From the grapevine, JOHN NWOKOCHA writes it emerged weekend that underground battle over who becomes the next National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has started with three top contenders for the seat.
At the weekend, it emerged that three candidates are top contenders for the seat of the national chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). This development is coming nearly two months after losing the presidential election for the first time since 1999. The fallouts of the general elections were expressed in the resignation of the national chairman, Adamu Muazu and the party’s BoT boss, Tony Anenih. Of course the leadership of the PDP has shown that it is already planning for the 2019 election.
Though currently in control of 13 out of the 36 states of the federation, many stakeholders of the former ruling party are allegedly nursing secret fears that the PDP as it stands today, is at the verge of extinction from the nation’s political space. Nevertheless, some are confident that in that the party would bounce back to power come 2019 by capitalizing on the several miscalculations of the APC- the ruling party.
In the last couple of weeks the PDP has played the role of opposition responding to every action of the APC currently in NASS leadership logjam. PDP stakeholders having found that the APC is still grappling with the crisis that greeted the emergence of senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives ceased the opportunity to draw attention to its relevance in politics of 2019.
It was learnt that major stakeholders of the party have, in the last few weeks, been brainstorming on how best to reposition the party against the backdrop of its massive loss of goodwill among Nigerians, which has raised fears that it could become irrelevant in the political scheme of things.
Soon after the last general elections, a fact finding committee was set up by the immediate former national chairman to reach out to every major stakeholder, including aggrieved members and recommend the way forward.
Sources disclosed that one of the major recommendations of the committee is a holistic rebranding of the party through series of ways, few of which include constituting a new credible National Working Committee (NWC) and reaching out to its former members now in the APC to return.
As a major step towards the realization of this is the election of a new national chairman, and judging from feelers the pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is primed to succeed Prince Uche Secondus, who has been on acting capacity.
It was gathered that those in favour of Ribadu are of the belief that this is the most auspicious time for the party to catch in on the former anti-corruption czar’s favourable public perception, which can serve as a match up to the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari. Ribadu’s integrity, said sources in the party, could be used as a bargaining edge by the party in successive elections.
We learnt that party leaders are also aware of the perceived image of the party in many quarters as very corrupt and are determined to change that negative impression with Ribadu as the national chairman.
Moves to draft Ribadu, who was the PDP governorship candidate in Adamawa State in the last elections has gathered momentum, with some unconfirmed reports claiming that he enjoys the blessing of former President Goodluck Jonathan and some other party stalwarts.
Ribadu earned global campaign while serving as EFCC chairman between 2003 and 2008, during which he successfully prosecuted cases involving several high profile individuals.
Another factor working in Ribadu’s favour, it was learnt, is his relatively good understanding of the inner workings of the ruling party, having been a presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress Nigeria (now part of the APC) in the 2011 general elections.
With the party’s national convention, where a new national chairman and other Board of Trustees (BoT) members will emerge, billed for August, strong indications have emerged that supporters of Ribadu have begun a mobilisation and campaign drive among members from the six geo-political zones.
Blueprint learnt that the leadership of the party is looking at somebody with a good track record of doggedness, forthrightness and somebody that is not easily intimidated. Nuhu Ribadu fits the profile.
Other notable PDP leaders in contention for the position of the national chairmanship include former governors of Rivers and Cross River states respectively, Dr. Peter Odili and Mr. Liyel Imoke and the immediate former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed.
As for the former Rivers governor, after he served his term as governor, Odili maintained a low profile throughout the eight-year tenure of his successor, Rotimi Amaechi, largely due to a cold war between the two.
Campaigners of Odili for the PDP chairmanship seat, argue that aside the fact that his name needs no introduction among many Nigerians; he would also easily command the respect of many party members, particularly the governors.
In the case of Imoke, who has consistently denied having any interest in the seat, it was learnt that his name keeps coming up on account of being non-controversial, coupled with his demeanor, two attributes needed to unite the party and move it forward.
His alleged non-interest in the contest may, however, count against him, sources say.
But most critical in the issue according to our source further is that at a time when a man of high moral standing like Buhari is at the helm of the nation’s affairs, the PDP, now in the opposition, cannot afford to have somebody of questionable character or somebody who does not command the respect of Nigerians and the international community as its leader.
Against the backdrop of the fallouts of the last elections, a cold war had ensued among its leaders, with claims and counter-claims over the real reasons the party performed woefully at the polls.
Recently, insinuations that the PDP lost the last elections due to the refusal of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to honour a one term pact he signed with PDP northern leaders bounce to front burner with a statement credited to Dr. Cairo Ojuigbo, national vice chairman of the party south south, referring to that fact in a newspaper interview.
This notion may have increased the support for Ribadu to become the next national chairman, as ceding the seat to the South-South as some party members are proposing, may completely wipe off the little support base of the party in the north.
Of the 19 states in the North, only two, Gombe and Taraba are controlled by the PDP, the party leaders who are apprehensive of what fate lies ahead for the party in the 2019 elections if something is not done quickly to appease the region.
While the Ribadu candidacy is being strongly considered, those opposed to him say with the former EFCC boss at the helm of the party, the fortunes of the party may plummet further than expected.
The capacity of the former retired police officer to manage a complex organization like PDP raises a concern. Ribadu’s sometimes controversial off-the-cuff statements and lack of cognate experience are being cited by opponents as factors that may cause unanticipated crisis if eventually he emerges the national chairman.
But then, should the Ribadu option fails to scale through, Bala Mohammed may be drafted to run for the seat, it was gathered. The former minister may not be too much of a hard sell as he is known to be a loyalist of ex-President Jonathan, who from all indications would have a large say in who becomes the next PDP boss. Whoever the party settles for, the quality to seek out is credibility if the party is serious at restoring its past records and compete with APC.
