Since
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) postponed the election of the
party’s Board of Trustees chairman to a fresh date from January 9, the
intrigues to the powerful position have only intensified.
Party chieftains and the public with
interest in the party and its well being and cohesion have continued to
make inputs in the now heated discourse on who needs the BoT position
and posit rightly that a candidate from the North remains the right
person for the job since the entire three zones of the north never
produced a chairman of the PDP BoT. Logically and otherwise, the zone
cannot compromise the stance if there should be fairness in the sharing
of offices in the party now and in the future.
It looks like some party leaders don’t
feel comfortable with Amadu Ali, perhaps the best candidate for the BoT
chair, because he is not seen as someone who can easily be manipulated
for the gains of few against the larger interest of the party. He in the
past proved as the national chairman of the party that he is a leader
of repute who loves the party and works for its progress without any
form of compromise.
Some party big wigs are playing God in
the bid to give President Jonathan the impression that only Chief Tony
Anenih’s emergence would assure his return in 2015. God definitely
decides who becomes leader.
It is possible that he can scheme in
somebody he feels could deliver him in 2015, but there is no assurance
the person would bully the party into a decision that would hurt the
larger party interest.
Zoning with regard to the BoT position
is uncalled for, because PDP never intended zoning to apply to the
chairmanship of the board in the past. It had always been based on
integrity, loyalty and clean track record.
On grounds of equity, the South East
zone has so many key roles in the party today, and that even reflects in
the public offices they hold. South East produced key political
personalities in the present administration, which include the Secretary
to the Government of the Federation, Deputy Senate President and Deputy
Speaker of the House of Representatives and these are in view of their
loyalty to party and value.
There are other factors that deserve
compensation in the party just like the South East got their fair share
due to loyalty. So if we should compensate loyalty and dedication to the
party, why should we consider another candidate for the BoT top slot
apart from Ali?
For this issue at hand, other
contenders like Chief Ekwueme, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Anenih, Shuaibu
Oyedokun, with due respect lost their wards and home states in the last
general election and do not have a proof of home support. They cannot be
seen as good ambassadors of the party over and above Ali.
Whether Mr President and Chief
Obasanjo are divided over who takes that position is immaterial, and
therefore nobody is sure, just as I am not sure, that they are at
cross-purposes over who emerges the next BoT chairman. The fact is they
cannot be divided now when the issue is squarely on choosing a BoT
chairman from a region that never produced one and based on the factor
of merit.
That PDP in any guise should adopt
whatever nebulous convention to favour a candidate for the second term
when other zones have not got it even once is baseless, unfair and
inequitable. If there is a time PDP could contain a divided or a
seeming divided house, it is not now because any such fiddling with the
party leadership could be costly, so let us all tell ourselves the truth
and give it to the right candidate and the region that naturally
deserves it. The candidate is Amadu Ali and none else.
The purported election of Senator
Walid as BoT secretary is very wrong and must be over-turned because due
process was grossly lacking in it. Before a secretary is elected, a
chairman must first emerge; electing Walid without concluding the
election of the BoT chairman is abuse of procedure.
The election committee led by
Professor Jerry Gana must address this planned disorder. I have not seen
where the party rules and agreement – written or unwritten stated that
the secretary’s post is meant for the North Central? The appointment of
Walid to it must be in the interim, and must expire before the next
scheduled BoT chairmanship election because if he is there again, it
means he has been on the BoT for 10 years.
Professor Gana and his team should save PDP from disintegration that will likely trail these flaws.
Ibrahim wrote from University of Abuja.
DailyTrust
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