There is tension in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the Edo and Ondo states governorship elections slated for September 10 and November 26, 2016 respectively.
There are fears that the factionalisation of the PDP at the national level may affect the acceptability of candidates submitted by the state chapters of the party.
PDP chieftains and aspirants are miffed that disgruntled elements may capitalise on the factional crisis in the party to present parallel candidates, leading to disqualification by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
The PDP has been torn into two factions following the botched national convention in Port-Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.
While former Acting Chairman, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, insists he is still in charge of the party, a coalition of governors and National Assembly members of the PDP settled for former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
Markafi has since taken over the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party with the backing of current PDP office holders while Modu-Sheriff has threatened to storm the court to reclaim his supposed mandate.
Without a substantive leadership, a functional National Working Committee (NWC) and Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP is naked and exposed to political vagaries.
Such important organs will be necessary for the emergence of governorship candidates in Edo and Ondo. Without prompt resolution of the opposition party’s nagging internal wrangling, the process of choosing candidates will not only become vulnerable to manipulations but also susceptible to litigations.
Investigations revealed that the INEC is aware of the possibility of two delegate lists and candidates from factions in the party, a development it envisages will nullify the process.
This, it was gathered, was why the commission’s Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Nick Dazang, alerted the party of the risk of not participating in the Edo State governorship election.
Urging the PDP to resolve its leadership crisis, Dazang explained: “I expect that a very responsible party, a formidable party for that matter like the PDP will put its acts together in time for it to particularly collect the forms for those that will conduct the elections in Edo and Ondo and also to conduct the primaries that will lead up to who will now be their standard bearer for Edo governorship election to be conducted on Saturday 10 September.
“The primaries are supposed to take place between 2nd June and 4th July. So, we expect that between now and then, the PDP should be able to resolve some of these issues in the interest of that election.”
Edo dilemma
Going by the timetable of INEC, campaigns are supposed to start by June 12. From July 2-4, party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the exercise, are supposed to take place.
The commission has also scheduled August 11 for publication of official register of voters for the election, while submission of names of party agents for the election to the electoral officers of the local government areas has been fixed for August 27. By September 8, all campaigns for the governorship election should end.
The state chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, was reelected for another four-year term last March but stakeholders are fighting over the delegate list that will elect the party’s governorship ticket bearer.
The governorship aspirants, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; Chief Solomon Edebiri, Osaro Onaiwu and Matthew Iduoriyekemwen are plotting to have upper hands over the delegate list, knowing whoever gets more people into the list holds the ace.
This is tearing the party apart with much mudslinging among the contestants. More importantly, the factions at the national level are believed to be pitching their tents with different candidates ahead of the poll.
The Makarfi-led interim leadership is said to be disposed to Ize-Iyamu, who is considered the most formidable among the candidates. Ize-Iyamu, who was SSG under former Governor Lucky Igbinedion, is assumed to be sponsored by his former principal.
Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, on his part, is reportedly being backed by the immediate past Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, who belongs to the founding fathers’ faction, led by Professor Jerry Gana.
Former Director-General of PDP Governors Forum, Osaro Onaiwu, also has the support of many past governors of the party who worked with him while in office. Some of them are also said to have reached out to current governors to back his aspiration.
This sharp dichotomy is expected to play out at the national level of the party where many stakeholders will attempt to flex muscles and pull strings.
The Makarfi and Modu-Sheriff camps may present different delegate lists that will force INEC to throw both away. That possibility means there might be court actions, a development that will constitute a clog to the process.
INEC is mindful court actions might mean failure to meet deadlines and injunctions that will constitute grave consequences ahead of the July 4 deadline for conclusion of party primaries.
A party stalwart told our correspondent last week that plans were on to ensure the primary does not lead to crisis. He said national officers have been reached out to forestall crisis-inducing actions and utterances.
He added that many PDP stalwarts have been talking on the needs to close ranks and prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from having a field day during the exercise.
“We are talking to ourselves that we must unite to stop the APC. We must not do anything that will hurt the party or put us in trouble with INEC,” he stressed.
As it stands, only peaceful conduct of the primary as well as pacification of high-powered stakeholders in Edo will prevent the imminent exclusion of the party from the governorship poll.
Ondo hanky-panky
Though the election is still in November 26, indications have emerged that the reluctance of Governor Segun Mimiko to openly back any candidate is fuelling restiveness within the PDP. The governor has severally declared only God will determine his successor, which many believe is a ploy to buy time.
Mimiko is enmeshed in a supremacy battle with the Senator Buruji Kashamu’s camp for control of the South-West structure of the PDP. During the last botched zonal congress, his anointed candidate and former Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Olorogun Olafeso, emerged zonal chairman.
But the congress was eventually cancelled by a court as well as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. Among the contestants are Eyitayo Jegede, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General; Chief Sola Ebiseni, Commissioner for Environment and former Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye.
There are also unconfirmed reports that Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade and PR expert, Tokunbo Modupe, are also in the race. Jegede has been a cabinet member of Mimiko since 2009 and is believed to enjoy the governor’s backing.
Ebiseni is hugely popular in Ondo South and is seen as capable, financially, to run a good campaign. Mimiko is certainly in a fix as to how to handle the succession battle within the party. Indications are rife that many of his supporters and boys merely want him to reveal his choice before creating troubles within the party.
The last council poll where chieftains fought over the delegate list is a pointer to what lies ahead once Mimiko indicates his anointed successor. The PDP has two claimants to its chairmanship. There is Olu Ogunye, who says he is backed by a Federal High Court ruling.
But Mimiko recognises the Clement Faboyede-led faction. Though it is expected the national leadership will pitch its tent with the Mimiko-backed faction, the Modu Sheriff’s camp might also come with a parallel primary that will throw wheel in the party’s progress for the governorship seat.
The PDP however still has time in Ondo to remedy the worrisome situation. The INEC timetable stipulates August 28 for take-off of campaigns. By August 22 to26, parties are expected to collect forms at the INEC headquarters.
Primaries are scheduled for September 18-19 during when disputes resulting from the exercise are expected to be concluded. It means the party effectively has less than eight weeks to do serious house-cleaning, a tough chore considering the heavy stakes involved.
Source: The Nation
Source: The Nation
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