PDP MAY CANCEL GUBER PRIMARIES

*Oyo, Ogun, Kogi may be affected
*Set to organize Senatorial re-run in Owerri zone
By HENRY UMORU
THERE were very strong indications, yesterday, that with scores of protests that have continued to trail the last governorship primaries organised by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the party may, barring last minute change, organize re-run of the gubernatorial primaries in some of the states.

Vanguard authoritatively gathered that members of the National Working Committee, NWC, had in the last few days been addressing the protest letters received from the states.

The affected states that might not have been cleared are Oyo, Ogun and Kogi.

It was learnt that stakeholders and party members from these states had complained to the party that the delegates who participated in the primaries were lopsided, even as they were said to have raised the view that where factions existed, a particular camp hijacked the list which was to the detriment of others.

Prelude to confrontation
Observers saw this as a prelude to another round of confrontation between state governors and the party's leadership.

In Ogun State, for instance, it would be a direct battle between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and incumbent Governor Gbenga Daniel who told Vanguard that there were 'no parallel congresses in his state; but what we had were acts of indiscipline which must be punished.'

Vanguard also gathered that as a prelude to the call for re-run, the NWC would put in place ad-hoc Committees to harmonize lists of the factions, after which congresses would be held for delegates to emerge. It was also learnt that the game would now be open for the aspirants to woo the various delegates.

It was also gathered that members of the National Working Committee have begun to study petitions on the National Assembly beginning with the Senate, just as it started with that of the South-East with a re-run being planned for the Owerri Zone Senatorial district.

Petitions on Senate and House of Reps
The source said that as soon as members of the NWC were through with that of the Senate, they would examine petitions on the House of Representatives.

In Ogun State, two candidates:  General Adetunji Olurin and Gboyega Isiaka emerged. They belong to the camps of Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the party, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Governor, Gbenga Daniel, respectively.

Also from Oyo State, some leaders are fighting the Governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, even as a call was being made for the removal of his name as winner of the State primaries. The arrow head of the anti_Akala forces is former Minister of Power and Steel, Elder Wole Oyelese who has even dragged the NWC to court.

Vanguard gathered that the party's National Working Committee, had been under intense pressure to revisit names of candidates sent to the National Secretariat.