Crisis looms in PDP over choice of next chairman

Idowu Samuel, Abuja - 25.02.2008

THE National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled to hold in about 12 days’ time has led to sharp disagreement among the party’s national officials on the choice of the next national chairman of the party.

Investigation by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that members of the National Executive Commi-ttee (NEC) of the PDP had been at loggerheads with one another on the process of selecting the next chairman at the convention.

While some of the party officials were said to have favoured consensus as a way out, another section was said to be insisting on having the emergence of the new PDP national chairman by a democratic process.

The national head-quarters of the PDP had long resolved not to support a consensus option as a means of selecting its next national chairman, promising that the conduct of the national convention would be transparent and democratic.

The acting national publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Bayo Alao, in an interview, told the Nigerian Tribune that the party aligned with the principles of transparency and due process of the present administration and would reflect such at the convention.

Alao dismissed reports that the party was behind moves by some members of the party to pick a consensus candidate among the chairmanship aspirants, stating that the party would not impose any candidate at the convention.

He said “the position of national chairmanship had been zoned to the South East. We have a number of chairmanship aspirants from that zone. If the zone could amicably resolve to pick a consensus candi-date, so be it, but the PDP would not force a candidate on anyone.”