party is going for the convention as a divided fold. The acrimony that majority of the stakeholders may carry to the convention portends danger. The special convention was heading for the rock last week when the National Working Committee announced the suspension of the convention. Tukur and other members of the NWC directed the Convention Committee headed by Prof. Jerry Gana to suspend all the actions on the convention, which was earlier fixed for August 31.

However, the suspension did not go down well with the committee as its members including the Secretary, Senator Ekweremadu, were said to have reported the matter to President Goodluck Jonathan . The President invited Tukur for a meeting where convention was discussed. The President’s intervention has led to a ceasefire in the battle of wits between the Tukur-led NWC and the Convention committee. Already, the President has directed that the convention date as announced by the convention committee be retained.

A presidential source, who was at the meeting, said the deal the President had with both Tukur and Gana was that the Special National Convention will still hold on August 31 and the Southwest congress will also take place on August 24. To appease the angry NWC members, the President, according to the source, directed that the Gana committee should allow the members of the NWC to chair some of the sub-committees in the convention committee.

The source said the NWC members were not happy that the headship of the sub-committees, including the Publicity, which was supposed be reserved for the National Publicity Secretary, was given to another person by the Gana committee. The NWC also complained that the National Organising Secretary was not even mentioned as the chairman of any committee, while the Woman Leader, who is the traditional person in charge of welfare, was merely made a member of the welfare committee.

Whether the peace brokered between Tukur and Gana by the Presidency will endure or not, time will tell.

 Crises tearing PDP apart

 There is no geo-political zone where the PDP is crisis-free. The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) crisis that has polarised the governors into pro-Amaechi and Jang supporters, an attempt by the Presidency to destabilise Northern Governors Forum and the lingering Rivers crisis that has pitched Governor Rotimi Amaechi against President Jonathan and his wife.

The party is bitterly factionalised in the Southwest. In Ogun State, PDP is divided alongside many factions. There is a faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Buruji Kashamu group is in control of party machinery in the state. The recommendation of the reconciliation committee set up by the national secretariat of the party that the state executive be shared between the two groups was rejected by the Kashamu group. The Obasajo group has lost out completely in the struggle for the soul of the party. The battle of supremacy consumed Chief Bode Mustapha as the National Auditor of the party. He was replaced by Adeyanju Olawale from Kashamu group.

The Southwest zone held a special congress recently in Ibadan to nominate a replacement for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the erstwhile national secretary, whose appointment was nullified by the court on the ground that the congress that produced him was illegal. According to a release issued after the meeting, the delegates unanimously approved the nomination of Professor Wale Oladipo as the Acting National Secretary. The position was zoned to Osun state and Oladipo hails from Osun.

Forty eight hours after the announcement, a group, the Osun PDP Concerned forum kicked against Oladipo’s nomination. In an advertorial signed by the representatives from the 30 local governments in the state, the forum stated that the said selection and the mode of the selection did not conform with the constitution of the PDP and does not enjoy the support and goodwill of the majority. Rather than deepen peace and unity the announcement has stirred disunity disenchantment and mutual suspicion, the statement added.

But the Chairman of Ogun State chapter, Chief Bayo Dayo, who attended the zonal congress, told The Nation that the selection of Prof. Oladipo was open and transparent. According to him, there were two candidates. The other candidate stepped down for Oladipo to emerge as the unanimous candidate.

 Stalled reconciliation

 Ekiti State PDP was embroiled in a fresh crisis last week, following the suspension of the party chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, by a faction loyal to former Governor Ayo Fayose. There was commotion at the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti when some aggrieved members met and announced the suspension of the chairman. Ogundipe was accused of misappropriation of funds, corruption, and failure to carry along members of the Central Working Committee. He was also accused of constituting unilaterally the screening committee to pick the governorship candidate for the next year governorship election. The Ogundipe group has also suspended Fayose and some officers. Already, the party is balkanised into splinter groups loyal to various chieftains, including the former governor, Mr Segun Oni, Fayose, and the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd). All efforts to reconcile the factions by the national leadership have failed.

A chieftain of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, admitted that there was crisis in the chapter which according to him, is not peculiar to PDP. He told our correspondent that, in a big party like PDP, the likelihood of disagreement on issues is possible. Adeyeye said Ogundipe, is still the chairman. An individual cannot on his volition suspend the chairman. There is a procedure to follow, he added.

Lagos is also not insulated from the crisis as some chieftains of the party have approached the Federal High Court seeking an order to disqualify the former chairman of the party in the Southwest, Chief Bode George, as a member of the Board of Trustees. The plaintiffs, Alhaji Badmus Agboola and Dauda Atomoh, contend that George, having been convicted in 2009, is not qualified to hold office. The suit was filed on the heels of purported reconciliation between George and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, a PDP chieftain and a challenger to George’s leadership.

Ondo State chapter is also not at peace with itself. The elders of the party are not in good terms with the governorship, candidate in last governorship election, Chief Olusola Oke, who is also the former National Legal Adviser of the party. The elders were alleged to have shifted allegiance to the Labour party, thereby ensuring Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s re-election.