PDP: Intense Schemings, Lobby At Convention As Secondus Set To Emerge National Chairman

Intense scheming and horse trading marked yesterday’s elective convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Despite fears, the convention was peaceful, as the party took a bold step towards reviving its plundered fortunes, as well as, playing its role as the main opposition party in the country. Sorting of votes at the well-attended convention, which took place at Eagle Square, Abuja, was ongoing at the time of filling this report.

Former acting National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus and Prof. Tunde Adeniran, were the frontrunner in the contest for the office of the national chairman of the party.

In comparison with its last convention, which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which was plagued by a litany of lawsuits, which went up to the Supreme Court, yesterday’s event witnessed minimal drama, as about 3, 000 delegates and other party faithful thronged the Federal Capital Territory.

Since Adamu Mu’azu resigned in the wake of the party’s defeat in 2015, the party has been under the supervision of different interim national executives since May 2015. The latest being the Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee, which was dissolved, yesterday.

As expected, the performance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly the economy, was critically reviewed and awarded very low marks.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, were categorical in their submissions that the APC government has equally failed woefully in sustaining Nigeria’s unity, which they said was intact throughout the 16 years that the PDP was in power. Jonathan claimed that none of the promises with which the APC won the 2015 polls had been fulfilled.

The former President also expressed dismay about the method employed by Buhari in executing the anti-corruption war, describing it as war against opponents. He asked those, who have become victims of the war to endure adding that Nigerians would soon vote the government out of power.

Jonathan also urged members to put the interest of the party at heart, as the party’s unity party must be the overriding interest of all. Abubakar in his remarks listed what the APC government promised but failed to do.

According to him, the APC promised the creation of three million new jobs in one year, but only succeeded in making three million Nigerians jobs their jobs within the same period year.

The former Vice President also said that, “the APC promised us peace and unity, but Nigeria is now more divided and acrimonious than at any time since the civil war.”He also said the “APC promised us restructuring, but in office the APC denied restructuring… the APC promised a war on corruption, but all they have delivered is a war on the opposition, with handouts for their cronies and handcuffs for their opponents.”

Comparing the record of the APC in government to that of PDP in government, Abubakar said the PDP achieved a 10-year increase in the life expectancy of Nigerians.He continued: “We, the PDP enabled 99 million more of our people to have a mobile phone. We, the PDP helped Nigeria become the largest economy in Africa. In the 16 years that we governed this nation, we kept it united, peaceful and prosperous… We made mistakes, but we put our nation first. We did not favour only states that voted for us and punish those that did not. We favoured all.”

The party also used the opportunity of the convention to make some amendments in its constitution. One of the amendments was increasing the number of National Working Committee (NWC) by allowing deputies of the previous members to become members too.

The party also upped the number of deputy national chairmen to two. Makarfi in his remarks noted that Nigerians were hungry as poverty is ravaging the land. The relative ease with which foodstuff and other essentials were available and affordable to the average Nigerian under the PDP-led government is now history.

According to him: “Insecurity in the North East which was thought to be receding is creeping back with greater ferocity, particularly against soft targets. Kidnap for ransom has taken a life of its own, so are the incessant farmers/herdsmen clashes and criminalities so camouflaged. Government must up the ante in its efforts to confront these menaces,” Makarfi added.

Yesterday’s convention, which attracted serious attention of many political stakeholders from within and outside the party, and had in attendance former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, a host of state governors and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, witnessed a lot of intrigues. Top chieftains of the party, moved round the venue seeking support for one candidate or the other.

The gale of withdrawals, especially of the chairmanship candidates, was a major development at the convention. For instance, 18 hours after his erstwhile leader and mentor, Bode George, withdrew from the race for the national chairman, Jimi Agbaje did same, after vowing to fight till the end. George’s exit was said to have been made inevitable following his failed bid to convince a former chairman of the party’s board of trustees, who hails from one of the South South states to support him.

The question that became common was whether or not the withdrawals would confer any advantages to other South West aspirants particularly, as those who withdrew made it clear that they did not do so to support any other aspirant. Just as the convention participants began troop into the venue, Agbaje posted on his twitter handle @jimiagbaje at 10.44 am on Saturday that he took the decision to boost the chance of the South West.

He stated: “With less than 24 hours to the convention, I have painfully decided to withdraw from the race hoping that others will join me in bringing down the number such that the South West can have a fighting chance of clinching the National chairmanship of the PDP.”

Agbaje appreciated the support given to him by many pointing out that “the support from serving and past governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, women, youths and opinion leaders has been tremendous.“While sincerely thanking them for their unflinching loyalty, I empathise with the great disappointment they must feel at this decision.”

Just before Agbaje’s withdrawal, another aspirant, Raymond Dokpesi, addressed a press conference right inside the venue, and insisted that he was still in the race. According to him, his decision to remain in the race was borne out of his desire to deepen democracy in the party.

Dokpesi’s latest position came less than 12 hours after he said the same thing at 8.30 pm on Friday. The pressure on Dokpesi was worsened by the confidence vote passed on Secondus, by Edo State delegates last week. However, some delegates from Edo North Senatorial District reportedly kicked against the decision since Dokpesi hails from the state.

It was learnt that the party led by Chief Dan Orbih in the state was toeing the line of the South South region to support Secondus.
And just as the convention began in earnest, former Governor Rasheed Ladoja, of Oyo State, also announced his exit from the race declaring that “the chances of one person winning are better than those of seven people who are likely to divide the votes coming to the South West zone.

“Accordingly I am of the opinion that Professor Tunde Adeniran should become our consensus candidate for the south west zone.“I am hereby appealing to all lovers of the South West Zone to support the candidature of Professor Tunde Adeniran, to clinch the position of the national chairman of our great party, the PDP,” Ladoja stated.It was equally learnt that another chairmanship aspirant, Olusegun Aderemi from Ekiti State had withdrawn.

However, while counting of votes cast was ongoing, Adeniran and Dokpesi were said to have rejected the entire electoral process, and the Director, Media Affairs for Adeniran Campaign Organisation, Taiwo Akeju, called for the cancellation of the election. He said the party should be handed over to the Board of Trustees to manage pending the conduct of a credible election

Akeju alleged that the whole electoral process has been compromised because it was designed to give victory to a particular candidate. He said: “We reject the entire electoral process of December 9, 2017. The election has been grossly compromised to achieve a pre-determined, end in line with the illegal ‘Unity List’ prepared by Governor Wike and Ayodele Fayose, and foisted on the entire delegates.

“Consequently, we submit that this election is a sham and the result there from is unacceptable. We reject it in its entirety.“We consider this so-called election as a travesty of democracy and due process, which further entrenches the culture of impunity that has done a great damage to the party in the past.

“Our position is also that this election should be cancelled and the entire leadership of the party should be handed over to the Board of Trustees, which we regard as the conscience of the party, to organise a credible election for the party in due course.”
Dokpesi also faulted the election, describing it as a charade, that may destroy the party.

He told newsmen at the convention ground that the process of voting has been rigged, following the distribution of what he called a unity list containing names of candidates, which delegates were to vote for. He explained that the 21 names contained in the list appeared on the ballot papers as number one and in the voting boots as number one.