As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) races to an ignominious cul-de-sac, former Jigawa State governor and founding member of the party, Sule Lamido, has urged members to pick the pieces of what’s left and rally behind the caretaker committee linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in a last-ditch attempt to stop the eventual collapse of opposition party.
After losing its bragging right as the minority party in the Senate owing to last week rash of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) as well as overtures to its last two standing governors – Bauchi and Oyo – increasing by the day, all hopes for final reconciliation today in a crucial meeting between the camps of the FCT Minister and the PDP governors seems dashed after the Wike faction made a complete routing at the weekend in the congresses held across states of the federation to uproot the last vestiges of the Turaki-led faction of party.
In Oyo State, a professor in the Department of Food Technology at the University of Ibadan, Abdulrahman Akinoso, emerged as chairman of the faction loyal to Wike. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members during the factional congress of the party held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium.
Other members of the newly elected executive include Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as secretary; Latifah Latifu as women’s leader; and A. Adeleke as youth leader.
The congress was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, as well as prominent members of the party.
The same situation played out in Kano State, where strong supporters of Wike emerged as new state executives. The 36 new members of the state executive council of PDP in Kano emerged through delegates’ consensus that certified their leadership under the Mohammad Abdulrahman-led National Caretaker Chairman of the party.
The Abdulrahman-led faction of the PDP also conducted a state congress in Borno State, where Abbas Aliyu emerged as the new state chairman.
Aliyu was elected alongside 34 other members of the state executive committee during the congress held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The newly elected executives were sworn in shortly after the exercise. The congress was monitored by INEC officials.
Also, an ally of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, Lanre Omolase, emerged as the PDP Chairman in Ekiti. The congress, monitored by INEC officials, also produced a former commissioner in the state, Tunde Ogunleye, as the party’s Secretary.
Other members of the State Working Committee elected at the congress include Babatunde Akande as Deputy Chairman; Femi Philips as publicity secretary; Lawrence Odunayo as Organising Secretary; Olugbenga Agbede as legal adviser; Mrs Ayodele Bosede as Women Leader; Banji Femi as Youth Leader; and Gani Bakare as Financial Secretary.
BUT chaos erupted during the conduct of the exercise in Taraba State after two different candidates were announced as consensus winners for the party’s chairmanship position.
