The women of the Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Great Ilasa Area branch have celebrated the 14th edition of their yearly convention in Lagos.
With the guidance of members of its Executive Council, the women in attendance discussed issues concerning the welfare, advancement and participation of women in leadership at various levels.
Democratic presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders says the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and his push to make the party more inclusive could get “messy” but asserts in an interview with The Associated Press: “Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle.”
The Vermont senator, campaigning Monday ahead of California’s primary against Hillary Clinton, said his supporters hope the party will adopt a platform at the summer convention that reflects the needs of working families, the poor and young people, not Wall Street and corporate America.
Sanders said he will “condemn any and all forms of violence” but his campaign was welcoming political newcomers and first-time attendees of party conventions.
He said the Democratic Party faces a choice of becoming more inclusive or maintaining the status quo.
”I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it’s going to be messy,” Sanders said.
”Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go.”
Asked if the convention could be problematical, Sanders said: “So what? Democracy is messy. Everyday my life is messy. But if you want everything to be quiet and orderly and allow, you know, just things to proceed without vigorous debate, that is not what democracy is about.”
Sanders is vying for support ahead of California’s June 7 primary, a day that also includes contests in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota. Clinton has 271 more pledged delegates than Sanders and is just 90 delegates shy of clinching the nomination when the total includes superdelegates, the party officials and elected leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.
The parallel conventions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have ended in a fiasco. With the emergence of three interim leaders, the opposition party is more divided. BISI OLANIYI writes on the implications of the crisis for the PDP’s future.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened at the weekend, with the parallel conventions in Port Harcourt and Abuja. The Abuja convention produced Senator Ibrahim Mantu as interim leader while the Port Harcourt convention ended abruptly with two chairmen, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi; thereby throwing the party into a deeper crisis.
The question on the lips of many observers now is, where does the PDP go from here? Before Saturday’s convention scheduled for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the idea of Sheriff continuing as the leader of the party had divided the party, prompting the group that describes itself as the Concerned PDP Stakeholders to plan a parallel convention to take place in Abuja, the federal capita territory (FCT). According to reports, the Abuja convention ended after two hours, with the setting up of a 56-member Steering Committee co-chaired by former Deputy Senate President, Mantu, and former Education Minister, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, while former Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana, who was the interim leader of the group, retained his position of National Coordinator. In compliance with court orders, the Gana-led group decided to shelve the election of party officers.
Sensing that their backing of Sheriff to continue as National Chairman was no longer feasible, the 12 governors elected on the platform of the party met before the convention was billed to commence and decided to withdraw their support for the former governor of Borno State. The governors backed out and came up with the idea of the seven-member Caretaker Committee headed by Makarfi. To assist Makarfi as National Secretary is a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Ben Obi. Other members of the committee are: Sen. Odion Ugbesie, Sen. Abdul Ningi, Mr. Kabir Usman, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye and Alhaja Aisha Aliyu. The Makarfi-led committee is expected to pilot the affairs of the party for three months.
The Port Harcourt convention ended abruptly, with a question mark hanging over the decisions arrived at by major stakeholders of the party. For instance, the dissolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and other decisions arrived at the botched convention is being challenged by Sheriff. He said no convention of the party took place in Port Harcourt, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not monitor the exercise. Sheriff, it is said, enjoys the backing of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT). Reacting to the emergence of a new interim leader and a Caretaker Committee, the former governor of Borno State said he would remain in office until all the court cases which led to the cancellation of the planned national convention are resolved. He insisted that his only reason was because INEC had declined to monitor the election.
He said: “We are confronted with a lot of challenges; the challenges are mostly court cases to stop our convention from taking place. After seeing the challenges confronting our party, taking into account the decision of INEC not to supervise the elections to the offices of chairman, secretary and other offices, based on the order of the court, we do hereby put off the national convention of our party. We have suspended it until when all the court cases are resolved. The issues are so many; we have three different court cases.”
Interestingly, the Concerned PDP Stakeholders have also reacted to the emergence of the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee. The group said the setting up of the committee was a violation of the party’s constitution. It said the PDP’s BoT should be allowed to run affairs of the party pending the conduct of an acceptable national convention. This has further thrown the party into confusion.
An indication that all was not well with the party emerged when the Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, Wike, invited reporters to the Government House, Port Harcourt on May 19 for a news conference, scheduled for 2 p.m., but was postponed till next day, after they had waited for several hours.
The reporters returned to the seat of power in the Garden City for the 12 noon news conference the following day, but had to wait again till late in the evening before the event eventually kicked off.
Wike was accompanied by the Secretary of the national convention planning committee, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State; the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel and his counterpart of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, as well as the Senate Minority Leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio and other leaders of the party.
The Rivers governor insisted that there is one convention holding on May 21, which is the one in Port Harcourt, and warned that the party would not tolerate indiscipline.
He also disclosed that the opposition party had filed a motion for stay of execution of the “fraudulent” court order stopping the election of the chairman, secretary and auditor of the party, granted by a Federal High Court in Lagos, stating that the PDP had also appealed the order.
He said: “The PDP’s 2016 National Convention, scheduled by the National Executive Committee (NEC), which is the highest decision-making organ of the party, slated the convention for Port Harcourt on May 21, 2016. We want to assure you that by the grace of God, the convention will be taking place.
“You may have heard of people who said they want to hold a parallel convention. The law is clear. The constitution of the party is clear. We want everybody to be together, to work as a party, but in doing that, we must not allow indiscipline.
“The PDP’s constitution recognises the National Working Committee (NWC), caucuses of the party, Board of Trustees (BoT), the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Governors’ Forum. All these bodies met, before the NEC of the party took the decision that the convention of the party will take place in Port Harcourt.
“Every governor of the platform of PDP in the 12 states that we control, the Deputy Senate President (Senator Ike Ekweremadu), Senate Minority Leader (Senator Godswill Akpabio), House of Representatives’ Minority Leader (Leo Ogor), Chairman of the BoT (Senator Walid Jibrin), Chairman of the party (Alhaji Ali-Modu Sheriff) are all in Port Harcourt.
“Every organ, as far as this party is concerned, is in Port Harcourt. When these organs that represent the party, as allowed by the constitution, are in Port Harcourt, which other organ will go and hold parallel convention. So, there is only one convention. INEC has said it will monitor the convention in Port Harcourt.
“We believe that those who say they want to conduct parallel convention are our people. We cannot say we will throw them away. They will still be part of us. Obviously, when key decisions are taken, some people may be aggrieved, one way or the other. You do not say because they are aggrieved, then you will throw them away. The PDP is still one.”
Wike also maintained that the PDP was not disobeying any court order, with regards to the decision to go ahead with the convention.
He said: “You may also have heard that there are court judgments. In one of the orders said to be purportedly given, they said Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, went to court, to say that there should not be convention. The chairman has clarified that it is not correct; that he never went to court. How would he go to court? People went and impersonated that he instructed them to go to court. He has written a letter to that effect, to say that it is not correct. However, a court order is a court order.
“In consultation with our legal team, we have filed a motion for stay of execution and appeal. It is clear that when you are challenging the decision of the court, when it is a declarative judgment, when an order is made and a party takes step instantly, by filing a motion for stay of execution and file appeal, that party cannot be held to be disobeying the court order. Assuming there was such a court order, we are challenging that even the court order was fraudulent, because the judge may not have known that it was not the party chairman that came to court.
“There was also another judgment from the Abuja High Court, if we are not law abiding, the court said there should be election for the positions of chairman and two positions (secretary and auditor), but for the 16 NWC members, there should not be elections. These are courts of coordinate jurisdiction. That means conflict of judgments. As law-abiding party, we have taken necessary steps to making sure that the right thing is done. We have filed for a stay of execution of that order/judgment. We have also filed an appeal.”
The parallel convention in Abuja, which commenced at10 a.m., was rounded off at 12 noon.
In compliance with court orders, the Gana-led group decided to shelve the election of party officers, while describing the Makarfi-led group as illegal and unconstitutional, stressing that only the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party could take over the affairs of the party, in case of a vacuum.
The Port Harcourt convention was fixed for 10 a.m. at the Sharks Stadium in the old Port Harcourt Township, popularly called Town, but the programme could not commence until 3:03 p.m., in view of the emergency coup the 12 PDP governors and some leaders of the party earlier planned at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The coup was against Sheriff. The zoning policy of national offices was also set aside at the national convention in the Garden City, while the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019 was equally zoned to the Northern states of Nigeria.
Sheriff, however, addressed reporters from 1:50 p.m. at the Le Méridien Hotel, new Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, where he announced the cancellation of the Port Harcourt’s convention, but the 12 PDP governors and other leaders of the party simply ignored him.
Sheriff maintained that he remained the chairman of the PDP till 2018 and later described the going ahead with Port Harcourt convention, in spite of his unilateral directive and the emergence of Makarfi as caretaker chairman of the party as illegal and a charade.
Meanwhile, Makarfi in his acceptance speech, assured that he and the six other members of the national caretaker committee, who would be in office for 90 days to conduct another national convention and congresses, where necessary, would rebuild PDP, while urging the aggrieved members of the party to give peace a chance
Makarfi said: “Until this very moment (Saturday evening), the bag I came to Port Harcourt with is still in the car. I have just arrived. I learnt there was a meeting holding and I did not want to be late. I rushed to Government House, Port Harcourt. I could not see the governor (Wike) to ask him for accommodation even and as I sat down, people started approaching me and asked: how do we get out of this? If you are called upon to serve, will you be willing and ready to serve?
“What I said was that if it was in the course of the unity of our party (PDP), progress of our country, no matter the kind of job I am asked to do, once it is a legitimate job, I would offer myself to do the job.
“I humbly accept this challenge. I said so on behalf of other members of the committee. We were nominated based on trust. I assure you, you will have no cause to worry. None of us is seeking for any office. We are here to serve our party. We are here to bring about unity in our party.
“I call upon all aggrieved party men and women, please give peace a chance and give us a chance. So that we will rebuild our party to be the one that will give hope and will continue to give hope, not only to Nigerians, but to Africans and the black race, wherever they may be. It is not time for long speech. It is time to get to work. I thank all of you for reposing confidence in us. We shall not fail you.”
Following the depth of disagreements at the state congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s elders made moves to save the party ahead its national convention, but it seems that has not yielded any positive result, report Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu and Assistant Editor, Gbade Ogunwale in Abuja
Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other concerned stakeholders have expressed fears that the party’s inability to resolve the leadership crisis in many of its state chapters before they held the state congresses is threatening to make a mince meat of the party’s forthcoming national convention.
As a result, a number of vested groups and interests within the party have called on the leadership to put the exercise on hold. The party’s recent ward and state congresses held across the federation were marred by irregularities, imposition of candidates and underhand dealings that triggered protests in many states. A number of prominent groups and chieftains had dissociated themselves from the congresses in their various states. They have called for the cancellation of the flawed congresses and the setting in motion of machinery for the conduct of fresh ones. The various groups have also demanded a postponement of the national convention.
Among the protesting groups is the Concerned PDP Group, led by the immediate past Governor of Niger state, Dr. Babangida Aliyu. The Aliyu group also condemned developments within the party, particularly the process that led to the zoning of the party’s chairmanship position to the Northeast geopolitical zone.
After a marathon meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the group said among others that the party was gradually sliding down the valley owing to manipulation by the various organs at the national level. Aliyu had said, “Furthermore, the current zoning formula for the position of National Chairman as adopted by only one-third of the National Executive Committee (NEC) is inconsistent with the original PDP principles. In consonance therefore, the group unanimously resolved as follows; call for the postponement of the national convention and appeal to the leadership of the party to revisit these fundamental issues to enable the party to organise and conduct a more cohesive and acceptable national convention to avert the situation whereby aggrieved members may be compelled to organise parallel congress/convention. Other members of the group are Senator Bala Mohammed, Mrs. Zainab Maina, Mr. John Odey, Dr. Sulaiman Abubakar, Capt. Hassan Mohammed (rtd), Saidu Ndako Idris, Dr Bolere Ketebu and Hon. Kaulaha Aliyu.
Similarly, another group of Northern elders led by a former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana has also joined the call for the postponement of the convention. The group argued that the postponement would allow for reconciliation by the army of aggrieved party members. The Gana group however, is insisting that the present members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should vacate their seats on May 21, when their extended tenure is expected to expire. The elders decried what they described as the entrenched culture of impunity by the Sheriff-led leadership of the PDP, insisting that the party must shun these vices to enable it achieve stability and the vision of its founding fathers. They also faulted the proposed amendment of the party’s constitution, saying it was a clear violation of the provisions of the PDP constitution. Some notable members of the Gana-led Northern Elders also include a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu; a former Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri; and a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, among others. The dissenting groups have been able to attract a pocket of followers in the six geopolitical zones. But acquiring the required financial muscle to fight the Sheriff camp has become a huge challenge, thus making possible the confusion that trailed the party’s state congresses.
In Kwara State for example, aggrieved party members protested against the way the state congress was conducted.
The bone of contention was whether the incumbent executive of the party, led by Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, should be allowed to return unopposed, or whether proper elections would hold to elect new leadership for the party. On this issue members were sharply divided between aggrieved members of the party led by Senator Ayinla Folorunsho, who vowed to resist affirmation and the group loyal to the state chairman of the party, Iyiola Oyedepo, who were accused taking every step to scuttle the process of injecting new blood into the executive of the party.
The Ogun State case is even more worrisome. Here, three executive chairmen emerged during the week as three factions conducted separate congresses.
They include Bayo Dayo, who was re-elected chairman for the second term in the congress conducted by the Senator Buruji Kashamu group; Sikirulai Ogundele, who emerged chairman in the congress conducted by the camp of the House of Representatives member, Ladi Adebutu; and Wale Egunleti, who emerged chairman in a congress conducted by the faction loyal to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.
As close observers predicted, Anambra State also recorded parallel congresses during the week. Reports said there was confusion where the PDP faction loyal to Senators Andy Uba, Stella Odua held its congress.
In that congress, positions were filled by voice votes except that of Ken Emeakayi, who was retained as the chairman.
Confusion however burst when one of the candidates presented a court order to the chairman of the congress committee, Ladi Edun, disqualifying Ngozi Agudosi and Emeka Small.
The faction led by Chief Chris Uba, conducted its congress at Emmaus House, electing Oguebego as Chairman.
Until this weekend, both Oguebego and Emeakayi are still laying claims to being the authentic state chairman of the party, as each claims his faction was the group recognised by the National Working Committee (NWC).
In Ekiti State, two chairmen emerged following two parallel congresses held in Ado-Ekiti, during the week.
While the group loyal to the governor, Ayo Fayose, produced Gboyega Oguntuase as the State Chairman, the faction opposed to the governor elected Williams Ajayi as the State Chairman.
Other states where the confusion also became pronounced during the week included Kebbi and Niger.
In Niger State, the exercise was also interrupted by protests as delegates accused former governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulkhadir Kure, of hijacking congress materials.
Alhaji Abdulrahaman Enagi, former chairman of the party in the state, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, accused Kure of not allowing other contestants to collect nomination forms.
Although Kure denied the allegation, saying there was no way he could be in position of the documents expected to be with the National Monitoring Committee, the development put a serious question mark on the credibility of the exercise in the state.
In Kebbi, the state congress was deadlocked as two factions of the party failed to elect their leaders.
Eye witness reports confirmed that the factions conducted the elections without the supervision of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Election Committee from Abuja.
These disagreements notwithstanding, we gathered that the PDP is finally set to hold the party’s national convention on Saturday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. But it seems the party is going into the convention as a divided house.
Make or mar convention
Amid the protests, the leadership of the party has resolved to go ahead with the convention, with or without participation of the various dissenting groups. Already, the National Executive Committee (NEC) had proposed a meeting for Gombe, in Gombe State anytime in the week to effect and ratify amendment to the party’s constitution. The amendment and ratification are said to be in line with the recommendations in the report submitted by the Post Election Review Committee, headed by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu. However, some of the recommendations contained in the Ekweremadu committee report are believed to have been tinkered with by the party leadership.
The Board of Trustees (BoT), an advisory body that is meant to serve as the conscience of the party, has been castrated, with its key members aligning with different camps. The various national caucuses, particularly the National Assembly caucus, have thrown their weight behind Sheriff. Traditionally, the BoT and the Caucuses are supposed to meet separately before any meeting of the NEC can hold. But the proposed NEC meeting in Gombe will likely hold without prior meetings of the BoT and the caucuses. Similarly, the last NEC meeting, which was convened on April 27, was held without any input by the BoT and the caucuses. An earlier meeting of the BoT proposed for Monday, April 27, was called off without explanations. Acting Chairman of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, who was to chair the meeting, had in a text message to our correspondent, cited health challenges for calling off the meeting. The governor’s elected on the platform of the PDP are also favourably disposed to the Sheriff camp. Even as the date of the convention draws nigh, divisions have continued to widen in the six zonal chapters of the party. A federal High Court in Lagos had on Thursday, halted the zonal congress in the South-West. Two factions were gearing up for the convention at two different locations. While the Buruji Kashamu-led faction had slated its own convention for Ijebu Igbo, in Ogun state, the faction led by the Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko was to have held its separate congress in Akure, the state capital. Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladipo and the National Auditor, Adewole Adeyanju, confirmed that the party had received the court papers. According to them, the party would respect the order of the court pending the determination of the suit.
Candidates yet to emerge
Strangely, barely a week to the convention, aspirants for the 18 national offices are yet to emerge. So far, there is no record of collection of nomination forms by aspirants. Also, besides Sheriff, there seems to be no other aspirant for the chairmanship position up till now. Party officials have tactically evaded questions on preparations for the convention and the number of aspirants for the various positions. But a party source confided in The Nation on Friday that there is only one nomination form for each of the available positions. The leadership of the party has kept the identities of the aspirants a top secret. Even Sheriff’s aspiration is being kept under wraps, as neither he nor his backers have owned up to his intention to stay put in office.
Sheriff to take over from Sheriff?
From all indications, the PDP Port Harcourt Convention, if it holds at all, is meant to be a mere coronation exercise. The party leadership appears desperate to pull the convention through by all means. The reason is that there would be no basis for the continued stay in office of the national officers beyond May 21 when their tenure will be deemed to have expired. The identities of 17 other incoming national party officers will only be known at the convention ground. As for the chairmanship position, it seems it will be a case of Sheriff taking over from Sheriff.
SOME Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains will in Abuja today, protest Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s chairmanship bid.
The chieftains, who are from the Northcentral, Notheast, Southwest and Southeast, are expected to take a position on the zoning crisis that has polarised the party in the last one month
Sources said the meeting will be attended by former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, former Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana, former National Secretary and Transport Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, and former National Deputy Chairman, Chief Olabode George.
The leaders have criticised Sheriff for proposing a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for Gombe State, contrary to the tradition in the party that the NEC meeting should hold in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
A party source said: “Concerned party leaders from the six zones are disturbed by the new zoning arrangement foisted in the PDP because of the ambition of the acting chairman. PDP leaders from the North want the zoning of President to the North. But, we are also careful. The zoning of the chairman to the North may be interpreted as an attempt to marginalise the South.
“That is what will be discussed by these stakeholders in Abuja. The consensus of opinion among the party elders, especially the founding members of the PDP, is that Senator Modu Sheriff cannot give the party a new leadership and a new direction at this trying time. If he insists, there may be a bigger crisis. If he says he will contest the chairman at the convention, there may be a parallel convention.”
Northern elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have lent their voice to calls for the postponement of the party’s national convention slated for May 21.
The elders group, led by a former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, which arrived at the decision at a meeting in Abuja last night, said the postponement would allow for reconciliation by army of aggrieved members.
Another group, led by the immediate past Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu had earlier made a similar call, citing flaws in the ongoing congresses across the various states.
The Gana group however, have insisted that the present members of the National Working Committee (NWC) should vacate their seats on May 21, when their extended tenure is expected to expire.
The elders decries the entrenched culture of impunity and imposition by the present leadership of the PDP, insisting that the party must shun these vices to enable it achieve stability and the vision of its founding fathers.
They also faulted the proposed amendment of the party’s constitution, saying it was a violation of the PDP constitution.
The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had proposed a meeting for Wednesday to amend the constitution, in line with the recommendation of its Post -Election Review Committee headed by Deputy President Senate Ike Ekweremadu.
Some members of the Northern elders said to have attended the meeting included a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu; a former Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri; Dr. Babangida Aliyu; and a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak among others.
As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for its May 21 National Convention, Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports on the intrigues and some of the candidates
Recently, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after a long period of speculations, finally released an adjusted timetable for its congresses and national convention. The move put to rest worries as to whether the convention will go on as earlier scheduled. With a note of finality, Chief Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the party, declared that the new timetable supersedes the former timetable released by the party.
In the new timetable, the national convention of the party, where a new National Chairman is expected to emerge, will now hold on Saturday, May 21, 2016. Earlier slated for March 19, 2016, the planned national convention has generated unending discussions and controversies as individuals and groups within the embattled party engaged in what pundits have described as a fierce struggle for control of the party.
As part of efforts to ensure a hitch-free convention, the party also announced the composition of a zoning committee under the chairmanship of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom. The party charged the committee to put to rest the many controversies that have trailed speculations of certain positions being zoned to certain geo-political zones ahead of the convention.
Consequently, governors, members of the National Assembly and stakeholders of the party from across the country, last week, gathered in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, for the inaugural meeting of the zoning committee. According to sources at the meeting, the PDP chieftains deliberated extensively on the assignment given them by the party.
Briefing Government House Correspondents after the meeting, the Zoning Committee Chairman, Udom Emmanuel, said the assignment has been concluded and that the members were unanimous in their agreement for all the 12 National Working Committee seats to be successfully zoned to different parts of the country. He added that the decision awaits ratification by the National Executive Committee of the party.
But the zoning issue is not the only headache worrying the PDP as it plans to reorganise itself for better performance as a political party. Following the decision of the national leadership to allow for the emergence of a new substantive executive, the former ruling party had to combat numerous squabbles within its rank.
Rumpus from the West
In spite of reported consensus by chieftains and members of the party at its last meeting to abide by the decision of the zoning committee, subject to the ratification of the National Executive Committee, feelers from the South-West geo-political zone indicates a looming major crisis should the committee fail to cede the position of National Chairman to the zone.
Prior to the formation of the committee, the zone’s PDP chieftains have been undecided about what position should be reserved for the South-West. While a section of the chieftains, led by Senator Buruji Kashamu and Professor Adewale Oladipo, National Secretary of the party, opposed the zoning of the national chairmanship to the South-West, another group of chieftains has demanded that the zone should produce the next chairman of the party.
But following unconfirmed reports that the committee may have zoned the position away from the South-West, agitations have heightened in the zone as party chieftains and members warn the National Executive Committee (NEC) against endorsing any arrangement that deprives the zone of the position of National Chairman.
Already, some leading lights of the party in the South-West are threatening to dump the party en-masse should the zone be denied the opportunity of producing the next National Chairman of the party. “We took a firm position, which was that we will dump the party en masse if we get robbed again at this year’s convention,” Doyin Okupe, ex-presidential spokesperson, said.
The decision, reports claim, was taken at a stakeholders’ meeting convened last week to discuss the planned national convention. Some of the PDP leaders present at the meeting included a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Olabode George; the governorship candidate of the party in Lagos in the 2015 election, Jimi Agbaje and Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State.
Okupe, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide; former Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe and party chieftain, Bode Olajumoke, were also in attendance at the meeting where it was reportedly concluded that the South-West chapter of the party will not agree with any decision that excludes it from the national chairmanship.
“Governor Udom is a young gentleman who I believe still has a long future in Nigerian politics ahead of him,” Mr. Okupe said. “It will be unfortunate if he allowed himself to be used to relegate Yoruba people within the affairs of the party once again. The PDP has done a lot of wrongs to the Yoruba people and our position now is that they should start making amends by allowing us to present the next chairman.
“Nigerian history is replete with several instances in which the Yoruba people led the struggle for the actualisation of the minority agenda in the country; we fought for the people of South-South and the minorities in the north to have a say about the process of governance in this country, so it will be an utmost betrayal if Udom failed to let the chairmanship position come to the South-West as should be,” Okupe said.
But the South-West may have to do more than merely issuing threats if it indeed hopes to clinch the coveted seat. This is because it appears the current occupier of the seat is equally determined to remain in office beyond May 21. According to reliable sources, in spite of obvious widespread opposition to his leadership of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff has intensified effort to ensure he returns as PDP National Chairman.
Recently, the former Bornu State governor met with some former and serving governors to discuss his candidature. Amongst them is former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, who he met with at his Mandara Close, Aso Drive Abuja home. Sources say top on the list of their discussion was the PDP national convention.
Sherif also met with party chieftains from the South-West recently. The delegation, led by Senator Kashamu, reportedly pledged the support of the zone for his chairmanship ambition. So, to observers of the politics of the South-West, the PDP in the zone may be set for another round of crisis.
Governors, ex-ministers still a war
Aside the agitations from the South-West, the party will also have to battle a growing rift amongst some of its leading chieftains as it marches towards its planned convention. Today, two major power blocs within the party, namely the PDP Governors’ Forum and the PDP former Ministers Forum, are yet to agree over who should lead the party.
While the governors, backed by the current leadership of the party, are said to be working towards the return of Sheriff as National Chairman, the ex-ministers, mainly those who served with ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, have vowed not to have anything to do with a PDP under Sheriff beyond May 2016.
The governors, it would be recalled, had supported the emergence of Sheriff in acting capacity even when the ex-ministers and other notable groups within the party kicked. To douse the uproar, it was settled that the Acting Chairman would stay till May and vacate the office after the party’s convention.
“But what we have today is an attempt by a few people to force him on us. But I can assure you that we will oppose his continued stay in office beyond May 2016. As ex-ministers and stakeholders in the party, we are saying we don’t want the arrangement that will impose Sheriff on the party,” a source told The Nation.
Few days back, former ministers who served during the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party have rejected the alleged plans by Sheriff, to elongate his tenure beyond May 21, saying they are ready to work with anybody but Sheriff. The ministers, who served between 1999 and 2015 said they have resolved to oppose any attempt to keep the acting chairman in office after the convention.
In their position paper presented to the zoning committee, the ex-ministers, led by former Special Duties Minister, Saminu Turaki, proposed that Senator Sheriff and other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) be disqualified from seeking re-election at the national convention. They noted that it would give the party a new beginning.
“In order to give the party a new lease of life, it is imperative that a clause in the Guidelines for the 2016 National Convention should include a provision barring all those who have served the party, especially during the immediate past tenure of the outgoing National Working Committee members, from contesting for any office of the party under the new dispensation.”
Pundits say the disagreement between the governors and the ex-ministers over Sherif may boomerang into a serious crisis if not resolved before the convention.
The contenders
Although he is yet to formally announce his intention to seek re-election, it is public knowledge already that Acting Chairman, Senator Sheriff, is interested in remaining in office beyond May, 2016. Aside from reports that he is meeting chieftains and groups across the country to actualise his ambition, many of his supporters like Sen. Kashamu, are reportedly all over the place working towards the plan to return him as chairman.
Also in the race is a former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, who recently declared his intention to contest for the national chairmanship. Adedoja said if the PDP was based on the principle of equity and justice, opportunities should be given to all geopolitical zones of the country.
He said a “political common sense” is for the chairman to be zoned to the South, especially to the South- West in the interest of the party and Nigerians since everybody has agreed that the presidential candidate for the 2019 election should come from the North. He believed he had the capacity, the confidence, the experience, the emotional stability and the required national outlook to contest for the position of National Chairman of the PDP because of the desire to reposition the party.”
“If truly our party is desirous to win the 2019 presidential election, the South-West has eminent and qualified persons to lead our party as chairman of the party. I am one of them; I am the bridge builder, the unifying factor that will reverberate the confidence of the founding fathers of our party. The party needs a chairman who has never been a factional leader either at the local or national level; a chairman who will be acceptable to all parts of the country, a chairman who has the capacity to reach out to all members of the party across the country,” Adedoja said.
From the South-West, other names have been linked with the race for the national chairmanship of the PDP. Chiefs Olabode George and Ebenezer Babatope are two of the many names from the zone that have been dropped as possible candidates for the position should it be zoned exclusively to the South-West.
However, while Babatope is yet to comment on the matter, George has on many occasions explained that he is not interested in seeking the position but desires that the next chairman should come from the South-West.
Outside the South-West, the top contenders for the position include Senator Saidu Kumo; former governor of old Gongola State, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta; former Political Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak; Senator Paul Wampana; Ambassador Umar Damagum; former FCT Bala Mohammed, former Minister of State (Power), Mohammed Wakil and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Jalo.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is to chair the National Convention Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
His Taraba State counterpart, Mr. Dairus Ishiaku, will serve as deputy. Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi will serve as secretary.
A statement yesterday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary Chief Olisa Metuh said the committee would be inaugurated tomorrow.
There is also the Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson.
Senator Ibrahim Mantu is to serve as deputy chairman.
There is the Finance Committee, which has Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo as chairman. Senator Godswill Akpabio will serve as deputy.
The Zoning Committee has Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom as chair, and Mr. Kelechi Igwe, secretary
It said the committees would be inaugurated by National Chairman Alhaji Modu Sheriff inAbuja.
Stakeholders have been mounting pressure on the leadership to set in motion programmes for the national convention on May 21.
The pressure was a reaction to a directive by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) mandating the national chairman to set up the committees, for the purpose of conducting the convention.
The Badagry District General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Reverend Dr. Henry Ogbonnaya, has challenged churches to complement governmental efforts to empower citizens.
He said churches are not just for spiritual enrichment but also economic enhancement of citizens.
Ogbonnaya spoke last week ahead of the annual convention of the District tagged ‘Ebenezer’ slated for November 5-8.
He said the convention was borne out of the desire to impact lives, as resources persons drawn from different professional fields will be at hand to teach Nigerians on how to overcome economic challenges.
Commenting on the role expected of the Church in the polity, the cleric noted that “God mandates us to pray ceaselessly for those in positions of authority”.
The convention holds in the mornings and evenings at the Evangel College Okokomaiko, Lagos.
The Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) Man Hee Lee has appealed for the implementation of an International Convention on the Cessation of War and Achievement of World Peace.
He made the call at the 1st Annual Commemoration of September 18th World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Summit (WARP) held in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 17-19 of September.
Chairman Lee emphasized that “our future generations can inherit peace only if the international law experts do their part,” and urged them to “make good laws to make the world a better place.”
The Summit was attended by about 300 people including not only those in the various fields that had participated in the summit of the previous year but also international law experts.
In order to create an institutional framework for the realization of peace, a draft convention on the cessation of war was presented. This presentation was witnessed by the youth, women, and journalists, as each group holds an important role in achieving peace.
The Summit 2014 was attended by about 2,000 guests including former and current heads of state, religious leaders, youth, women, and journalists from around the world and its outdoor events (World Peace Walk and Pre-event) by about 30,000 people.
It was a summit of an unprecedented scale, where all participants came together and made promises that laid the foundation for world peace. Notably, former and current heads of state and religious leaders showed their determination to realize world peace by signing the Agreement to Propose the Enactment of International Law for the Cessation of Wars and World Peace and the Unity of Religions Agreement respectively.
Below are the four highlights of the summit :
1. Moving forward – International law experts modify the draft convention on the cessation of war
To fundamentally resolve international armed conflicts, HWPL invited international law experts, as suggested by Chairman Man Hee Lee, and presented the Convention on the Renunciation and Cessation of War and International Armed Conflicts, which was drafted by members of the HWPL Peace Advisory Council. Through discussion and modification by the HWPL International Law Peace Committee, the draft convention will be improved into a complete and applicable international convention. Furthermore, HWPL aims to send the final convention to heads of state around the world and have it ratified, and to go through the deliberative process of the UN so that the convention will be fully adopted and implemented. Also, it was proposed that UN agencies should monitor and oversee the enforcement of the convention by each state. The convention will include provisions on inter-religious conflict as well.
At the afternoon session of the international law conference, Chairman Lee emphasized that “our future generations can inherit peace only if the international law experts do their part,” and further requested them to “make good laws to make the world a better place.” Moved by Chairman Lee’s earnest appeal, the international law experts suggested setting a specific schedule for drafting and finalizing the convention.
1. -Launching the HWPL International Law Peace Committee
This day, twelve international law experts including Dr. Fathi Kemicha (former member of the UN International Law Commission), Prof. Ibrahim Aljazy (President of the International Law Association, Jordanian Branch, and former Minister of State for Legal Affairs of Jordan), and Prof. Enver Hasani (former President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo) were appointed as members of the HWPL International Law Peace Committee. They pledged to work together for the implementation of an international convention on the cessation of war. As the first step for this purpose, the participants discussed practical ways to draft the most essential provisions based on the draft convention that HWPL prepared in advance.
2. Inter-religious conference for resolving religious conflict
During the HWPL World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office Presentation Meeting and Religious Leaders’ Conference, the role that religious people hold in the peace movement and the current state of the religious world were addressed. The HWPL WARP Office is a gathering of religious leaders and scholars where they study religious texts and realize that peace can be achieved in the religious world only through religious unity and the answer to peace is within the Creator who gives life to this earth. To find that answer along with people of all religious backgrounds, HWPL began to hold dialogue sessions at HWPL WARP Offices for comparing religious texts. As of September 11th 2015, 104 offices have been established in 53 countries. This day’s session stressed the role and importance of religious figures in achieving world peace and further instilled in each participant a sense of responsibility and commitment to world peace through the unity of religions.
3. Establishing roles of the youth and women in the direction of the implementation process of the international convention
Chairman Lee addressed the importance of the youth and women in the implementation of the international convention on the cessation of war. He stressed that they should raise their voices to monitor the implementation process of the convention. For this purpose, the IWPG and IPYG presented the Statement to Urge for the Implementation of an International Convention on the Cessation of War, which all participants signed to strengthen their determination. A worldwide online signature campaign will be launched soon as a means of implementing and expanding the project. Ms. Nam Hee Kim, the chairwoman of the IWPG, said in her speech that, “When the ability of international law experts, heavenly wisdom of HWPL, and work of the youth and women come together, all wars on earth will be brought to an end. Along with all women of the world, members of the IWPG will support the work of international law experts.”
4. Discussing the mission of journalists for peace
A total of 17 journalists from 13 media organizations in 14 countries attended the 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit. During the press conference on the 17th and HWPL Media Forum on the 18th, they shared the publicity work they have done as HWPL Publicity Ambassadors and discussed the mission of journalists in achieving peace. The journalists in attendance, who swiftly deliver the news of peace to the world, said that issues that the media of each country face should be resolved for such good news to be spread more widely. Also, they brought up the necessity of creating various TV and radio programs to arouse the youth’s interest in peace. Furthermore, they suggested that media coverage on international law that the public can easily understand is needed.
For the 1st Annual Commemoration of the WARP Summit, high-tech filming equipment including helicopter cameras were used to broadcast historical moments where prominent leaders discussed world peace, enabling over 30,000 people in 60 countries to watch them live online. On the 19th, the last day of the event, “Inside WARP Summit,” a newsletter that introduces about the programs of the first day, was provided to each participant and delivered the news regarding the opening ceremony and each session. This event was more than just an international peace conference; it was a harmonious combination of culture and technology that took the cultural events to the next level.