Contrary to some reports, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees chairman failed to emerge yesterday. Several notable members of the party converged at the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa in a bid to take the next step moving forward but that objective failed to materialize despite high level politicking which dragged on till late into the night.
Many of the attendees had before the crucial meeting expressed hope that the party can select an individual who will steer the ship of the party in the right direction.
Reacting to rumours that the party had already pre-selected a candidate, former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola said it was not true describing such speculation as the pastime of PDP detractors.
“They will always say that,” he said.
Katsina governor, Ibrahim Shema, however, did not see anything wrong in pre-selecting a candidate saying it was normal for any institution to choose winners by election, consensus, or proclamation.
“Even in the National Assembly, decisions are taken on the basis of verbal proclamation. The ayes always come up against the nays. The party is at liberty to choose the best way for it to choose its leaders.
“We remain the best, largest and most democratic party in the country. There is no tribe, religion, local government area or ward in the country where the PDP is not represented. The board is supposed to be very objective and above the issue of ‘push-me-I-push-you’ politics. The board knows that its role is advisory”, Shema stated.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting which ended at about 11:30pm, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, said a committee was set up to streamline membership of the board in preparation for the election of a new chairman.
Professor Jerry Gana, on his part, admitted that the decision to set up the committee arose because some members were already challenging the legality of some people to vote.
He also faulted reports that some PDP governors were planning to unseat the party’s chairman, Bamanga Tukur, saying the governors were law abiding party members.
The committee has three weeks to conclude its assignment.
Maduekwe was joined at the briefing by the board’s Secretary, Senator Walid Jibrin; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, and presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati.
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who was the immediate past Board of Trustees chairman, was absent at the meeting which led many to believe it was not going to produce a conclusive outcome right from the onset.
Obasanjo is believed to be supporting a particular candidate to emerge as BoT chairman.
Present at the meeting were President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
Others reportedly present were Jim Nwobodo, Obong Victor Attah, Richard Akinjide, Olabode George, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ibrahim Mantu, Tony Anenih, Bamanga Tukur, Ken Nnamani, Sen Walid Jibrin, Musa Babayo, Haliru Bello Mohammed, Dalhatu Tafida, Kema Chikwe, Bode Olajumoke, David Jemibewon, Don Etiebet, Ebenezer Babatope, Vincent Ogbulafor, Wakili Adamawa (Amb Hassan Adamu), Patricia Etteh, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Gen Muhammadu Magoro, Alex Ekwueme, Ahmadu Ali and wife, Maryam, Jerry Gana, Ghali Umar Na’abba, Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Inna Ciroma and Adolphus Wabara, among others.
Governors Ibrahim Shema and Sule Lamido of Katsina and Jigawa states were also present while former governors Abdulkadir Kure, Danjuma Goje and Ahmed Makarfi also attended the meeting.
