By Emmanuel Aziken & Henry Umoru

THE peaceful handover of leadership baton that took place at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP last Monday was an unusual event in the twelve year history of the nation’s ruling party. None of the previous national chairmen ever handed over peacefully. One, Vin Ogbulafor was shepherded from office to face court trial, another Audu Ogbeh was intimidated out of office. The immediate past substantive national chairman, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo was made a national spectacle. Nwodo indeed had the rug pulled out from under his feet on national television while presiding over the party’s last national convention.

Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed could have followed the same track having been mentioned in the Siemens scam, but his culpability was never established.

It was as such an hilarious Haliru Mohammed after occupying the seat of national chairman for six months who had the benefit of affirming a new tide in the PDP.

“This shows that PDP has grown in maturity and our leadership has stabilized,” Bello said on Monday at the handing over ceremony.

However, the handing over was not devoid of its own controversies. Though Mohammed handed over to the party’s National Secretary, Dr. Abubakar Baraje, the former acting national chairman was to affirm that Baraje cannot for now occupy the office of acting national chairman until the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party meets to ratify the decision.

He equally said that same ratification by NEC would also apply to the Deputy National Secretary, Dr. Musa Babayo before he assumes office as the Acting National Secretary of the party.

*Haliru and Baraje

Dr. Mohammed was the Deputy National Chairman under Nwodo and had to take over in acting capacity following Nwodo’s faux pas during the January national convention of the party. Nwodo’s forced resignation despite his commendable efforts in reforming the party and other laudable efforts followed the power tussle between him and some elements of the party in his native Enugu State.

While the party’s tradition was to appoint a replacement for a national officer from the same zone as that of the person being replaced, the party has this time decided to forego the practice. The party’s decision was reached after a meeting by the party’s national stakeholders including President Goodluck Jonathan last weekend.

No reason was given for this decision though there is presently no national officer from Nwodo’s Southeast region who could easily have stepped into the office.

It is, however, believed that the party chose to pull a man from within the system in order not to stress already stretched sensibilities within the party. That was despite the clamour by Southeast stakeholders in the party who led by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and the PDP governors from the region had fought for the Southeast to finish its tenure.

To assuage the feelings of the Southeast stakeholders the party agreed to bring forward the national convention of the party to next November as against the earlier proposed March, 2012.

Ekweremadu had earlier called for the immediate dissolution of the National Working Committee if the clamour for the Southeast for the office of National Chairman was to be refused.

Speaking at the formal handing over ceremony Mohammed who is now the Minister of Defence said: “We came in 2008 and all the four years, it has been very dramatic; we had turmoil but  we have been able at every stage to come through the challenges. We have weathered the challenges successfully particularly during the death of late President Umaru Yar’Adua and to the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan, first as acting president and as president.

“I came as an acting chairman at a trying time when congresses were just concluded and elections also concluded and with all court cases and complaints after post elections; it had not been easy”.

His confessions of difficult challenges nonetheless, one proof of Dr. Bello’s seemingly worthy testimonial in office is the reduced level of rancour that preceded the party’s nominations ahead of the last general elections. Quite unlike his predecessors, Bello was not deeply involved in the change and substitution of PDP candidates as was the case with many of his predecessors.

Anambra State was perhaps the only exception during the last election round.

Bello was to provide ingredients that helped him in his successful stewardship of the party. Among the ingredients mentioned was the culture of consultation with notable stakeholders in the party. Among the stakeholders he mentioned were the presidency, the party’s leadership, members of NEC, board of trustees and national caucus.

Receiving the handover notes, Baraje admitted that it was the first time a former chairman would hand over and commended Mohammed for his transparency and dedication to duty.

It was also a day when members of the NWC poured encomiums on the outgoing Acting National Chairman and the National Auditor, just as the National Organising Secretary, Prince Uche Secondus and the National Treasurer, Williams Makinde all hailed them for their leadership styles, transparency, courage and focus.