By Henry Umoru

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is at the moment grappling with the issue of many aspirants jostling for the position of national chairman of the party.  The office has been zoned to the North East. The party’s headache is how to drive the process that would lead to the emergence of a candidate who would be acceptable to the generality of its leadership and followership.

It had at its 56th National Executive Committee, NEC meeting held Thursday, July 28, last year, fixed its National Convention for Saturday, February 25, 2012, and handing over from February 27 to March 8, 2012, but the party had to change the dates following fears of the gale of insecurity in the country because of the activities of the Boko Haram sect through which many lives have been lost and property destroyed. Politically far-reaching was the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to adjust election time-table in some states.

The journey to electing the new members of National Working Committee, NWC, is scheduled to begin March 3 where the ward congresses will hold across the country. The National Convention is fixed for Saturday, March 24.

After the presidential primaries, the presidential elections and submission of ministerial nominees which took place last year, the next major task ahead for the party would have been the making of a national chairman and other members of the NWC to replace the present set of national leaders of the party.

The PDP had on March 8, 2008, ‘elected’ the present NWC with Prince Vincent Ogbulafor from Abia State as the National Chairman, but following some irreconcilable differences, he was forced to resign May 13, 2010 and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo from Enugu State stepped in, but barely after nine months in office, he was also forced to resign on January 17, 2011 (See Prologue).

Thereafter, the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed from Kebbi State, North West, stepped-in in an acting capacity to occupy the office that was originally zoned to the South East geo-political zone of the country. With President Jonathan appointing Mohammed the Minister of Defence, the PDP at its National Executive Committee, NEC, ratified the elevation of Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who until then was the national secretary, to the position of acting national chairman.

Ahmed Alkali

Now that the party has  come up with date for the national convention and the tempo for the contest has increased, aspirants are reaching out to party members, stakeholders and posters all over the nation’s capital city, Abuja, venue of the convention. Political gladiators from the North East are getting set to slug it out with one another for the coveted seat.

The number of those interested in the coveted position keeps swelling everyday with the sales of expression of interest forms which started last week.

At the end of the day, with political intrigues in place, if there is no replay of what happened March 7, 2008 where others were literarily forced to step down for Ogbulafor, it is most likely that the race will be open to the PDP acting National Secretary, Dr. Musa Babayo, Ambassador Hassan Adamu, Alhaji Bamanga Muhammed Tukur, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali; Alhaji Gambo Lawan; the PDP National Vice Chairman, North East, Senator Paul Wampana; Alhaji Shettima Mustapha; Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Birma; Adamu Bello; Senator Muhammed Abba Aji;  Ambassador Idris Waziri; Professor Jibril Aminu; Alhaji Adamu Muazu and Senator Danjuma Goje; among others and those whose identities are yet unknown, will step in the saddle.

Which of the states in the northeast (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe) will produce the next national chairman of the party? This is the critical question that has engaged the thoughts of President Goodluck Jonathan and state governors elected on the platform of the PDP that have become very powerful when the time to take decisions come.  They were there in 2008 and infact, the governors during the tenure of Bukola Saraki as chairman of their forum installed Ogbulafor. Who will Rotimi Amaechi, as chairman of the governors’ forum,install this time?

It was learnt that some of the aspirants have begun serious and quiet consultations with relevant stakeholders nationwide. Here are some of the aspirants, their strengths and weaknesses

*Bamanga Muhammed Tukur
In his 70s, Bamanga Muhammed Tukur was Governor of the Old Gongola State in the defunct Second Republic.  In the ill-fated Third Republic, he was a presidential aspirant on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). He thereafter was appointed Minister of Industries in the Interim National Government (ING) of Ernest Shonekan.

He was one of the founding leaders of the PDP and he is a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT). Tukur has a wealth of experience in public office. But the same thing cannot be said of political party administration. Besides, he may not have the physical energy that the reconciliation and restructuring of the PDP requires. But he dismissed critics that are of the view that he is old, saying that it is not a barrier, rather, it will be a blessing to the party.

Bamanga Tukur

*Hassan Adamu
Hassan Adamu (Wakilin Adamawa), a member of NEC and Board of Trustees, BoT, is said to be interested in leading the party. But there are doubts on his capacity to manage and neutralize the looming implosion in the party simply because he has never been involved in political party administration.

He had been appointed previously into government as Secretary for Mines and Power in the Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government (ING); Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Environment. He was also appointed Ambassador to the United States. He is in his 70s and very rich, but he may not have the luxury of sheer physical energy to embark on a cross country visitations to galvanize the party for critical reforms.

*Dr. Musa Babayo
Dr. Musa Babayo is presently the acting National Secretary of PDP.  Babayo, who was born March 21, 1957, hails from Azare, Katagum Local Local Government Area of Bauchi State. He graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and he is a banker, an administrator, a politician of repute and a founding member of the PDP.

What may work for Babayo is the fact that he is younger, especially in the face of the generational change that is urgently required for the self acclaimed largest party in Africa.  He has the physical energy to run the affairs of the party, to galvanize the party and he is intelligent, just as he understands the running of the party having been a member of NWC since 2008.

But what his political opponents are saying and which may work against him is the fact his home state, Bauchi, is well favoured in the present administration with two Ministers, Senator Bala Mohammed, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA and the Minister of State, Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali-Pate as well as the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi.

* Senator Muhammed Abba Aji
Senator Aji is 60 years old, former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters and hails from Borno State. Aji said he yielded to pressure from members of the party nation-wide and promised to reposition the PDP. He became very prominent when the issue of late President Umaru Yar’Adua transmission of power letter to the National Assembly came up and other national issues.

*Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali is the immediate past Chairman, Governing Board of the Federal University of Technology, Minna. Alkali was born 55 years ago in Hashidu, Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State to an Islamic scholar, teacher and farmer in July 20, 1954.

Professor Alkali had served his state variously as commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resource, and later Commissioner of Education and Youth Development under two different military administrations in 1997 and 1998.
He has been the spokesperson of the party and he understands the workings of the Party.

*Shettima Mustapha
He is from Borno State and an All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP controlled state. He was a Minister of Agriculture in the Second Republic; he is a member of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) and later became Minister of Defence in the Yar’Adua cabinet. He is in his 70s and, as feared, may suffer the same limitations as Tukur and Adamu.

*Idris Waziri
Ambassador Idris Waziri from Taraba State was Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Pakistan, former Minister of Commerce under the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. He is in his late 60s. He has not enjoyed any visibility since leaving the Federal Cabinet. Although younger in age than Adamu, Tukur, Mustapha and Aminu, he does not seem to possess any other quality that can give him an edge over them in terms of party administration.

* Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Birma
He is from Biu, a community in the Southern part of Borno State, a non PDP State. He is young and has the energy to deliver. He has been at the State level of PDP as the Secretary of Borno State PDP Campaign Organisation in the April poll.

*Jibril Mohammad Aminu
Jibril Mohammad Aminu is in his 70s and was born August 1939. He hails from Adamawa State; he is a Professor of Cardiology. He was in the Senate from 2003 to 2011 where he represented Adamawa Central Senatorial District. Before then, he was a delegate to the National Constitutional Conference from 1994 to 1995; he was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003. Going further down into the past, he was a University Vice Chancellor; he was Minister of Education and also Minister of Petroleum.

He was a member of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) and founding member of the defunct Congress for National consensus (CNC). The critical concern is, will he be able to withstand the exertions that the responsibilities of the office of national chairman will impose on him at his age?

*Gambo Lawan
Gambo Lawan is 53 years old; interestingly that is the same age of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is young and experienced.

He was elected Councilor/Vice Chairman, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council; elected Executive Chairman, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council under the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP); Forum Chairman, Borno State Elected Council of Chairmen; Deputy National Chairman, National Conference of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (now ALGON); member, National Presidential Campaign Committee [Abiola-Kingibe] Ticket of SDP; elected National Chairman of The Grassroots Democratic Movement, (GDM).

...Goje

He was Chairman, Publicity Committee, Barnabas Gemade Campaign Organization for PDP National Chairmanship; Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to PDP National Chairman.

He was also Chairman /Director-General Audu Ogbe, “Unity Team” Campaign Organization for PDP National Officers; member, Presidential Campaign Committee Obasanjo-Atiku Ticket; member, Presidential Campaign Committee Yar’adua-Goodluck Ticket; member, Presidential Campaign Committee Goodluck-Sambo Ticket.

He is coming to the job with his wealth of experience as GDM national chair. He is also from Borno State. He had told Journalists during an interactive that he would bring the needed transformation and change to the party where there will be internal democracy.

*Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar
Aliyu Modibbo Umar born of Kumo origin in Gombe State on November 15, 1958, was a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research and liaison, Chairman, board of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, PAN, Minister of State for power and later served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA. He is also young and has administrative experience.

*Adamu Muazu
Adamu Muazu is former Bauchi State Governor. He is Chairman of the Board of NIMASA. In his mid 50s, he is seen to be energetic. Although he is not experienced in political party administration, he is in public office administration. He may not enjoy the support of his State Governor and successor in office, Mallam Isa Yuguda. That will really be a big minus.

*Danjuma Goje
Danjuma Goje is the former Governor of Gombe State and a serving Senator representing Gombe Central Senatorial District. Will he be ready to abandon his senate seat for the position of national chairman of the party even if he were to be given the position unopposed? Goje certainly will.

That will make him preside over the biggest party in Africa. That will be better than the Senate where he is an ordinary member and where he is like a student in a classroom situation raising up his hand to be recognised to make contributions on the floor – especially having served as a governor. He is young and that presupposes that he is energetic.

Who will wear the crown? It is the man with whom Jonathan and the State Governors who control the delegates to the national convention will find very comfortable to work with to refocus the party and strengthen it with a view to tackling the critical challenges ahead.