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Though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced that the new members of the National Working Committee (NWC), were elected by consensus and that other contestants stepped down for the ‘winners’, insiders in the party told Sunday Trust that the new executive was the product of political horse-trading among top elders and few governors in the […]

Though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced that the new members of the National Working Committee (NWC), were elected by consensus and that other contestants stepped down for the ‘winners’, insiders in the party told Sunday Trust that the new executive was the product of political horse-trading among top elders and few governors in the party.

For instance, the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was single-handedly picked by President Goodluck Jonathan for the position, while the National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was conceded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, an action that angered close to a dozen other contenders for the job. Furthermore, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha who emerged as the National Organising Secretary of the party was picked by Vice President Namadi Sambo, in the hope that Mustapha would begin to oil Sambo’s 2015 presidential project.

Others who rode to the juicy NWC on the crest of powerful party leaders include former Aviation Minister, Mrs Kema Chikwe, who was brought in by Obasanjo; the National Legal Adviser, Barrister Victor Pam, who was nominated by the party’s first National Chairman, Chief Solomon Lar, and the 60-year-old National Youth Leader, Malam Umar Garba Chiza, was brought into that position by the governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu.  Dr Aliyu happens to be the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum. His counterpart, the Chairman of the Governors Forum, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Sunday Trust learnt, was behind the candidature of the newly elected Deputy National Chairman, Dr Sam Sam Jaja.

The impositions by the elders of the party took the wind off the sail at the national convention, as many contestants couldn’t hide their discontent with the arrangement. However, Sunday Trust learnt that many of the frontline contestants have been promised ministerial appointments in a planned cabinet reshuffle by the Jonathan administration. Others have been promised appointments into juicy boards of Federal Government’s parastatals.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that the contest for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) offices does not produce winners and losers just as he urged all party members to remain committed, and prepared to continue to work for the interest of the party and the country.

President Jonathan, whose address was read by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the 9th PDP National Convention held at Eagle Square, Abuja, congratulated party members across the country on the successful conduct of congresses from the ward to the state and zonal levels.

“We are all winners because our primary interest is to strengthen and unite the party. Unity speaks to the greatness of our party and will make us greater still. This is the time; this is the moment to build afresh from within.  I urge all our members to remain united and place the party’s interest above personal ambition.

“In the political history of our dear country since independence in 1960, the PDP is the only party that has united Nigerians across all the geo-political zones.  It is a national party that reflects the diversities of our cultures and religions.  Although our party makes no claim to perfection, it has helped to nurture our democracy in the last 13 years by providing a common platform for all interest groups to realize their dreams and aspirations within the Nigerian Federation,” the President noted.

“We must transform into a party of innovation by improving and renewing our structures and procedures regularly to prolong and ensure our relevance in the hearts and minds of the people. Such a transformation will mark a critical threshold in the fulfillment of our historic responsibilities,” he advised.

Atiku hails election meanwhile, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, hailed the peaceful conduct of the election of the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC).

In a congratulatory message to all the newly-elected executive members of the party, Atiku implored them to quickly move to heal whatever wounds that may have been inflicted on fellow party members by some of the bruising contests through which they emerged.

In a release from his Media Office in Abuja, Turaki Adamawa restated his earlier commitment to working with whoever emerged as leaders as a committed and loyal party member.

Commenting on the convention, former minister of information, professor Jerry Gana  while speaking to Sunday Trust at the venue of the convention said the way and manner  the new national executives of the party emerged  was in line with true spirit of democracy.

He said “essentially, the spirit of internal democracy has to do with consultation so that no one is denied his right. I think this process has received a lot of consultation at the state, zonal and national level and whenever there is no consensus we resulted to voting.  You can see that where there was no agreement like in the case of Ebenezer Babatope we decided to vote.

“Consensus building is the highest form of agreement of internal democracy but where we don’t agree, we go on to vote, just as we did even in the case of the chairmanship of the party, there was yes or no vote.  That is the beauty of democracy. People thought election is the best form of agreement, no it’s only when there is no agreement that we conduct election.

Also defending the decision of consensus candidates by the PDP, former lawmaker from Kogi State, Senator  Tunde Ogbeha stated that democracy is about consensus.  “What is democracy, is it not consensus?

Because your wish might not be mine but when we sit down to talk we might agree and that is democracy. Those who stepped down did so out of their own free will ,nobody forced them to do that and it’s a good thing for democracy”  He however debunked the speculations that it might be away of preparing the ground for the president in 2015.

There are problems in PDP – Bamanga Tukur

In his acceptance speech, which lasted for 20 minutes, the newly elected PDP Chairman admitted that there are problems in the party, basically on the lack of respect for the rule of law.

He told the gathering that the party has the responsibility of meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the millions of Nigerians who voted it into power, not only few persons.

He added also that, “in our 51 years of existence as a nation, sectarian violence has continued to occur. without peace we cannot live and cannot make progress. We’re all part and parcel of the country Nigeria. We cannot wish away our members. When we share our common goal, nothing is impossible. When we form a compromise based on agreement and mutual respect, nothing is impossible.

“As we celebrate the great achievement of this day, let’s not lose sight of our problems. Let’s not forget that the principle objective of the PDP is to be a vehicle that will guarantee social justice equity, fairness, and transmit the benefits of democracy the people of Nigeria, not just a few but all.

“We must be honest to tell ourselves the truth. Our party is not a true party due to our politics and political culture. There’re problems. Problems of respect for rules, constitution of Nigeria, problem of separation of power, checks and balances. We cannot face the tasks ahead unless these issues and challenges are addressed.”