PDP cancels congresses in Oyo, Delta, 5 others - Bars them from voting at convention - Govs pick national chairman tomorrow

From Taiwo Adisa, Idowu Samuel, Jackson Udom, Stephen Gbadamosi
and Clement Idoko - 06.03.2008

THE People Democratic Party (PDP) has cancelled the congresses held by the party in seven states . The states are Delta, Oyo, Plateau, Bayelsa, Imo, Enugu and Yobe. Sources disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune last night that the party leadership was worried that the congresses did not follow the laid-down procedures in these states, hence the decision to cancel the congresses.

The sources also said the party was informed about many irregularities that took place during the congresses in these states.
The party, therefore, said all those elected as delegates at the congresses would not be allowed to take part in elections at the national convention coming up on Saturday.

Meanwhile, governors of PDP-controlled states will tomorrow name their endorsed candidate among those expected to flex their electoral muscles at Saturday’s national convention of the party to choose its chairman.

Nigerian Tribune learnt at the PDP national headquarters that the governors would be holding another meeting tomorrow to take a decision on who to support as the next chairman of the party. They were said to be talking to the leading chairmanship candidates with a view to determining the most suitable for the highest office of the party.

The governors had met last Sunday at the Kwara State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja to discuss the merits of the candidates and set up a seven-man screening committee, headed by the Rivers State governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

They thereafter met with President Umaru Yar’Adua on Monday to tell him about their plans. The panel has since been meeting. But tomorrow’s meeting, according to information, is going to be the most crucial since they had reportedly resolved to name their candidate after it.

Already, governors of North Central states had indicated the possibility of supporting Alhaji Abubakar Baraje as the National Secretary of the party during the Saturday convention, following their resolve to make him the consensus candidate for the zone at the zonal congress held in Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune has learnt that 26 of the PDP-controlled state have thrown their weight behind the candidate of former President Obasanjo.

Disclosing this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday was a chieftain of the party in the state, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu. Speaking with journalists against the background of the zonal congress held in Ibadan on Tuesday, Adedibu, who said the former president’s absence at the congress was not a sign of ill-feelings within the party, noted that the Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman had earlier informed him of his intended absence.

“By his position as the BOT chairman of our party, he was not bound to attend the congress. He may as well choose to attend the congress of any other zone because he is the father of the party. His absence has nothing to do with the 100 per cent support we will deliver to his candidate at the convention.

“As I am talking to you, 26 states are already solidly behind Obasanjo’s candidate. That his candidate will be defeated is definitely out of place,” he said. He also said that the convention would be held in spite of any court injunction against it.

A Federal High Court in Abuja handling the litigation by some aggrieved members of the PDP against the scheduled national convention had fixed tomorrow for its ruling on whether or not the party could hold the convention.

The party has also allayed its members’ fear on the possibility of the convention being stopped by a court injunction. The party said it had taken necessary precautions on the issue of the national convention and that it had subjected its preparations to the dictates of its constitution, a reason it said it was not rattled by the moves of its aggrieved members to stop the convention.

Meanwhile, most of the major hotels in the Federal Capital Territory have been fully booked by members of the party ahead of Saturday's convention. Visitors to Abuja had difficulty securing accommodation in some of the major hotels and had to settle for accommodation in less rated hotels within and outside Abuja metropolis.

Meanwhile, the national chairman of the party, Senator Ahmadu Alli, has called for a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for tomorrow.