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Tag: Adeniran

  • PDP chair: George, Adeniran, Adedoja intensify lobbying

    PDP chair: George, Adeniran, Adedoja intensify lobbying

    •Reps PDP Caucus to meet aspirants 

    Aspirants seeking the position of national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have intensified lobbying by taking their campaign to the doorsteps of prominent chieftains of the party for endorsement.

    The aspirants have also made inroads into the various delegate blocs across the six geopolitical zones with the view to gaining advantage over one another.

    Leading the vote-chasing shuttles are Prof Tunde Adeniran, Chief Olabode George and Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, who have visited the homes of a good number of party elders in the past few days.

    Receiving Adeniran in his Abuja residence at the weekend, one of the founding fathers of the PDP, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, described the former Education minister as a man that can be trusted with the job.

    Ciroma said he could safely judge Adeniran by his pedigree, track-record of discipline, integrity and loyalty to the course of the party and the country at large.

    The elder statesman said he had followed the politician’s career with keen interest, since his days as a lecturer at the University of Ibadan.

    He observed that Adeniran distinguished himself when he served as Secretary of the Mass Mobilisation for Self-Reliance, Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) in the 1990s.

    Those that accompanied Adeniran on the visit to Ciroma included Prof. Jerry Gana, Ibrahim Mantu, Zainab Maina, Tom Aguiyi-Ironsi among others.

    On the other hand, George also met with a number of chairmen of state chapters of the PDP at the Druz Resort and Events Centre in Abuja at the weekend.

    Describing the meeting as part of his nationwide consultations with party stakeholders, George informed the gathering of his desire to create a special platform for the purpose of mentoring the youths for leadership positions.

    According to him, it has become imperative for the older generation to initiate a credible leadership succession line for the younger generation of leaders to step in.

    On his part, Prof Adedoja visited former President Ibrahim Babangida, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and many others as part of his consultations.

    Adedoja, at the weekend, met with key party stakeholders from the Northcentral geopolitical zone and held discussions with interest groups from the Northeast and the Northwest.

    As part of his campaign strategy to sell his candidacy to delegates of Northern extraction, Adedoja has resorted to communicating with his targets in Hausa language.

    The House of Representatives’ PDP Caucus is set to meet the last batch of the party’s chairmanship aspirants tomorrow.

    The caucus, which met with the first batch on Wednesday, is to meet with former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Oyo State Governor Rasheed Ladoja, former Minister of Sports and Youth Development Prof. Taoheed Adedoja and former PDP Lagos State governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje.

  • Adeniran: PDP should restore internal democracy

    Former Education Minister Prof. Tunde Adeniran is an aspirant for the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Top on his agenda is reform. The political scientist from Ekiti State wants the party to return to the culture of internal democracy. If given the opportunity to lead the party, he says the platform will regain its glory and triumph at the next general elections. But, can Adeniran win at the convention? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines his chances. 

    The political scientist knows his onions. He is not a push over in the academia. He is a successful scholar. His record at the University of Ibadan, where he taught for 20 years, is imperishable. In politics, he is perceived as an incorruptible gentleman. As one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) founding fathers, the history of the party is on his palm. He was a major witness to the party’s rise and victories. Lamentably, Prof. Tunde Adeniran is also conversant with the circumstances surrounding its fall in the last general elections.

    All hands appear to be on deck to rebuild the party, following its rancorous convention in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital, almost two years ago. Adeniran is interested in playing a major role. He is among the contenders for the national chairman. Other chieftains eyeing the position include Commodore Olabode George (rtd), Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja and Prof. Tunde Adeniran. Party sources said Mr. Jimi Agbaje and Dr. Olusegun Mimiko may be drafted into the race by the governors.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a major challenge before it. In December, the party must hold its elective convention in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). There, the PDP National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, is expected to hand over to the new helmsman. If the party is able to hold a hitch-free convention, it would be repositioned for the 2019 challenge.

    The aspirants parade intimidating credentials. George is a former military governor of old Ondo State. He is the national deputy chairman of the party. Daniel is a two-term governor of Ogun State. Adedoja is a former Provost of College of Education, Oyo, former Commissioner for Education in Oyo State and former Minister of Sports. Agbaje is a pharmacist, businessman, former Afenifere treasurer and former governorship candidate in Lagos State. Mimiko is a former commissioner, Secretary to Government, Minister of Housing and governor of Ondo State.

    Seventy two years old Adeniran, a product of University of Ibadan and Columbia University, New York, United States, retired into politics in 1998. Since he joined the PDP, he has not looked back. He is not a serial defector. He was the governorship flag bearer in Ekiti State in 1999. But, he was defeated by Otunba Niyi Adebayo of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). To compensate him, he was appointed as Minister of Education by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Although he initiated bold reforms designed to reposition the education sector, he was removed, barely one and half years in office.

    Following his removal, the professor was in political wilderness. But, he was undaunted by political vicissitudes, full of hope for a brighter future. A source said after he was removed as minister, he resolved to abstain from the vanity of political pursuits for economic gains. Already a self-made man before becoming a minister, he promised to serve, more than before, with dignity, in any capacity that fate may entrust on him in the future. Remarkably, Adeniran is one of the few politicians in the country who served creditably as minister. There was no single allegation of corruption against him.

    In 2007, the former minister became the PDP senatorial candidate for Ekiti North. His chance at the poll was bright. Suddenly, the ticket was withdrawn from him and given to a defector from the AD, Ayo Arise. Adeniran accepted his fate with philosophical calmness. Later, he was appointed an ambassador to Germany. But, fate played a cruel joke on his ambassadorial career when he was appointed as ambassador to the United States of America. He had to forfeit the post, although he did not commit any infraction. He returned home as a party elder. He showed interest in the national secretary, but without success. Yet, he forged ahead in playing reconciliatory roles during the party’s protracted leadership crisis.

    The supporters of Adeniran believe that he is the best candidate for the job of national chairman at this critical time. The eminent scholar is not leaving anything to chance. He is mobilizing ahead of the convention. During a live television programme recently, he unfolded his agenda for the party. Adeniran described himself as the most qualified candidate, although he paid tribute to his rivals. He has mounted a robust campaign of ideas and issues, instead of character assassination. To him, all the members of the party are critical to the survival of the troubled platform. What is required and desirable, in his view, is a competent, dynamic, courageous, honest and trustworthy leadership.

    Adeniran lamented that the culture of imposition had created crisis for the PDP in the past, urging party leaders to return the party to the path of internal democracy. He clarified that party leaders, including governors, are culpable. The first reform he promised to embark upon is to strengthen participation in elective processes through the abolition of imposition of candidates during electioneering. To achieve the reform, he said the stalwarts should demonstrate the readiness. “We must restore internal democracy. We must do away with imposition,” he emphasized.

    Adeniran has wider ideas about national governance. In the past, he has contributed to the debate on party system, democracy and good governance. On restructuring, he said it is achievable, if the stakeholders understand the concept. He frowned at the misconceptions about restructuring, giving an example of how it can be accomplished in the education sector. “I don’t understand why governors should earn a uniform salary. The states are not the same, in terms of its size, endowment, resources and challenges. I don’t know vice chancellors, deans, professors and lecturers should also earn the same salaries,” he said.

    Adeniran is a politician without a dent. His asset is his power of ideas and creativity. The septuagenarian is full of wisdom and experience. He has the temperament, candour, sense of honour, and integrity. A Lagos PDP chieftain, Chief Olayinka Amos, described him as the best for the position. But, how far can he go in his ambition?

    Likely PDP presidential aspirants-Gombe State Ibrahim Dankwambo, Makarfi, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and others who may defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) – are showing keen interest in the PDP convention. They have the influence to tilt the pendulum of victory? Will they endorse Adeniran.

    Also, the PDP Governors’ Forum has its own agenda. It is an influential bloc in the opposition party. Usually, governors always gravitated towards one of their own during the chairmanship contest. There is no evidence that Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has endorsed the ambition of his kinsman. Already, Wike and Fayose have rejected George’s aspiration, saying that he is an old man. George and Adeniran are in the same age bracket. Will other governors mobilise delegates from their states to queue behind the highly cerebral professor?

    Adeniran belongs to the class of founding fathers of the PDP. Will these party elders adopt him as their candidate? How much of influence do they command in the party that had sidelined them?

    Adeniran cannot rely on his track records in academic, politics and public service alone to survive at the convention. Some chieftains fear his intellectual arsenal. Those afraid of reforms and party restructuring may throw up a formidable opposition.  He has to lobby, persuade and convince those opposing him, especially the Governors’ Forum. Charity begins at home. He should get home support; in Ekiti and Southwest; before targeting the votes of other geo-political zones.

    Adeniran should be a pride to the PDP. He was a member of the University of Ibadan Senate for 15 years. He also coordinated many programmes in the institution. Between 1980 and 1981, he was the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in UI. He was also the Sub-Dean, Post Graduate, Faculty of Social Sciences and Head of Department of Political Science (1994 to 1997).

    The scholar was a member of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry (Justice Ibidapo-Obe Panel) into the Ife/Modakeke crisis (1981); Ondo State Local Government Review and Reorganisation Committee, led by Justice Akintan (1982); Ondo State Economic Advisory Council (1980-1983); Advisory Committee on Foreign Affairs (1983-1985); Political Bureau (1996-1997). He was also a member of the Nigerian Delegation to the $0th Session of the United Nations (1985); Director, Directorate for Social Mobilisation  and Economic Recovery (MAMSER, 1987-1992); Chairman, MAMSER (1993); and member, Committee on Nigerian National Defence Policy for 2000 (1997).

    A Knight of Jogn Wesley, Adeniran is a receipient of the Ekiti Parapo Merit Award for 1996, Ambassador of Peace/Gold Medal Award for leadership (1998), American Medal of Honour (2001) and Distinguished Fellow of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (2002).

  • George, Daniel, Adeniran: Who becomes PDP chairman?

    George, Daniel, Adeniran: Who becomes PDP chairman?

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is warming up for an elective convention. Three stalwarts-Chief Olabode George, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Prof. Tunde Adeniran-are in the race for the national chairman. Who succeeds Senator Ahmed Makarfi? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the contenders.

    The National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for December is critical to the future of the opposition party. The decision to hold the national congress was taken at the last non-elective convention in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the botched convention in Port-Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

    At the convention, a new national chairman will be elected. Already, three stalwarts are itching to succeed Caretaker Chairman Ahmed Makarfi, whose tenure will expire at the convention. They are former Deputy National Chairman Olabode George, former Ogun State Governor Olugbenga Daniel and former Minister of Education Prof. Tunde Adeniran.

    The implication of their ambitions is that the party has zoned the slot to the Southwest, following the zoning of the presidential ticket to the North. A source said the Southeast and Southsouth was asked to concede the slot to the Southwest in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice. No PDP chieftain from the Southwest has served as national chairman of the party since its inception in 1998/99. Two Southeast politicians-Prince Vincent Ogbulafor and Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo-were national chairmen, although their tenures were crisis-ridden. Chief Uche Secondus from the Southsouth served as Acting Chairman.  The party believes that the slot should not return to the region that has recently produced Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as president for six years.

    However, Southsouth PDP members are still at liberty to join the race in defiance of zoning, reminiscent of when Chief Raymond Dokpesi entered the race, ahead of the rancorous Port-Harcourt convention.

    Sources said former Lagos State PDP governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje may not vie for the position, following the re-alignment of forces. In the Southwest, zoning within zoning, between Lagos/Ogun/Oyo and Ondo/Osun/Ekiti may have also been jettisoned. George is from Lagos, Daniel is from Ogun and Adeniran is from Ekiti.

    Recently, former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who was being drafted into the race by few governors, rejected the entreaties, saying that he could not slug it out with George. It is not clear, if the governors have now shifted to Daniel. But, the three aspirants are not likely to do the bidding of either the PDP Governors’ Forum or any powerful bloc in the party. The three contenders are individually independent-minded.

    Challenges

    Many challenges will confront the PDP under the leadership that will be elected in December. The first is the challenge of reconciliation and harmonization. Already, Makarfi and prominent party leaders are on tour of the six geo-political zones to appeal to lukewarm founding fathers who were edged out in the past to return to the fold. The onus is on the post-National Caretaker Committee-chairman to complete the task.

    The second is the challenge of fielding a nationally acceptable presidential candidate who will match President Muhammadu Buhari or a flag bearer that will replace him, if he decides not to contest. Already, eyes are on Makarfi, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo, Turakin Adamawa former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is likely to retrace his steps from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP, and Gen. Aliyu Gusau. Those interested in being running mate are Senator Ben Obi, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose. These presidential aspirants are interested in who becomes the national chairman.

    The PDP has an agenda. The party wants to bounce back in 2019. It is a big challenge. The third challenge, therefore, is that of repackaging the leading opposition party for the presidential contest. The next national chairman is expected to lead the party to victory.

    A source disclosed that the three aspirants have swung into action, although more contenders are still likely to join the race.

    George:

    The retired navy commodore joined the party at its inception. Since then, he has not looked back. For 10 years, he worked at the party secretariat as Vice Chairman (Southwest), National Deputy Chairman and Director-General of Presidential Campaigns. George has experience. He is mature, courageous and hardworking. He is a former military of Ondo State. He studied Engineering at the University of Lagos, Akoka. He also holds a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration. George was an ally of the first PDP president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Despite the crisis that has rocked the PDP, George has never considered the option of defection. In Lagos, he is the party leader, who has contributed to the chapter’s efforts to capture power, but without success. During the crisis, he convened many reconciliation meetings in the Southwest and was always preaching harmonization, unity and stability. He has served on many critical party committees set up to move the platform forward in the last 17 years. Apart from being endorsed by many important party leaders in the Southwest, his strength also lays in the support of many Northern delegates for his chairmanship ambition. When some governors were projecting Agbaje to the Northern Caucus, old party members insisted on George’s candidature.

    Many founding fathers of the party recalled that in 2003, George worked assiduously for the victory of the party in the Southwest where it won five of the six states. They believe that he is conversant with the problems confronting the party and how to mobilise stakeholders to resolve them.

    George has a vision for the PDP. In a previous interview, he said the party should strengthen its crisis resolution mechanism to nip in the bud the division and factionalisation that often tore apart the platform. He also said the party should devise a way of funding the party through financial contributions by card-carrying members, admirers and followers, instead of relying exclusively on certain blocs for funding.

    George’s associates have set up a campaign organisation. They are holding consultations with party leaders across the six geo-political zones. George is a household name in the PDP. However, Fayose and Wike had objected to his candidature, saying that a younger person would be preferred. A party elder, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, however, disagreed with them, saying that George will be a good chairman. “PDP will regain its voice with Bode George as national chairman,” the former Minister of Transport and Aviation said, adding that he tested, trusted, proven and responsible. Extolling his qualities, Babatope said his contribution to the Ile-Ife/Modakeke peace efforts made the Ooni of Ife, the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade to confer on him the title of Atona Oodua.

    “This is not the time for trial and error. This is not the time for crude, illogical experimentation. We dare not fail. We dare not falter. We dare not make a wrong move. Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George is the right choice for our party now at this challenging time,” he stressed.

    George is a loyal and committed stalwart. As a party elder, he is consistent and predictable. He has spearheaded efforts to woo credible Lagosians into the Lagos chapter. However, many expect George to work harder to put his house in order. He has the time and skill to unite the party in Lagos and guide its congress to produce a state executive committee that will foster cohesion and cement the unity.

    Daniel:

    Daniel’s name has been associated with the PDP in Ogun State since 2003 when he won the governorship election. He served as governor for eight years. However, his administration was full of tension when his tenure was about to expire. Having fallen out with Obasanjo, the party machinery slipped away from his control. In that frustrating situation, a succession crisis engulfed his administration. Although his anointed candidate was Gboyega Nosiru, former President Obasanjo preferred Gen. Idowu Olurin. The former governor directed his followers to encamp in the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). He could not hand over to his preferred choice. At that time, it was evident that Daniel had left the PDP.

    However, after the 2011 elections, prominent party leaders pleaded with him to return to the fold. When he returned, his bid for the Senate was scuttled by Senator Buruji Kashamu, ahead of the primary. He opted out of the race. But, whether as a politician or a businessman, Daniel has not been off the radar. Daniel is a successful businessman. Those supporting his bid have not publicly endorsed him. The PDP chapter in his native Ogun State is still a divided house. Three factions are locked in battle for the control of the chapter. There is no valid state executive committee on ground.

    Adeniran:

    A scholar of repute, Adeniran is an eminent professor of Political Science. He retired from the University of Ibadan. He was a prominent union leader as a university teacher. Adeniran was a member of the Political Bureau. He was a MAMSER Executive Director. In 1999, he lost to Otunba Niyi Adebayo during the governorship election. He was Minister of Education for almost two years. Adeniran also serves as Ambassador to Germany. At a time, he was directed by the party to surrender his senatorial ticket to a defector. He complied without complaint. His diplomatic career was aborted in United States.

    It is possible that Adeniran has the support of few radical elements in the PDP. But, he does not have home support as Fayose and those in his camp in Ekiti are not supporting his bid.

     

     

     

  • Adeniran urges delegates to vote for credible candidates

    Adeniran urges delegates to vote for credible candidates

    As members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) converge on Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Wednesday to elect a new national executive, a chairmanship aspirant and former Minister of Education, Prof.  Tunde Adeniran, has urged delegates to the convention to consider his unblemished record of public service and unbroken years of worthy service to the party in making their decision about who occupies the exalted seat of the National Chairman of the party.

    He said the PDP requires a leader who has no personal baggage at this point in time to be able to function effectively in opposition and upstage the ruling party in the various elections leading to the 2019 general poll.

    The former Ambassador to Germany, who is a founding member of the PDP, said: “Our party has gone through various crises since the 2015 general election. For us to be able to challenge the party-in-power, we must have a leadership that will not be bogged down and distracted by issues unrelated to the party, which will not enable us put the government on its toes and win converts to our party.”

    In a statement by his media aide, Yemi Akinbode, Adeniran reiterated his determination to work towards forging unity among the various groups within the party, promising to utilise his requisite qualification to achieve a united front, given the mutual respect he enjoyed across the membership of the party, including its current and past leaders.

    The chairmanship aspirant called on delegates to choose wisely and put their trust in the most credible aspirants. He said: “We‘re set again to make history and posterity will judge whatever we do today. I believe in democratic ideals where equal opportunity is given to everyone at all times. I therefore enjoin our delegates to shun any act that can put the unity of our party in jeopardy. We should vote for the most credible person and reject any consensus candidate.”

    Prof Adeniran who has received the endorsement of several party leaders across the six geo-political zones said that he was determined to tackle the major malaise with the party, which he identified as lack of internal democracy, disorientation and the ugly image acquired as a result of commission and omission on the part of the leadership.

  • PDP’s unity is my priority, declares Adeniran

    PDP’s unity is my priority, declares Adeniran

    As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for its August 17 National Convent, a leading National Chairmanship aspirant, Prof. Tunde Adeniran has said that his major mission was to forge unity among the various groups within the party.

    He said that he had the requisite qualification to achieve that goal given the mutual respect he enjoyed across the membership of the party, including its current and past leaders.

    Speaking through his media aide, Yemi Akinbode, the former Minister of Education said it was because of the bridges he had built across all the party’s divides that eminent citizens of the country from part of the country had backed his candidacy.

    His words: “I am a friend of all, leaders and followers. I don’t have enemies. The truth is that when they have nothing to say, my warm relationships with eminent Nigerians become the story.”

    Prof. Adeniran also hinted of a strong move by PDP leaders in the southwest to unite and collectively demand that the National Chairmanship be formally zoned to the region.

    According to him, the southwest party leaders “want the zoning committee meeting in Port Harcourt to bear in mind that equity and justice demand nothing less than a southwest National Chairmanship of the PDP.”

    He said the other zones in the south should concede the National Chairmanship to the southwest, being the only zone yet to lead the party; adding that many party leaders in the southeast had already backed the southwest for the position. The southeast had in the past thrown up several National Chairmen for the party.

    Prof Adeniran, a founding member of the PDP, recalled that the south-south recently produced the President for the country and also led the party as acting national chairman until recently.

    “We have had a long period of acting national chairmanship and the occupant of that office was from the south-south after serving as deputy national chairman for a long time,” he explained, adding: “So looking at the equation, even our brothers from the southeast, many of them believe the chairmanship should go to the southwest. But for the sake of robust politics whoever is interested can come out and at the end we are all brothers and sisters. When they see that the majority has taken a position that it should go to the southwest, they will key into it and the national chairman will be Tunde Adeniran.”

    Prof Adeniran, who has received the endorsement of several party leaders across the six geo-political zones, said that he was determined to tackle the major malaise with the party, which he identified as lack of internal democracy, disorientation and the ugly image acquired as a result of commission and omission on the part of the leadership.

    He further said: “We believe that there is the need at this point to restore the dignity of the party and broaden the base of participation so that there will be inclusiveness and quality leadership. We have decided to come in so that we will leave a worthy legacy.  The PDP was turned virtually into an electoral vehicle; a vehicle that you all get elected into a particular position or get appointment into a particular office without really performing the oath of the office. We have to check that.”

    On the reported interest of PDP southwest members in the Vice Presidency in 2019, the former Ambassador to Germany said that that should not distract the zone from producing the National Chairman at this time. He said he would not be a sit-tight National Chairman as he would be willing to relinquish his position in the interest of the party.

    He explained: “As far as I am concerned the motivation for aspiring for this office is service and when you are serving people, you have to be directed. If by any reason the party decides that it will go another direction, why should I say I want to sit tight on anything? That has been the bane of our politics in this part of the world. People must be ready to make sacrifices and bear in mind the very essence of service.”