Democratic Party(PDP) is in talks with some of its former
governors and other chieftains who defected to the ruling
All Progressives Congress(APC).
The secret talks are part of the strategies to rebrand and
reposition of the party ahead of the 2019 polls.
Some of the negotiations took place abroad to avoid the
prying eyes of security agencies on the realignment of
political forces.
Among those being targeted by PDP are ex-Vice President
Atiku Abubakar; Senate President Bukola Saraki; ex-
governors Rabiu Kwankwaso, Danjuma Goje, Aliyu
Wammako, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, several APC
Senators, members of the House of Representatives and
others.
Sources in the know of the talks told The Nation last night
that none of the leaders or members of the National
Assembly has yet agreed to the overtures.
It was gathered that the PDP leadership is desperate to
have the ex-governors and defectors back in the fold and
has resorted to tracking the movement of the targeted APC
leaders abroad for further talks.
The party is said to be focusing on the North-East, North-
West and North-Central even as it does not want to lose its
grip on the South-South and South-East.
It is also said to be weighing the option of conceding the
party’s presidential ticket to the North-East in 2019.
“We are determined to bring back our top leaders who
defected to APC. We want to heal wounds, we are already
reaching out to some of these ex-governors and leaders,” a
member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)
said.
“So far, none of them has made any commitment. Some of
them have become disenchanted with PDP to the extent
that they don’t want to hear the name of this party again.
“Others are demanding reforms in PDP before they can
even contemplate thinking about their return to our party.
“We are leaving all options open and we are reaching out
to top leaders, ex-governors and the grassroots. We will
return PDP to its original ideals.”
It was learnt that the absence of ex-President Ibrahim
Babangida; ex-Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma;
ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo and influential party
leaders from the North at the party’s National Conference
on Thursday jolted the NWC and left them with the
impression that North is not about to forgive the party yet.
Another source said: “I think the challenge facing PDP now
is that Southern elements have hijacked the structure of
the party and no one is happy about it.
“Certainly, they must restructure the party to create a
sense of belonging for all. So far, what we see is the same
South-South and South-East elements trying to play on the
intelligence of the North again.
“Let them come up with terms which will guarantee
fairness and Justice for all. For instance, why will PDP not
respect its zoning formula on party offices?
“Why can’t an acting National Chairman emerge from the
North-East to which it was originally zoned?
“If PDP is seeking equity, it must do so with clean hands.”
Already, a fresh crisis is brewing in the party over the
choice of its next National Chairman in March.
Investigation revealed that ex-Governor Ayo Fayose is
spearheading the zoning of the office to the South-West.
Fayose’s argument is that of all the six geo-political zones
only the Southwest is yet to produce PDP National
Chairman.
Former national chairmen of PDP were: Chief Solomon Lar
(North-Central); Barnabas Gemade( North Central); Audu
Ogbeh( North-Central); Ahmadu Ali ( North-Central);
Vincent Ogbulafor ( South East); Abubakar Kawu Baraje
( North-Central); and Okwesileze Nwodo(North-East);
Mohammed Bello Haliru( North-West); Bamanga Tukur
(North-East) and Adamu Muazu( North-East).
A party leader said: “The governor also believes that the
South-East and the South-South have had more than their
share of the office of the National chairman.
“But some party leaders are still pushing for the retention
of Prince Uche Secondus as the party’s National Chairman
to assuage the South-South which lost the presidency in
March.
“Again, we have some NWC members who have done no
other job since 1999 other than holding party offices. Yet,
these people have fueled the successive crises in the party.
“This same NWC accounted for PDP’s defeat at the polls.
Why must we retain them in March 2016? These are the
issues for consideration by leaders of the party in our
repositioning process.”
No comments:
Post a Comment