Fresh facts have emerged on how governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shared key National Working Committee (NWC) positions.
The governors, the most influential power bloc, under the umbrella of the PDP Governors’ Forum, ensured the emergence of their candidates at the national convention of the main opposition party held at the weekend.
- Ciroma, Oyinlola, Elkudan lose at PDP convention
- Many killed as 21-storey building collapses in Lagos
Through the scheming and machinations of the 13 governors of the party, 18 out of the 21 positions were filled through consensus.
With this, pundits said the governors have taken over the soul of the main opposition party ahead of the 2023 politicking.
The 13 governors: Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Bala Muhammed (Bauchi), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
A former Senate president, Iyorchia Ayu, who emerged as the party’s national chairman was the candidate of the Benue State governor. From the North Central zonal caucus meeting where he first unveiled him, Ortom ensured that he secured the support of his colleagues and other stakeholders for Ayu’s emergence.
Like Ayu, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Ayanwu, was the candidate of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
Chairman of the PDP governors’ Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s candidate in the NWC is the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature.
Aside from having their way through consensus, the candidate of the Oyo State governor, for Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, defeated a former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Arapaja polled 2,004 votes against Oyinlola’s 705.
Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum, who defeated a former minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Inna Ciroma, to emerge as Deputy National Chairman (North), was the candidate of Fintiri and Bala Mohammed. Damagum polled 2,222 votes to defeat Ciroma who got 365 votes.
Two former governors, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi (Kaduna) and Bukola Saraki (Kwara), a former Senate president produced two of the positions.
In Kaduna, where the position of the youth leader was zoned to, the camp of the duo of Makarfi and a former vice president, Namadi Sambo, sponsored two candidates.
PDP chieftains in Kaduna said Muhammed Kadade Suleiman, who emerged as the youth leader was sponsored by the camp of Makarfi. Suleiman (25), scored 3,072 votes to beat Usman Elkudan who got 219. El-Kudan is of Namadi’s camp.
One of the party’s stalwarts said Namadi had been far away from PDP affairs in Kaduna State hence his candidate was roundly defeated at the convention.
On his part, Saraki, one of the contenders for the presidential ticket of the party, produced the National Legal Adviser, Kamal Adeyemi Ajibade, through consensus.
A top shot of the party said the former Senate president was able to manoeuvre his way following his cordial relationship with most of the top shots of the party, including serving governors.
