2007
Yoruba Leaders Screen IBB, Atiku
Zoning raises fresh controversy
By Oma Djebah in Lagos and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A crucial but rare joint meeting of members of both Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba organisation and the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) is billed to hold in Ibadan Tuesday where a joint decision is expected on a common candidate for 2007 presidential election.
This is on the heels of a fresh controversy thrown up by minutes of an enlarged caucus meeting of the PDP over the party's presidential zoning formula.
THISDAY checks reveal that the meeting is coming at the instance of both Pa Emmanuel Alayande, leader of YCE and Chief Abraham Adesanya, leader of Afenifere. Top on the agenda of the Yoruba leaders meeting is the need for the South-west to take a common position on which of the presidential aspirants would best serve the interest of the Yoruba race.
Meanwhile, the conveners of the meeting, THISDAY gathered, have extended invitations to prominent Yoruba leaders, both within and outside the country to ensure everyone is carried along this time to forestall division with the Yoruba race.
A retired general confided in THISDAY at the weekend that the meeting is very critical "because we have asked all those who are supporters of former President Ibrahim Babangida, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Brigadier Buba Marwa to come up with "their respective position on why the Yoruba nation should back a particular candidate in the 2007 presidential polls."
He added: "You know that since the 2003 elections, this is the very first time both Afenifere and YCE would be meeting on the way forward for Yorubaland.
"So the meeting is very significant. And we asked one or two of the governors to also come to the meeting and brief the house so that we have an all inclusive and all embracing position and view-points. We believe that the Yoruba nation cannot afford to fold its hands and watch things at the national level. We must participate."
It would be recalled that the battle for the presidency among the three contending political players, IBB, Marwa, and Atiku have become very fierce in recent times with South-west being at the centre of their campaign.
Meanwhile, last week, governors of the South-west states met at the Ikoyi, Lagos home of Commodore Olabode George, (rtd), National Vice Chairman of the PDP (South West).
Those who attended the late night meeting include governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Otunba Gbenga Daniel of Ogun, Senator Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State.
THISDAY gathered that the issue of who succeeds the National Chairman of PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh in next year's National Convention of the Party was also one of the major issues discussed at that meeting which lasted for several hours.
The search for Chief Ogbeh's successor became necessary when it dawned on them that installation of their own candidates for national chairmanship and membership of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) is one first step toward realising their ambition.
Both General Babangida's group and the Yar'Adua camp which is crusading for Vice President Atiku are making frantic consultations in the South-west to find a dependable replacement for Ogbeh.
THISDAY checks indicate that though the race is still very far away, the South-west "has resolved not to be taken by surprise, but to examine all the permutations toward 2007 and fix its minds towards a particular presidential candidate."
A source who is a major player in Tuesday's meeting said: "We will look at the three of them. The three have their respective points. General Babangida has his points. One thing you cannot take away from him is that he has experience. Atiku has his points. He has also got experience. Then Marwa should not be taken for granted also. He also has his own qualities. These are the things we are looking at."
Sources said those expected at the meeting of YCE/Afenifere, include Chief Adesanya, former military governor of the old Western Region, and Nigeria's oldest surviving general, Major-Gen. Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, Chief Olu Falae, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and a serving governor.
Meanwhile, minutes of a 2002 enlarged caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has heightened the dissonance on which zone (North or South) that would pick the party's presidential ticket at the expiration of President Olusegun Obasanjo's term in 2007.
Obasanjo had sparked off the controversy when he said last month at a media chat on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) that the presidency was opened to all but the South-west zone in 2007. He argued during the programme that it would be politically inexpedient for the South-west to take a shot at the presidency again in the current transition period since it was the same area that threw him up.
The president's position came against the backdrop of a statement credited to the party's scribe, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, that the North will produce the party's next flagbearer for the next presidential elections.
But minutes of PDP enlar-ged caucus meeting held in November, 2002 showed that the zoning of the PDP to the North appears a settled issue.
At the meeting attended by all the party's 21 governors including former Chairman Board of Trustees, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, former Chairman of the Party, Chief Barnabas Gemade, it was agreed that after Obasanjo's second term (8 years of the presidency) that the party will move to the North.
It was put to vote and 29 members voted in support while a member voted against. The PDP Extended Caucus Records showed that the former minister of Works and Housing, Chief Anthony Anenih had written a letter to the Audu Ogbeh led National Executive Committee (NEC) insisting that Obasanjo be given a second chance, so as to allow the presidency move to the North in 2007.
Though Ogbeh did not reply Anenih's letter, when the matter of zoning came up for discussion three months later the letter was eventually read to the caucus by the National Secretary, Vincent Ogbulafor and a decision was taken that the it should top the agenda of the meeting and Gemade and Rimi were consequently prevailed to step down, but to no avail.
After the meeting, Solomon Lar was asked to discuss with Rimi and Gemade to withdraw their aspiration till 2007. The caucus meeting also decided that the N5 million nomination fee paid by Rimi and Gemade should be returned to them.
The minutes of the meeting also agreed that no Southern presidential aspirant should pick any form or indicate interest for 2007.
The former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, according to the minutes of the meeting was neither asked to withdraw or continue. The records of the meeting was silent on his aspiration.
According to the minutes of the meeting "it will be politically impossible for power to remain in the South after eight years." The caucus also stated at the meeting that the barometer for measuring where the presidency of the party stays was the River Niger.
"The zoning arrangement will be between the North or South and not the six geo-political zones." The members of the meeting stated.
Also, they further stated that "if in the South, all the zones South-South, South east and South west would be free to contest. And if in the North, when it is their turn, all the three zones are free to contest."
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