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| President Goodluck Jonathan |
The stakeholders who recommended 15 candidates from the South-East have sent the list to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and all PDP governors.
The development has caused a twist in the race to succeed the out-going acting National Chairman of the party, Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello, who has been nominated as a Minister.
About 23 likely candidates may now vie for the office of the National Chairman of the party. Before the renewed interest of the South-East, the party had initially conceded the slot to the North-East leading to the emergence of eight aspirants.
The eight aspirants from the North-East are Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Hassan Adamu, ex-Governor of the defunct Gongola State, Alhaji Bamanga Muhammed Tukur; ex-Minister of Petroleum, Prof. Jibril Aminu (Adamawa); ex-Minister of Commerce, Ambassador Idris Waziri (Taraba); ex-Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Shettima Mustapha. ASlso in the race are a former National Chairman of the defunct The Grassroots Democratic Movement, (GDM), Alhaji Gambo Lawan (Borno); ex-Governor Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi) and ex-Governor Danjuma Goje, who was recently elected a Senator from Gombe State.
But in a petition to the President and top leaders of the party, PDP Stakeholders Forum insisted that the slot should go to the South-East, which has no single representation in the party’s National Working Committee at present.
In the petition, signed by Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (a former member, PDP Presidential Campaign Council); Ambassador Adamu Mustapha; and Chief Segun Babalola, the Stakeholders Forum asked the party to choose its next chairman from 15 potentially good candidates for the slot.
Those recommended are: Chief Ojo Maduekwe; Mao Ohuanbuwa; Senator Ike Nwachukwu; Chief Olisa Metu; former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju; Jerry Ugokwe; former Governor Sam Egwu; and Senator Emma Azu Agboti. Others are Senator Sylvanus Ngele; former Governor Jim Nwobodo; Enugu State PDP Chair, Chief Vita Abba; former Minister Frank Nweke Jr.; former Governor Ikedi Ohakim; Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu; and Jeff Ojinika.
The petition of the stakeholders reads in part: “As you are already aware, an emergency NEC meeting of our great party is about to be summoned in the days ahead for the purpose of addressing crucial party matters, especially the appointment of an Acting National Chairman for our great Party.
“The South-East is the only zone in Nigeria that has the legal and political right to continue to produce the acting National Chairman of PDP till the expiration of its four-year tenure and that of the other members of the present (PDP National Working Committee) NWC on March 8, 2012.
“It must be noted here that the National Chairmanship of the PDP was zoned to the South-East in 2008 for a four -year tenure that will terminate in 2012, which led to the election of Chief Vincent Ogbulafor as the National Chairman and other PDP NWC members in accordance with Article 14 and 16 of the PDP Constitution at the March 8, 2008 National Convention.
“The constitution of PDP in Article 14(5) has made provision that any vacancy in this NWC must be filled in acting capacity by the same zone which produced the former elected national officer and this was the same reason that made the PDP NEC to appoint Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo who was later removed as the acting National Chairman of PDP to replace Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, who is equally from the South-East.
“The issue of which zone that should produce the next acting National Chairman of PDP should not raise any controversy because the PDP constitution made express provision that the acting Chairman must emerge from the South-East.”
The stakeholders cited Article 14(5) of the PDP Constitution to back their demand.
The said article reads: “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the NEC shall appoint a substitute from the zone where the officer originated pending the conduct of election to fill the vacancy”
“It must be shamefully noted here that the South-East since the removal of Chief Vincent Ogbulafor and Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo as National Chairmen of the PDP is the only zone in the country that has no single representation in the PDP 12-member NWC up till today as a result of the inability of the PDP NEC to appoint an acting Chairman from the South-East to replace Nwodo because of electioneering and closeness of the 2011 General election then.
“This situation is illegal and it is unfair that a whole region which massively voted for the PDP can be denied its legal and constitutional position in the PDP NWC, while a zone like the North-East has been enjoying its three positions in the NWC uninterrupted since 2008 up till now.”
They urged the President and NEC members to ignore the agitation for the office of PDP National Chairman by the North-East.
They said: “It is embarrassing that majority of our party leaders are not aware of any single provision in the party constitution because if they do, the unnecessary lobbying and campaigns for the appointment of an acting chairman from the North-East would not have arisen because it is a blind agitation backed by political illiteracy and ignorance of the inner workings of the PDP and its constitution.”
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