PDP NATIONAL CONVENTION
Obasanjo & Chief Oladipo & Prof. Adeniran
Chieftains of the Peoples' Democratic Party in the south-west zone had all identified internal acrimony within the state chapters of the party as a major factor that contributed to the party defeat at the last general elections and its near total eclipse from the zone. But assurances from the Party gladiators to work together as one family to dislodge the Action Congress of Nigeria, still savouring its victory have remained as empty platitudes. Individual ambition of party chieftains impedes the amity and cohesion which are needed to reassure ordinary party faithful that the leadership is serious to mend the leaky umbrella.
Daily Sun investigations have revealed that the position of national secretary zoned to the south-west is already the cause of fresh feud, making nonsense of appreciable peace achieved by the trouble shooting efforts of concerned stakeholders in the party.
While certain aspirants and some of their backers are willing to partake in real contest for the office, as against the travesty that go by the name of consensus candidate, former president and chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo have been accused of trying to foist the south-west national vice chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo as the anointed candidate of the zone at the March convention - a fixation that has pitched the former president against stalwarts of the party in the zone.
In the race for the position of national secretary are former Education Commissioner in Oyo State and immediate past Minister of Sports, Professor Taoheed Adedoja and Dr Saka Balogun, the Chief of Staff to former Oyo state governor, Alao-Akala. Others are former Education Minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran, former Aviation Minister, Chief Ebenezer Babatope from Ekiti and Osun states, respectively. Also in the race are incumbent PDP National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke and Oladimeji Fabiyi from Ogun state.
The former president, according to Daily Sun findings had impressed it on other chieftains of the party the need to have a consensus candidate to stave off rancor that may arise, if aspirants are subjected to the rigor of party primary.
But while his advice was perceived to be genuine, his choice of candidate has not gone down well with other stalwarts of the party in the zone.
PDP chieftains who spoke with Daily Sun in confidence described the choice of Alhaji Oladipo, the incumbent south-west zonal chairman for the office, as giving credence to the cry of marginalization by the Ekiti/Ondo axis of the party.
They noted that the Osun/Oyo axis of the party had had more than their fair share of national officers of the party and allowing Oladipo who is the present national vice-chairman to take the office of national secretary, without a contest would further complicate division within the zone.
'As national vice-chairman, rather than bringing feuding factions to the round table, he achieved the opposite, as he pitched his tents with factions loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in state chapters. Efforts by the national secretariat to implement the recommendations of the General Ike Nwachukwu Committee, aimed at restoring peace in Oyo state chapter of the party were frustrated by Obasanjo, using Tajudeen Oladipo.
As the party prepares for ward and state congresses, Oladipo has been accused of allegedly using a pseudo platform to usurp the functions of state executives of the party in the south-west.
'His Transition, Reconciliation and Congress Committee (TRCC), is not known to PDP constitution and foisting him on the party would further aggravate the problem of PDP in south-west.''
Making veiled reference to the alleged high-handedness of the former president, Doyin Okupe, his former media adviser while addressing journalists last week, accused his former boss of imposing his will on the majority of stakeholders in the zone.
'The chairman of Board of Trustees is not a small person in any political party. Chief Obasanjo is the Chairman of BoT, so you cannot rough-ride him anyhow, even if his demands are undemocratic and unreasonable.
We just feel that what is right needs to be done, irrespective of who is doing wrong… His style of leadership is not such that will develop the party and we don't want the party to die. Some of us were in this party before Obasanjo came so we aren't going to allow it to die. But if we go the way they are leading, the party will die…''
One of the contenders for the ticket, however dismissed as mere speculation the news gaining ground that Obasanjo had anointed Tajudeen Oladipo for the position of national secretary. He told Daily Sun on phone that former Education Minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran is the anointed candidate of the former president, not Chief Oladipo.
But he also justifies, why the former president might have changed his mind on Adeniran.
'But he may run into trouble with Professor Adeniran, because Adeniran went to school for too long and he has an autonomous mind.
Obasanjo prefers a pliable person like Oladipo and he has worked with him, as national vice-chairman''.
But another aspirant from the zone submitted that it was not fair to say Obasanjo had anointed a candidate for the office.
'They aren't been fair to the man; he has not given his words to anybody. He has told us that when he was president, he was the one that chose the national chairman and secretary of the party that worked with him, and only President Jonathan can anoint, not Obasanjo. That's what he keeps telling all of us.'
Aso Rock waiting game….
At the Presidential Villa, mum is the word on the choice of candidates for national officers of the party to be elected in March, as President Goodluck Jonathan keeps all guessing. Former President and Chairman of the party Board of Trustees, Chief Obasanjo enjoys tremendous goodwill at the Villa, but his former Man Friday and former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Bode George, who now keeps his former benefactor at arm's length, politically has also warmed himself to the heart of President Jonathan.
'The present National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, from Ekiti State whose ambition enjoys the support of Bode George group may be the ultimate beneficiary. The President also listens to Bode George and he wasn't happy with what Obasanjo did to Bode George. That's the truth,'' a Daily Sun source submitted.