Ahead of the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slated for October 30 and 31, 2021, the party is reportedly set to cede the chairmanship position of the party to the South.
Recall that the embattled National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, was elected in December 2017 during the party’s convention for an initial period of four years.
A High Court in Rivers State had barred Secondus from parading himself as the national chairman of the party and member of the party.
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The party subsequently named the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Yemi Akinwonmi, as its acting chairman.
Justice Nasirat Umar who is on vacation at the Kebbi High Court later reinstated Secondus as chairman of the party but that order was also reversed as the Rivers born politician was suspended again by a court in Cross River.
Anaedoonline.ng learned that some PDP stalwarts are already positioning to contest various National Working Committee (NWC) offices, especially the chairmanship position.
Some bigwigs in the party have commenced politicking in their bid to influence the emergence of their preferred persons as new leaders of the party.
However, some of the members likely to contest for the number one position of the party are the embattled National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus; Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Suleiman Nazif; former Governor of Osun State, Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla; former Vice Chairman (South), Chief Olabode George.
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Others are former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; former governorship candidate in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje; former PDP candidate for Ondo State governorship election, Eyitayo Jegede; former governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and former South-West National Vice Chairman, Dr Eddy Olafeso.
A source told Newsmen at the weekend, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is reportedly pushing for Oyinlola to emerge as the next party chairman.
Though Obasanjo’s has not announced his rejoining the PDP, party leaders still defer to him, with many of them, including embattled Secondus, visiting him at different times.
Atiku, on his part, is said to be supporting the emergence of Jegede, one of his lawyers, for the position. Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), only recently lost his Ondo governorship bid at the Supreme Court after he had earlier lost at the polls.
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A source close to Governor Tambuwal said the Sokoto governor is working for the emergence of a Southerner as the party chairman to pave way for his aspiration.
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