BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

ABUJA — As the nation waits anxiously the names of ministers President Goodluck Jonathan intends to work with in his new administration, the list of nominees from the Federal Capital Territory is threatening to tear the PDP chapter of the party apart.

Vanguard was told that the battle for the control of the ministerial list is between the Chairman of the FCT chapter of the PDP, Hassan Gwagwa, Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, and some chieftains who considered themselves major financiers and loyal members of the party in the FCT.

The bone of contention is that the FCT minister, in conjunction with the PDP chairman in the FCT, Hassan Gwagwa had, against due process, drawn and submitted a list of ministerial nominees allegedly made up of ANPP apologists.

A member of the party, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said, “non-financiers of the party who are not qualified, who are also not technocrats, who have nothing to offer, and who cannot be said to portray the quality of manpower that exists in the FCT, are the persons being pushed to President Jonathan for selection as ministers.”

Disclosing that the chairman of the party in FCT saw qualified candidates as threats to his position, the PDP chieftain said:  “These qualified candidates bought vehicles for the party offices in the six  area councils in Abuja, contributed financially towards the success of the last elections and paid their dues; which none of those being recommended did for the party”.

Giving the names of such credible party chieftains as Musa Talle, Ayuba Ngbako, Aliyu Baka, Sidi Ali and former permanent secretary for 15 years, Aboki Zawa among others as the technocrats who could help President Jonathan achieve his promises, the PDP chieftain said such names as Danladi Etsu zhin, former chairman of Kuje area council and his likes, being sponsored by the minister and chairman of the party, were too inexperienced to catch up with the expectation of President Jonathan’s administration.

Continuing the PDP chieftain said “it is most unjustifiable that people who never worked for the party in any capacity came from the ANPP just two months ago, are the ones getting nominated and a serving minister is championing their appointment, while most of the qualified technocrats who have served the party loyally for over two years and more are being neglected.”

Jonathan was consequently advised to carry out his own investigation of nominees presented to him by the FCT, pick a team that will assist him achieve results and ignore the ‘list of neophytes’ being presented to him ,who have nothing to offer other than serve ‘individual interests”.

The PDP chieftain disclosed that the action of the Chairman of the party in the FCT as well as that of the minister, has generated a lot of complaints and questions from the party faithful and loyalists as to why such eminently qualified people were not included in the ministerial list sent to Jonathan.

“Unless the President who is national leader of our party redresses this anomaly and searches for credible people who are technocrats from the FCT that will make him succeed in his arduous task, in the next 4 years, the PDP in the FCT may develop into crises”, the chieftain warned.