The Peoples Democratic Party is holding
its national convention at the Eagle
Square, Abuja, today.
Unlike the last convention in Port
Harcourt which was doomed by lawsuits
that went up to the Supreme Court,
today’s event appears less controversial.
Delegates and other party faithful from
across the country have been arriving at
the nation’s capital for the big event
since last week.
About 3,000 delegates — elected and
statutory— are expected to vote to fill
the positions of the national chairman
and several other national offices.
An official list of all the candidates and
their targeted offices is expected to be
released later today.
The party has been under the
supervision of different interim national
executives since May 2015 when Adamu
Mu’azu resigned as part of the fallout
from the 2015 election woes.
Mr. Mu’azu, a former governor of
Bauchi State, was confirmed as the
party’s national chairman in January
2014.
Nine people were cleared to run in the
race for the chairmanship, but some of
them have started standing down since
last night, amidst controversy over the
party’s internal arrangements.
Taoheed Adedoja, Tunde Adeniran,
Raymond Dokpesi, Jimi Agbaje, Gbenga
Daniel, Olabode George, Uche Secondus,
Rasheed Ladoja and Segun Aderemi have
spent the last few weeks traveling the
country to canvass support.
But Mr. George, a former vice-chairman
of the PDP and serving member of its
Board of Trustees, stepped down around
8:00 p.m. Friday, citing alleged injustice
and disregard for gentlemen agreement
amongst the party’s divergent blocs.
It is not immediately clear if he has
urged his potential delegates to support
a specific contender, but his anger was
directed at Governor Nyesom Wike, who
has been pushing for Mr. Secondus’
victory.
The PDP reserved the chairmanship for
the south after resolving to let the
presidential ticket go to the north.
There are indications that more
candidates from the Southwest are on
the verge of announcing their
withdrawal to settle on a consensus from
the zone.
Whoever the region picks would slug it
out with either Mr. Secondus or Mr.
Dokpesi or both at the convention
ground.
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