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Ahead of its scheduled November 15 National Elective Convention, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed a 13-member committee to screen aspirants seeking election. Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, will host the event at the Adamasingba Stadium. Former Ondo State PDP governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, heads the committee, which was announced on Saturday by the Chairman of the Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), and Governor of Adamawa State, Honourable Ahmadu Fintiri. Former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; Mrs Josephine Anenih; Hajiya Mariam Chiroma; Felix Hassan Hyat; Emmanuel Enoidem; Mrs Aduke Maina; and Zainab Maina are members of the committee. Honourable Mohammed Diri is the deputy chairman, while the secretary of the committee is Asue Ighodalo, with Jacob Otorkpa deputising him. The screening, according to the NCOC, begins on Tuesday, next week. The PDP goes ahead with its preparations for the convention amid unresolved internal disagreements, including a pending suit before an Abuja Federal High Court seeking to stop the exercise on the grounds of alleged exclusion of some stakeholders and lack of sufficient consultations. The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had fixed October 31 for its final decision on the case, just two weeks before the November 15 convention date. Some stakeholders led by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, are also demanding the reinstatement of the South-South Zonal Committee and disputed state congresses in the South-East, Cross River, Plateau, Akwa Ibom and Kebbi, as conditions for them to support the convention. In recent weeks, two governors -Diri Douye of Bayelsa State, and Peter Mbah of Enugu State -had left the party, in addition to more senators and members of the House of Representatives, abandoning the platform. While Douye, a former senator, said he resigned from the PDP and gave no specific mention of his next political party of choice, Mbah joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) outright, though some of Douye’s allies already joined the APC as well. Insiders say the decision of Douye’s allies to join the APC is a pointer to where the governor will eventually pitch his tent. In the northern region, members are divided over the decision of the majority of stakeholders to pick a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, SAN, as the “consensus candidate” for the position of national chairman, which was zoned to the region. Turaki emerged on Wednesday night, following a meeting of leaders and stakeholders to pick him from the North-West geopolitical zone, where the position was micro-zoned. A day after, on Thursday, some members led by the outgoing National Organising Secretary of the party, Honourable Umar Bature, opposed the choice of Turaki on the claim that there was no consultation before his name was “imposed” on the zone. The PDP, however, clarified that in spite of the consensus decision, the post and all other positions remained open to all to contest on November 15. “No member of the party, who wished to contest any position, has been denied the right to do so”, the National Publicity Secretary, Honourable Debo Ologunagba, stated. READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
