People Democratic Party over the struggle for ministerial

By Niyi Odebode, Abuja and Tunde Odesola, Osogbo

Saturday, 14 May 2011

People Democratic Party over the struggle for ministerial and other Federal Government appointments ahead of the May 29, 2011 inauguration of the Goodluck Jonathan Administration.

Countrywide investigations by SATURDAY PUNCH showed that the latest crises were triggered by Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party leaders’ directive to the state chapters.

The President and the PDP leaders, it was learnt, had directed each state chapter to submit 10 names for federal appointments.

It was gathered that in the PDP states, governors, state chairmen and ministers were expected to compile the lists

Ministers and state chairmen of the party are doing the compilation in states where the PDP is not in control.

The lists were expected to be submitted to the President through the national chairman of the party, Dr. Haliru Muhammed.

But in spite of the compilation of the names, it was gathered that the President was keeping his plan on ministerial appointments close to his chest.

“Although the President has asked for names, he knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff. He is his own man. Nobody can dictate to him,” a party official told SATURDAY PUNCH on Friday in Abuja.

Investigations, however, showed that the members’ struggle for inclusion in the appointment lists had deepened the crises in many state chapters.

It was gathered that two lists emanated from the Lagos State chapter of the party. The lists, it was gathered, were compiled by the rival factions of the PDP in the state.

A source in the PDP stated that one of the lists was compiled by a former national official of the party, Chief Bode George, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga.

Top on George’s list is Aganga and all members of the PDP executive in the state.

But another group led a former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, was said to have compiled another one.

Since the release of George from jail in February, the crisis in the state PDP has worsened with some leaders of the party, including Ogunlewe and another elder, Dr. Yomi Finnih, accusing him of seizing control of the party.

The crisis over the appointments came to the fore during the week when some members of the party under the aegis of the PDP Neutral Members wrote the President and the chairman (Muhammed) to intimate them of the developments.

The group had called for the suspension of all appointments until all the factions of the party in the state were united.

Besides Lagos, other states enmeshed in the crises caused by scramble for appointments include Ogun, Osun, Delta and Ondo.

In Ogun State, investigations showed that the ministerial list was compiled by the PDP leaders, including the state chairman, Chief Dayo Soremi; Minister of Commerce and Industries, Chief Jubril Martin-Kuye and the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Adetunji Olurin.

But it was learnt that the state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, had started making moves to secure a place either in Jonathan’s cabinet or an ambassadorial appointment.

The governor was said to be making a case for the inclusion of at least two of his loyalists from the Peoples Party of Nigeria in Jonathan’s next government.

An aide of the governor, who pleaded anonymity, stated, “The governor, as a strong supporter of the President, can aspire for any appointment. Do not forget that the governor and the PPN members in the state had worked hard for the President in the election of April 16.”

But a source in the state chapter of the party, said, “If the governor and his cronies in the PPN are aspiring for ministerial appointments, they are day-dreaming. They were responsible for the losses suffered by the PDP in the state. They want to reap from where they did not sow.”

In Osun, a group led by a former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is pitted against some elders of the party led by Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun.

Investigations showed that the two factions presented different lists to the national leadership of the party in Abuja. Oyinlola, who is said to be eyeing a ministerial appointment, is being opposed by the Oyedokun group.

A member of the group, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, had in an interview with our one of our correspondents said, “Abuja must not relate with us on an individual level. Abuja should relate with us as a party and (Alhaji Shuaib) Oyedokun is the leader of the Elders’ Forum of the Osun PDP.

“The Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasuunkanmi, is the highest federal appointee in Osun. Therefore, no Osun PDP member should solicit federal appointments without carrying the Elders’ Forum along.”

The loss suffered by the Ondo State PDP, it was learnt, had triggered off a crisis in the party with the members trading blame.

The state chapter of the PDP early this month suspended the Defence Minister, Chief Adetokunbo Kayode, from the party.

He was suspended over alleged anti-party activities, an allegation the minister has denied.

It was learnt that a former governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, and Senator Bode Olajumoke, who lost in the senatorial poll, were eyeing ministerial appointments.

“The root of the crisis in the party is the struggle for appointments. Do not be deceived, many members do not have the interests of the party,” said a top PDP member.

In Delta State, investigations showed that the struggle for ministerial appointments had rekindled the old rivalry between the PDP factions led by the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, with the two groups opposing each other.

A PDP chief, Mrs. Gloria Adebajo-Fraser, in an interview with SATURDAY PUNCH, advised the President to set up a committee that would come up with the names of qualified Nigerians.

She said, “He needs the best. He needs those who can implement his blueprint to the letter.

“My feeling is that Mr. President should not allow himself to put under pressure. He should set up a committee comprising members of the academia, technocrats and people who have distinguished themselves in their fields to serve in his cabinet.”

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