By Henry Umoru

AHEAD of May 29 date for the formal inauguration of  President-elect  Goodluck Jonathan, there is palpable anxiety among  members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have started scheming for  positions  under the incoming government  just as the ruling  party leadership will barring last-minute change in  plan, meet this week to discuss, among others, who gets what in the next cabinet.

It was also gathered that the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party will discuss at the parley which geo-political zones the leadership positions of the National Assembly will go to as well as the pending issue of the party’s national chairmanship presently being occupied by the deputy national chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, who hails from the north after Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo was forced to resign.

Four geo-political zones viz: south-east, north-east, north-central and south-west, are locked in a battle to produce the National Assembly top offices – the senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives – after the presidency and the vice presidency went to the south-south and north-west respectively.

From right: PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; D.G. Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida; President elect, Goodluck Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo and other PDP dignitaries at the grand finale of the PDP Presidential Campaign in Abuja.

Two members of the NWC of the PDP, who spoke with Sunday Vanguard, said that though they have the issues of resolving the zoning of the National Assembly top jobs as well as the party’s national chairmanship  to address, they will  raise them at the meeting.

One of them said, ‘’the ruling party, as expected will from next (this) week begin to deliberate on the issue of distribution of political powers at the federal level in line with a new zoning arrangement to be agreed to by the national caucus of the party.’’

Party members are reaching out to top stakeholders of the PDP, especially members of the Board of Trustees, BoT, and notable chieftains to get the attention of Jonathan ahead of returning from his Obudu retreat.

Top members of the PDP, who could not make elective offices they contested for, especially the governorship candidates, National Assembly members, former members of the federal parliament  top the list of lobbyists for the cabinet appointments, just as there are well over 50 ministerial positions.

The lobby became intensified following the completion of the presidential and governorship  except for Imo State gubernatorial election slated for Friday.

The intense lobby for federal appointments  is not only restricted to those who lost out or party members who have contributed to the victory of Jonathan, but also from the current members of the cabinet who are also not  sure if they will be reappointed, even as they are pressing on some key members of the NWC who have the listening ears of the president.

Others are also struggling to be named chairmen of  juicy boards of parastatals. Some prominent members of the PDP, mostly senators and members of the House of Representatives who lost their various elections have literarily relocated to Abuja to position themselves for the challenges ahead.

According to a source, there are moves by the president to bring into the new cabinet  representatives of the opposition  parties in fulfilment of his promise to form a robust government especially against the backdrop that 45 registered opposition political parties had adopted him ahead of the election as their presidential candidate.

This is also coming against the background of reported pact between him and the leading opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, before the election which purportedly saw some some ACN states, a Labour Party state  as well as that of APGA voting  for Jonathan.

The former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, had, while congratulating the president-elect, counselled him on the need to constitute a strong cabinet to be made up of dependable and  experienced hands who would assist in advancing the cause of governance, just as he stressed the need for the incoming government to strengthen  national unity because of the mistrust and primordial suspicion especially before the primaries and also prior to the elections.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had also advised Jonathan to concentrate on the task of promoting national unity through the next cabinet, suggesting that the president-elect  should make a statement with the calibre of men and women to constitute the cabinet.