More Troubles For PDP As Caretaker Committee Chair Ahmed Makarfi Pulls Plug On Consensus Candidate Arrangement For National Chairman, More Chieftains Become Estranged At Deadlocked Southwest Meeting To Handpick Favourite

A report available have it

The contest for the office of the national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was, yesterday, enveloped in deep intrigues over the issue of zoning or otherwise of the top party post.

The chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, insisted that the contest was open to all from the South, irrespective of last week’s decision by Southern party leaders to micro-zone the position to the South West.
His assertion nonetheless, South West leaders angling to take advantage of the zoning to the region, however, drew a blank at a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the two PDP governors from the zone to find common ground on the issue.
Even worse, the newly forged peace between Senator Buruji Kashamu and the two governors was threatened, following the lockout of Kashamu’s entourage at the stakeholders’ meeting hosted by Governor Segun Mimiko in Akure. Besides, some of the national chairmanship candidates, who were at the Akure meeting also yesterday, vowed to forge ahead with their aspirations, irrespective of the conclusion reached at the meeting.

The threats against peace were, however, assuaged by reassurances by the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, Senator Jubril Walid that total peace would be forged in the party ahead of the Port-Harcourt convention.
Makarfi, while receiving one of the national chairmanship candidates, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi in his Kaduna home, yesterday, said the race was open to all in the south.
His assertion was despite the resolve by Southern leaders to sub-zone the office to the South West, an arrangement Dr. Raymond Dokpesi objected to. “I stand by what I’ve been saying that the race is open. Even though zoning has always been in the party’s constitution, it does not exclude other aspirants because nothing should exclude any other person and at the end of the day, the people will freely have access to all the candidates and freely vote for whoever they want.

“Our party needs to move away from the era of imposition as events of “automatic ticket” led PDP to its present situation, and that is why I want to ensure level-playing field for all” he stated.

Makarfi also used the opportunity to compliment Dokpesi, who he described as a dogged fighter and a unifier which, according to him, the PDP needs at the moment. Dokpesi on his part, said he aims to return PDP to its winning streak; explaining that to achieve that would require members to move away from manipulative tendencies and stop tampering with the basic rules that govern the party.

Meanwhile, the stakeholders’ conference convened by Governors Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti and Mimiko of Ondo states ended in a deadlock, yesterday, as they failed to agree on how to approach the convention.

Two of the national chairmanship candidates, Professors Tunde Adeniran and Taoheed Adedoja indeed dissociated themselves from the meeting. Chief Bode George, one of the chairmanship candidates was, however, present. Among the leaders present were Senator Teslim Folarin, Erelu Olusola Obada, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the Ondo State deputy governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo and the former deputy governor of Osun State Senator Iyiola Omisore and former Works Minister, Oluseye Ogunlewe among others.

While Adeniran shunned the meeting and described it as a jamboree, Adedoja, who attended, insisted that he would contest the election not minding the setting up of a six-member committee by the stakeholders to reconcile aggrieved party members in the zone and the candidates.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, National Deputy Chairman South West, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, said the meeting agreed to zone the position of the National Chairman to Ogun/ Lagos states; treasurer to Ondo/ Ekiti and Deputy Publicity Secretary to Oyo/ Osun states.

Olafeso added that the six-member reconciliatory committee which is headed by Alhaji Yekini Adeojo is to report back to the leaders their findings at a later date. Chief Bode George was also present at the meeting, while Mr Jimi Agbaje, who is also an aspirant was absent at the meeting which lasted for more than three hours. There was mild drama when Senator Kashamu stormed out of the meeting over the refusal to allow some members of his entourage into the venue.
Vanguard gathered that two delegates from each state were accredited for the meeting which took place in the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Akure.
Senator Kashamu, however, reportedly arrived with supporters in three buses almost all of whom were stopped from entering.

Explaining why he boycotted the meeting, Prof. Adeniran, speaking through his spokesman Taiwo Akeju, insisted that all those who obtained the forms should be allowed to contest the election.

Besides Senator Kashamu, the Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe-led factional zonal executive was also disallowed from gaining access to the venue of the meeting.

Also prevented from gaining entrance into the meeting venue were former deputy Senate Chief Whip, Senator Clement Awoyelu, from Ekiti State; former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Abiodun Aluko; a member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Segun Adekoya; factional Chairman of Osun PDP, Chief Adagunodo and other members of Ogundipe- led factional executive.
After relocating to a hotel in the metropolis, Ogundipe, while addressing newsmen, urged the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee not to hearken to whatever decision reached at the meeting convened by Mimiko and Fayose.

He described the gathering as ‘executive rascality.’ He said: “In a situation, I have been deprived of taking charge, I am at this moment calling on our National Caretaker Chairman to ignore whatever decision they might have taken because that will not hold. What they have done today is a clear violation of our party constitution, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. “I am not going to allow this to continue in our party. This party is a disciplined party. This party cannot be run by sheer impunity.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the party’s BoT, Senator Walid, yesterday, assured party members that the crisis in the party would be resolved well ahead of the August 17 national convention scheduled for Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Walid gave the assurance while inaugurating an 18- member special reconciliation committee headed by Prof. Jerry Gana, in Abuja. Senator Walid who appealed to aggrieved members of the party to withdraw various cases in courts, reiterated that no individual was greater than the party. “With the calibre of people we have chosen to represent the BoT, I am very optimistic that the end of this conflict has come and that we shall all come out smiling very soon, before our convention. “We want to use this opportunity to calm down our members and to tell them that what is happening is normal in a democracy. After various consultations, efforts are being made to end the crisis.”
The committee is expected to submit its report within one week.
Meanwhile, about five members of the party have indicated interest to contest the chairmanship position of the party.
A member of the National caretaker committee of the party, Senator Abdul Ningi, told Vanguard in an exclusive interview that he expected more members to indicate interest in the party’s offices. Some of the members who have so far picked forms for the chairmanship position are Chief Bode George, Dr. Dokpesi, and Professor Taoheed Adedoja.

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