Northern elders split over PDP chairmanship race

There were indications in Abuja on Friday that the northern
caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party might not be attending the
party’s national convention slated for December 9 with one
voice.
This is because leaders from the region have pitched their tent
with different aspirants vying for the office of the national
chairman of the party.

The national leadership of the party had zoned the office of the
national chairman to the southern part of the country, while it
also ceded the presidential ticket to the north.

However, the party has refused to micro-zone the office of the
national chairman to any of the three geopolitical zones in the
southern region.

The regions are South-East, South-South, and South-West.

While no candidate has shown interest in the race from the
South-East, two have emerged from the South-South and seven have
shown interest from the South-West.

Those from the South-South are Prince Uche Secondus and Dr.
Raymond Dokpesi.

Candidates from the South-West are Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief
Olabode George, Chief Gbenga Daniel, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Senator
Rashidi Ladoja, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja and Mr. Segun Aderemi, who
just joined the race.

It was gathered that some northern leaders who were said to be
supporters of Adeniran met in Abuja on Thursday night and claimed
that they had micro-zoned the office of the national chairman to
the South-West.

A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, who has been
campaigning for Adeniran, presided over the meeting.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by a
former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and a
former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Margaret
Icheen, noted that “In line with our resolve to rebuild and
reposition the PDP, we urge delegates from all the northern states
to abide by this decision and vote for only aspirants from the
South-West geopolitical zone in the forthcoming national convention
in the best interest of the party.

“This is without prejudice to the right of aspirants from other
geopolitical zones to contest.”

However, another group from the region, known as the Concerned
PDP Northern Youths of Like Minds, said the meeting by the northern
PDP did not agree to micro-zone the position.

Spokesperson for the group, Sani Kutigi, said those who
described themselves as northern elders lacked the authority to
speak on behalf of the north.

He said, “Their action is, hereby, rejected and totally
condemned. Majority of the members from the north dissociate
themselves from this misadventure which portends unintended
consequences if left unchallenged.

“It is a slap in the face and an insult to the intelligence of
southern Nigerian politicians/leaders that few members from the
north can sit down and determine who to elect.

“While rejecting micro-zoning, we affirm our belief in the
sanctity of the larger, more inclusive arrangement which gave
southern Nigeria the position of national chairman of our great
party.

“Party members from the north pledge to support only a free and
fair process where a new national chairman will emerge regardless
of which place he comes from as long as he is from any of the
states that make up southern Nigeria.”

He said it was wrong for the north to try to attempt leadership
on the party from the South-West.

He further argued that the implication was that in 2019, the
south could decide for the north who would be the presidential
candidate of the party.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of
the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, on Thursday presented a memo to
the national executive committee meeting in which he begged the
meeting to “approve and affirm the leadership of the party as
produced in nine states.”

The states are Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun,
Oyo, and Osun.

However, while the party affirmed the conclusion of the ward,
local government and state congresses in all the states, Makarfi
said in the memo that only ward congress had been done in Osun.

He also said that the result of the state congress was not ready
in Kogi State.

The party’s NEC had at its meeting on August 12 dissolved all
party structures in the above states and ordered fresh congresses
for the purpose of electing party executives at all levels.

Makarfi, however, said that “there are some minor issues arising
from the congresses in Lagos, Kebbi, Kwara, Ogun and Oyo states
that can in no way alter the outcome of the congresses.

“NEC is invited to approve political solution be applied to
bring about reasonable integration in these states over time.”

In the case of Osun State, Makarfi said, “It has become
practically impossible to make progress in conducting local and
state congresses.”

A source said that this implied that the state might not have
delegates at the convention.

There were indications in Abuja on Friday that the northern
caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party might not be attending the
party’s national convention slated for December 9 with one
voice.
This is because leaders from the region have pitched their tent
with different aspirants vying for the office of the national
chairman of the party.

The national leadership of the party had zoned the office of the
national chairman to the southern part of the country, while it
also ceded the presidential ticket to the north.

However, the party has refused to micro-zone the office of the
national chairman to any of the three geopolitical zones in the
southern region.

The regions are South-East, South-South, and South-West.

While no candidate has shown interest in the race from the
South-East, two have emerged from the South-South and seven have
shown interest from the South-West.

Those from the South-South are Prince Uche Secondus and Dr.
Raymond Dokpesi.

Candidates from the South-West are Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief
Olabode George, Chief Gbenga Daniel, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Senator
Rashidi Ladoja, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja and Mr. Segun Aderemi, who
just joined the race.

It was gathered that some northern leaders who were said to be
supporters of Adeniran met in Abuja on Thursday night and claimed
that they had micro-zoned the office of the national chairman to
the South-West.

A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, who has been
campaigning for Adeniran, presided over the meeting.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by a
former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and a
former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Margaret
Icheen, noted that “In line with our resolve to rebuild and
reposition the PDP, we urge delegates from all the northern states
to abide by this decision and vote for only aspirants from the
South-West geopolitical zone in the forthcoming national convention
in the best interest of the party.

“This is without prejudice to the right of aspirants from other
geopolitical zones to contest.”

However, another group from the region, known as the Concerned
PDP Northern Youths of Like Minds, said the meeting by the northern
PDP did not agree to micro-zone the position.

Spokesperson for the group, Sani Kutigi, said those who
described themselves as northern elders lacked the authority to
speak on behalf of the north.

He said, “Their action is, hereby, rejected and totally
condemned. Majority of the members from the north dissociate
themselves from this misadventure which portends unintended
consequences if left unchallenged.

“It is a slap in the face and an insult to the intelligence of
southern Nigerian politicians/leaders that few members from the
north can sit down and determine who to elect.

“While rejecting micro-zoning, we affirm our belief in the
sanctity of the larger, more inclusive arrangement which gave
southern Nigeria the position of national chairman of our great
party.

“Party members from the north pledge to support only a free and
fair process where a new national chairman will emerge regardless
of which place he comes from as long as he is from any of the
states that make up southern Nigeria.”

He said it was wrong for the north to try to attempt leadership
on the party from the South-West.

He further argued that the implication was that in 2019, the
south could decide for the north who would be the presidential
candidate of the party.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of
the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, on Thursday presented a memo to
the national executive committee meeting in which he begged the
meeting to “approve and affirm the leadership of the party as
produced in nine states.”

The states are Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun,
Oyo, and Osun.

However, while the party affirmed the conclusion of the ward,
local government and state congresses in all the states, Makarfi
said in the memo that only ward congress had been done in Osun.

He also said that the result of the state congress was not ready
in Kogi State.

The party’s NEC had at its meeting on August 12 dissolved all
party structures in the above states and ordered fresh congresses
for the purpose of electing party executives at all levels.

Makarfi, however, said that “there are some minor issues arising
from the congresses in Lagos, Kebbi, Kwara, Ogun and Oyo states
that can in no way alter the outcome of the congresses.

“NEC is invited to approve political solution be applied to
bring about reasonable integration in these states over time.”

In the case of Osun State, Makarfi said, “It has become
practically impossible to make progress in conducting local and
state congresses.”

A source said that this implied that the state might not have
delegates at the convention.