Rattled by the emergence of Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal
as Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Peoples Democratic
Party on Wednesday set up a panel to review its power sharing
arrangement.
Tambuwal’s election on June 5 violated the party’s zoning formula, as it had anointed Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola from the South-West as its candidate.
Rising from a six-hour meeting in Abuja, the National Working Committee of the party agreed that the best way to resolve the logjam created by the House of Representatives was to ensure that the remaining positions in the party and the National Assembly were equitably shared.
However, it was gathered that members at the NWC meeting still disagreed on the zone that should produce the next chairman of the PDP.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Alkali, confirmed the establishment of the review panel in an interview with one of our correspondents. But he declined to comment on the chairmanship crisis.
Rufai said, “Because of what happened, the party is trying to work out a way of stabilizing the system. There is a small internal committee that has been set up to look at the matters and then advise the national working committee about them.”
Although he declined to give the terms of reference given the panel, our correspondents gathered that it would come up with a sharing formula for the following positions the Senate majority leader; Senate deputy majority leader; the Senate chief whip; the House majority leader; deputy majority deputy; the House Chief Whip and deputy whip.
But the biggest of the positions is the PDP national chairmanship position and the National Secretary, which the North-East and South-West are battling each other to grab.
Investigations showed that members of the panel are the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke (South-West); Hajia Ina Ciroma (North-East); the National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje (North-Central); and National Organising Secretary, Chief Uche Secondu (South-South).
An NWC member, who pleaded anonymity said, “The panel will advise us on how the remaining positions would be shared to douse tension in the party.”
It was learnt that at the meeting the NWC members still did no agree on the national chairmanship position as some supported the South-West and others, North-East.
A report that a chieftain of the party from North-East, Alhaji Bamanaga Tukur, had been tipped for the position worsened the disagreement.
Our correspondents gathered that some members of the NWC from the North-East and the North-West were backing Tukur.
Two zones— North-East and South-West— were reported to be eyeing the post following the election of Tambuwal from North-West as speaker and Ihedioha from the South-East as his deputy.
Those opposed to Tukur for the national chairmanship were said to be NWC members who preferred a South-West candidate.
However, the North-East NWC members reportedly fought back, stressing that the South-West could not occupy the chairmanship and also preside over the Board of Trustees.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the South –West is currently the chairman of the BOT.
A PDP member from the South-West, who pleaded anonymity said, “BOT is an advisory body. It is the conscience of the party. The NWC is the highest political head of the party.
“Anything BOT is advisory. It does not take decision of the party. It does not organise election for the party.
“Obasanjo does not attend any of the National Executive Committee meetings. Decision making rests in the NWC of the party.”
But a PDP National Vice-Chairman (North-East), Chief Paul Wapana, had insisted that the chairman of the party must come from the North-East.
Although he claimed that he was not aware of the nomination of Tukur for the chairmanship position, Wapana stated that it would not be rational to zone the post to the South-West.
A PDP Board of Trustees member, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, had called on the party to zone the position to the South-West.
He said that the chairmanship of the BoT was not equivalent to the national chairmanship of the party.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on the telephone on Tuesday, Babatope explained that the BoT was “purely an advisory body” that cannot be equated with the national chairmanship of the party.
“It is not right for anybody to say that the South-West should be contented with the BoT post because everyone knows that the BoT acts only in advisory capacity.”
Besides ceding the Speakership to South-West, the party had also planned that the deputy speaker of the House would come from the North-East, but the Tambuwal-led rebellion produced Mr. Emeka Ihedioha from the South-East as his deputy.
Apparently hoping that its members in the House would be faithful to the zoning formula, President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier appointed Senator Pius Anyim from the South-East as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The deputy senate president was also zoned to the South-East.
The Presidency is in the South-South, while vice-presidency is zoned to the North-West.
The current acting national chairman, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, is from the North-West and he is expected to vacate the position at the party national convention scheduled for March.
By Niyi Odebode, Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja and Tunde Odesola Courtesy Of: Punch
Tambuwal’s election on June 5 violated the party’s zoning formula, as it had anointed Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola from the South-West as its candidate.
Rising from a six-hour meeting in Abuja, the National Working Committee of the party agreed that the best way to resolve the logjam created by the House of Representatives was to ensure that the remaining positions in the party and the National Assembly were equitably shared.
However, it was gathered that members at the NWC meeting still disagreed on the zone that should produce the next chairman of the PDP.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Alkali, confirmed the establishment of the review panel in an interview with one of our correspondents. But he declined to comment on the chairmanship crisis.
Rufai said, “Because of what happened, the party is trying to work out a way of stabilizing the system. There is a small internal committee that has been set up to look at the matters and then advise the national working committee about them.”
Although he declined to give the terms of reference given the panel, our correspondents gathered that it would come up with a sharing formula for the following positions the Senate majority leader; Senate deputy majority leader; the Senate chief whip; the House majority leader; deputy majority deputy; the House Chief Whip and deputy whip.
But the biggest of the positions is the PDP national chairmanship position and the National Secretary, which the North-East and South-West are battling each other to grab.
Investigations showed that members of the panel are the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke (South-West); Hajia Ina Ciroma (North-East); the National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje (North-Central); and National Organising Secretary, Chief Uche Secondu (South-South).
An NWC member, who pleaded anonymity said, “The panel will advise us on how the remaining positions would be shared to douse tension in the party.”
It was learnt that at the meeting the NWC members still did no agree on the national chairmanship position as some supported the South-West and others, North-East.
A report that a chieftain of the party from North-East, Alhaji Bamanaga Tukur, had been tipped for the position worsened the disagreement.
Our correspondents gathered that some members of the NWC from the North-East and the North-West were backing Tukur.
Two zones— North-East and South-West— were reported to be eyeing the post following the election of Tambuwal from North-West as speaker and Ihedioha from the South-East as his deputy.
Those opposed to Tukur for the national chairmanship were said to be NWC members who preferred a South-West candidate.
However, the North-East NWC members reportedly fought back, stressing that the South-West could not occupy the chairmanship and also preside over the Board of Trustees.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the South –West is currently the chairman of the BOT.
A PDP member from the South-West, who pleaded anonymity said, “BOT is an advisory body. It is the conscience of the party. The NWC is the highest political head of the party.
“Anything BOT is advisory. It does not take decision of the party. It does not organise election for the party.
“Obasanjo does not attend any of the National Executive Committee meetings. Decision making rests in the NWC of the party.”
But a PDP National Vice-Chairman (North-East), Chief Paul Wapana, had insisted that the chairman of the party must come from the North-East.
Although he claimed that he was not aware of the nomination of Tukur for the chairmanship position, Wapana stated that it would not be rational to zone the post to the South-West.
A PDP Board of Trustees member, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, had called on the party to zone the position to the South-West.
He said that the chairmanship of the BoT was not equivalent to the national chairmanship of the party.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on the telephone on Tuesday, Babatope explained that the BoT was “purely an advisory body” that cannot be equated with the national chairmanship of the party.
“It is not right for anybody to say that the South-West should be contented with the BoT post because everyone knows that the BoT acts only in advisory capacity.”
Besides ceding the Speakership to South-West, the party had also planned that the deputy speaker of the House would come from the North-East, but the Tambuwal-led rebellion produced Mr. Emeka Ihedioha from the South-East as his deputy.
Apparently hoping that its members in the House would be faithful to the zoning formula, President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier appointed Senator Pius Anyim from the South-East as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The deputy senate president was also zoned to the South-East.
The Presidency is in the South-South, while vice-presidency is zoned to the North-West.
The current acting national chairman, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, is from the North-West and he is expected to vacate the position at the party national convention scheduled for March.
By Niyi Odebode, Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja and Tunde Odesola Courtesy Of: Punch
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