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2007: PDP Names Panel on Presidential Ticket
•APGA zones slot to S/East From Chuks Okocha in Abuja, 12.01.2004
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took a crucial first step to deciding who will fly the party's flag in the 2007 presidential electiosn when it set up a 35-man committee to determine the number of delegates that will get automatic slot at the convention where the flagbearer will be elected. The committee headed by its former Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Iro Dan Musa, will also work on the representation at the December 2005 elective convention in which members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) will be elected. The PDP decision coincided with the announcement by the All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA) that its presidential candidate in the general elections will come from the South-east. The PDP committee, which will be sworn-in on Thursday in Abuja by the National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, is also assigned the task of carrying out a comprehensive reforms of the party appratuses and mode of operations. THISDAY gathered that the Board of Trustees of the party, which met last weekend, had approved the membership and terms of reference of the committee. Other members of the committee include, the party's National Secretary, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, who will serve as secretary, National Vice Chairman (Northwest), Dr. Bello Moham-med, Chief Olabode George (National Vice Chairman South-west), and Yohanna Madaki, the National Legal Adviser. They would be representing the NWC on the panel. Representing the Board of Trustees on the committee are former governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Shaaba Lafiaji, Dr. Stella Attoe, Alhaji Hamza Sakwa, and Chief (Mrs.) Oluyede. The Senate will be represented by Senators Dalhatu Tafida and Daisy Danjuma. Hon. Mercy Almona Isei and Hon. Aminu Safana will represent the House of Representatives. To represent the interest of the 28 PDP governors in the committee are the Governors of Nasarawa and Ebonyi states, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu and Dr. Sam Egwu respectively while Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Professor Jerry Gana and Dr. Sam Ogbemudia are the nominees of the Presidency. The Speakers of the 28 State Houses of Assembly controlled by the party are to be represented by the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Amaechi Rotimi and his colleague from Benue State, Mzenda Iho. The state chairmen of the party are to be represented by the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, and the one from Borno State, Mohammed Gubio. The local government chairmen elected on the platform of the party are to be represented by Chief Ezeremo from Benue State, Chidi Nwatu from Southeast, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman from the Northeast and Chief Lawrence Komolafe from the Southwest. Former Minister of Aviation, Dr. (Mrs.) Kema Chikwe, Hajia Adamu Ciroma and Mrs. Titi Oseni, Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker are to represent the women. To represent the interest of the youths are Bibi Farouk from the Northwest, Ebenezer Oladipo from the Southwest and Abubakar Muazu Hassan from the North-east. Members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and ex-officio members are to be represented by Mrs. Iyabode Pam, Mr. Olisa Metu, Barrister Yusuf Ikirikwen and Wole Afolabi. This committee, it was gathered, will also work out modalities to ensure discipline within the party. Last December when the issue of how to select delegatess to the party's national convention was discussed, PDP leaders were unable to agree on the number of delegates that will get automatic qualification to vote at the convention. Central to the disagreement was whether aides of the president and the vice president should be automatic delegates. The party later set up a committee headed by then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Kanu Agabi, to look into the matter. But some governors and aides of the Vice President saw the committee as a ploy to reduce the number of automatic delegates from their camps. The NWC later set up a committee headed by Madaki to review the Agabi panel's report. However, the party's NEC decided to step down the reports until a later date. As a result, the amendment of the party's constitution which would have been adopted at the mid-term convention last year was postponed. APGA which announced the zoning of its presidential ticket to the South-east, has also commenced moves to woo PDP governors and members to help actualise its plans of getting an Igbo peson elected as President. In apparent reaction to the reported zoning of PDP's presidential ticket to the North, APGA said in a statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Okorie Onwuchekwa Orji, that the zoning of its presidential ticket to the South-east was not negotiable. APGA warned its members wishing to attend the Northern governors meeting expected to commence today not to negotiate anything at the meeting that is inconsistent with the party's zoning policy. It warned that, "Any member who violates this directive will be expelled from the party." THISDAY gathered that officials of APGA are already holding private meetings with some PDP governors from the South-east zone to position APGA as an alternative party for achieving the presidential ambition of the South-east. Said the sources from the office of the APGA Chairman, "It is our belief that since the PDP governors are now seeking to ensure that the President of the country comes from the South-east, we are willing to offer the ticket to any credible person from the zone, irrespective of which party he belongs." Already, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, the Igbo socio cultural organization has said that party affiliation will not be a stumbling block in achieving the Igbo presidential aspiration in 2007.
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