SAM EGWU, writes on the twist and turns surrounding the postponement of the PDP primaries in Kogi State.
The governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, initially scheduled for September 10, 2015, would have come and gone.
But high-wire politics and bickerings introduced by some stakeholders in the party towards who should emerge, ensured that the primary election did not hold.
Kogi State chapter of the PDP had disclosed that a level playing ground had been created for the three contestants for the party’s governorship primaries.
No sooner had the statement came than the PDP in the state chaired by Sam Uhuotu, spoke throuh the publicity secretary, Bode Ogunmola that the 926 delegates for the election had come to town.
However, another message, promptly came from Abuja national secretariat of the party through the national publicity secretary, Olisa Metu, to the effect that logistics would hinder the conduct of the party primary, in Kogi. The party had to postpone the primary to tomorrow, Monday, September 14.
No sooner was the primary canceled, than series of meetings at the national level of the party began.
In one of the meetings, at the Abuja Governor’s Lodge of the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, PDP governors proposed the prevailing on one of the aspirants, Jubril Isa, to step down for Governor Idris Wada. Mimiko is the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.
This idea by the governors, it was gathered, was against the backdrop of fears that the incumbent governor might be beaten in the primary by Isa.
Isa, popularly called Echocho, had won the PDP primaries in 2011, but was dumped by the party on the ground that his ticket was no longer valid.
While the fear of the governors was the possibility of their colleague getting disgraced at the primaries, it is yet unclear what offers they agreed to make to Isa, especially considering the handicap that the PDP no longer holds power at the center.
A source at the PDP governors meeting, confirmed the meeting of the governors but claimed they are not pressuring anybody to step down.
He, however, did not rule out the possibility just as he alluded to the party’s prerogative to look for the best ways to win the election.
The source said “as it stands now, I cannot say there is pressure yet on anybody to step down but that cannot be ruled out yet. The party will always look for the easiest way to win the election. The party will look for an easy way to prevail on the toughest opponent to step down in the interest of the party.”
However, a member of the party’s national working committee (NWC), who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that the meeting of the governors, noting that it was informed by the governors’ worry over the situation of their colleague.
The NWC member told some newsmen in confidence that the “party leadership is in dilemma over the situation. I can tell you that if the primaries hold today, the governor stands a risk of being defeated. So his colleagues are trying to save him from such disgrace by asking the strongest opponent to step down for him.”
Another party source, however noted that all other organs of the party were also meeting over the Kogi primary, stressing that there will no imposition of candidates in the party anymore.
The source said besides the governors’ meeting, other stakeholders are also bent on ensuring that a credible candidate emerged. He noted that the party cannot afford to impose candidates or conduct a primary that is not transparent which has been identified as one of the major problems in the party over the years.
There is more. The stories making the round in Kogi State indicate that Wada is beinghunted by his enemies and all they want is a change of standard bearer for the party in the Novenmber 21 governorship election in the state.
According to some analysts, if PDP knew that there were some bickering in the party against Wada, what delayed them till when the date for party primary had dropped to hours before commencing to “mend the ship on the high sea, making people to believe and confirm that imposition of candidate is the culture of PDP and what led to its monumental fall from bein the biggest party in Africa to a weeping baby of Africa.”
Several factors have been adduced to be responsible for the electoral downturn of the party and what is playing out in Kogi somehow confirms that the party still would not allow internal democracy to play in the party.
Its alleged in some quarters that the former President Goodluck Jonathan, is against Wada for an alleged disloyalty, so also is his political godfather, former Governor Ibrahim Idris. It is believed in some quarters that one of the reasons why Wada is being seen as havin under-performed in the state is that he continued with the projects initiated by Idris, his predecessor, whom today has been swayed by his sons to endorse and stand by Isah.
Worrisome, to some people is that if APC could conduct a free and fair primary election for 28 candidates, why not PDP for only three candidates, Isah, Hon Bamidele Anotu and Wada? Those who are familiar with Kogi State politics told LEADERSHIP Sunday that an attempt to drop Wada from the race would serve the death knell for the party in Kogi, and in the North-central.
At the party secretariat in Lokoja, the PDP state chairman Engr. Uhuotu said the party was fully prepared for the exercise and stressed that the exercise would be transparent, free and fair. Uhuotu who pointed out that the 926 delegates were ready for the primaries, noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been duly informed of the arrangement.
According to him “we have three aspirants seeking to fly the party’s flag . The three of them have been cleared by the screening committee, put in place by the national secretariat of our party. An electoral committee has also been appointed to conduct the exercise.
“We are not resting on our oars to ensure that the wishes and aspiration of the delegates are respected . We on our part will not compromise on standards.”
