There were indications on Monday that the Peoples Democratic Party’s consensus arrangement for its chairmanship position had suffered a setback. THE PUNCH gathered that Northern governors elected on the platform of the party might have withdrawn their support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s candidate, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The convention is scheduled to hold on Saturday in Abuja.
Investigations by our correspondents in Abuja showed that northern governors’ support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s choice candidate, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, could not be guaranteed.
It was learnt that the governors’ opposition to Tukur was hinged on his age, which they argued, would not augur well for the party.
That was not the only hurdle Tukur would surmount as the other 10 chairmanship candidates had refused to step down, insisting that an election must hold on Saturday to choose the national chairman.
Apart from Tukur, those whose nominations have been accepted by the party are Dr. Musa Babayo, Alhaji Gambo Lawan, Prof. Rufai Alkali, Dr. Shetima Mustapha and Ambassador Idris Waziri.
Others in the race are Senator Abba Aji, Alhaji Ibrahim Bunu, Dr. Adamu Bello, Ibrahim Birma and Adamu Muukuazu.
‘He is too old’
Tukur, at 74, is the oldest of all the candidates, while the youngest is Birma (51 years). Babayo is 54 years old; Waziri 70; Alkali 68; and Bunu (72).
An NWC member lamented that moves being made by the party to make the 10 candidates step down for Tukur were being rebuffed.
He said, “We have tried to talk to them, but they are conspiring. Some said they won’t step down for the man they said is too old, while some of them are angry that the party ought to have said that earlier and not now that they are in the race.”
A member of the PDP’s National Working Committee, who pleaded anonymity, told one of our correspondents that the consensus arrangement for Tukur had not been settled.
He stated, “We are having two problems now. The first is from northern governors, who are raising the question of age. They are saying the man is too old for the job.
“We have also not been able to persuade other candidates to step down. You know in any consensus arrangement, other candidates must accept the anointed candidate.”
The President had on March 12 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, met with Governors Isa Yuguda of Bauchi; Danbaba Suntai of Taraba; Ibrahim Dankwanbo of Gombe; and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, to solicit support for Tukur.
After the meeting, Nyako had, in an interview with journalists, said that the governors were ready to support the President’s choice.
He said, “You know that Mr. President is the leader of the party in the country just like I am the leader of the party in my state in Adamawa.
“The question is who the President wants; whoever the President wants, we should support, just like in my state, they should concede to me who I should like to see in the leadership of the party.
“The person should be somebody who is electable, who is marketable, somebody who the voters can vote for in the primary.”
When asked whether he felt Tukur met his standard, he said, “Ask Mr. President now, the decision is his decision. Why are you asking me? Am I not a small man from Adamawa? I am just one out of 36 states and the FCT.”
A floundering deal
As part of moves to woo governors elected on the platform of the PDP, Jonathan was said to have prevailed on the party’s leadership to shelve the proposed constitution amendments.
The amendments proposed by the Constitutional Review Committee headed by the party’s legal adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, sought the inclusion of a senator and a member of House of Representatives from each state in the National Executive Committee.
The governors, who dominate the NEC, opposed the amendment on the grounds that it was an attempt to reduce their power.
The governors were said to have supported Tukur after Jonathan agreed that the party would put its proposed amendment on hold.
During a meeting at Jonathan’s country home in Otueke on Saturday, both sides (the President and the governors) were reported to have reached final agreements on the party’s consensus arrangement.
The governors represented by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, promised to mobilise support for Tukur.
Investigations, however, showed that barely 24 hours after the Otueke meeting, northern governors raised fresh concern over Tukur’s candidature.
It was learnt that the governors said that Tukur could not withstand the rigour of the office.
An NWC member, who spoke about the party’s dilemma, said, “They are saying that as the 2015 elections approach, the job of the national chairman will be more demanding.”
However, Tukur had dismissed the claim that he is too old for the position of the PDP national chairman. At the Presidential Villa on March 12, he had said, “PDP leadership is not a job for children; it is a job for daddies at the moment.” Also in Ilorin, on Sunday, he said the position was not for “greenhorns,” but for “daddies.”
Things fall apart
Apart from the position of the party chairman, the office of national financial secretary is also the object of heavy politicking. It was gathered that the three contestants for the office of national financial secretary, Anani Akpna, Odu Obi and Grace Ekong, were insisting that the delegates should be allowed to decide their fates.
Also, contestants for the office of Deputy National Chairman, where President Jonathan is backing the former National Organising Secretary, Uche Secondus, and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is backing Sam Jaja, have also refused to step down for the other. It was learnt that Secondus already had the support of three states from the South-South while Jaja had two.
Investigations also revealed that many members of the party were rooting for the present National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Chief Okon Nkpubre.
Meanwhile, the South-East chairmen of the PDP have commended stakeholders on how the party shared the offices allotted to the zone without any controversy.
In a statement, the Enugu State Chairman of the party, Mr. Vita Abba, commended the members of the South-East Zonal Caucus/Zonal Executive Committee, their leaders, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, and others for the manner in which the party resolved the issue of candidates to be presented by the zone at the National Convention.
Also, the PDP is to spend the sum of N55.5m on uniform to be worn by members of the party attending its national convention.
Already, the national headquarters of the party has started distributing the fabric, which had the party’s logo to state chapters.
One of our correspondents saw several bundles of the cloth at the party’s national secretariat located at Zone 5, Abuja on Monday.
The distribution is being coordinated by the party’s National Woman Leader, Hajiya Inna Ciroma.
She directed state chapters of the party to pay directly to the office of the national treasurer.
In one of her letters to one of the states dated February 22, 2012, entitled, “Customised PDP wrapper for 2012 national convention,” Ciroma wrote, “Above matter refers.
“The Acting Chairman has approved that you receive 500 pieces of this fabric on behalf of your state for the forthcoming national convention, scheduled for the 24 (of) March, 2012 at the sum of N1.5m.
“The said fabrics is meant to further portray the unity of the party.”
In a relatged development, the party has refused to set up the Screening Panel as promised by its Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, on Tuesday.
Baraje had said that the National Working Committee of the party had concluded arrangements to screen aspirants for elections into the various party offices ahead of the convention. He had also added that a Screening Committee had been constituted.
But some chairmanship aspirants, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, on Monday, said they were baffled by the refusal of the party to set up the panel as promised by Baraje.
Efforts made to speak with Baraje on the issue were not successful as calls made to his mobile telephone were not answered.
Also, his Media Assistant, Mr. Emeke Nwakpa, did not respond to a text message sent to his mobile telephone. He did not also pick his calls.
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