Twelve members of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustee (BoT), are expected to contest the trustee chairmanship position of the party on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who has been monitoring development concerning the election, gathered that the candidates include Alex Ekwueme, Ken Nnamani, Okwesilieze Nwodo.
Others are Amadu Ali, Tony Anenih, Emmanuel Iwuayanwu, Don Etibet and Sen. Bode Olayinka. Also in the race are Yekeen Adeojo, Sen. Onyeabor Obi, Harry Akande and Shuaibu Oyedo.
The Secretary of BOT, Walid Jibrin, said that 20 candidates had earlier signified interest for BOT chairmanship.
NAN gathered that the eight candidates might have been dropped out because they were not members of the party`s BOT.
Part 9, Section 32, Subsection 1 of the PDP Constitution specifically states that the Board of Trustees shall elect its Chairman and Secretary from its members.
It also states that when elected, they will serve a single term of five years. Jubrin said that since the procedure of the election of the BoT chairman was not specified in the party’s constitution.
He said that the BoT would implore a methodology that would ensure open and transparent election. He advised contestants not to make the contest “a do or die affair”, adding that they should desist from campaign of calumny in their desire to become the BoT chairman.
He also urged them to realise that BoT remained the party’s conscience and as such needed a man of high integrity, honour and respect to occupy the position.
Mr. Jubrin added that such a man must be a man without any blemish and must garner the respect of all Nigerians.
NAN reports that BoT is the highest advisory body and custodian of the party charged with the responsibility of ensuring the highest standard of morality and discipline among party members. Its membership comprises serving and past presidents and vice presidents of the country, who are still members of the party.
It also consists serving and past national chairmen of the party, national secretaries, all past and serving senate presidents and speakers of the House of Representatives who are still members of the party.
The party’s constitution further states that membership of its BoT shall reflect the country’s federal character.
It further stipulates that every zone in the country must be adequately represented, especially in the case of chairman and secretary.
NAN recalls that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was the immediate past chairman of BoT, resigned his position last April to attend to other issues.
