|
PDP: Obasanjo, governors stripped of power to pick candidates
paul mumeh
Abuja
Neither
President Olusegun Obasanjo nor state governors would henceforth be allowed to
have a domineering power and influence to determine who becomes a candidate of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for any elective post, the national
chairman of the party, Chief Audu Ogbeh has said.
Ogbeh made the declaration when he
inaugurated a 36-man reform committee headed by Alhaji Abubakar Iro Dan Musa in
Abuja yesterday that under no circumstance would the party accept a list of
candidates from any person no matter how highly placed.
The chairman regretted the damage
the imposition of candidates had caused the party, saying it had destroyed the
fundamental spirit of democracy and the dignity of the electorate.
Ogbeh told the committee to examine
the influence of money and corrupt practices in the selection processes at all
stages, and queried “if in the present disposition, it was possible for
any poor, but good person to win a nomination in our party”.
He also told them to review the
party’s constitution vis-a-vis
the appointment of persons as ministers, commissioners and special
assistants, being part of delegates to congresses and conventions.
Former justice minister, Kanu Agabi
(SAN) had led a party constitution review committee which recommended pruning
down the list of delegates to conventions especially special advisers and
assistants to the vice president and governors which was rejected at the
party’s last mid-term convention, in Abuja.
The PDP boss also tasked the committee,
which has six weeks to submit its report, to review the issue of campaigns for
offices and the timing of such activities.
Ogbeh charged the committee to
consider the establishment of a strong code of conduct for members and propose
ways by which the party could enforce its manifesto and ideology through its
elected public offices.
The reform committee is coming on
the heels of growing criticism against the PDP especially in the area of
indiscipline and lawlessness among its members.
Members of the committee were drawn
from different echelons of the party.
Responding, chairman of the
committee, Dan Musa noted that the committee is faced with an important
assignment, which would be given top priority to save the party and
Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
|
