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An emergency meeting
of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) was convened last Monday to attend to what the party called “some
burning issues”, especially the controversy that trailed the
dissolution of the executive committee of the Enugu State chapter of the
party.

Two days earlier,
the office of the national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo had, in a
statement dissolved the state executive committee and in its place
appointed an eight-member committee headed by Anthony Agbo, a senator,
to organise a fresh congress.

The state was among
the eight states whose congresses are being disputed by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC). The other states are Adamawa, Imo,
Kogi, Delta, Oyo, Plateau, and Bayelsa.

INEC, in a letter
sent out by its director of political party monitoring, Regina Omo-Agege
last month, said it would not recognize the congresses conducted in the
states because they did not follow laid down procedure and were
therefore inconclusive. The electoral body advised the ruling party to
conduct fresh congress where authentic executive committees would
emerge.

Although, the NWC
met over the matter and resolved to direct the party’s national legal
adviser, Olusola Oke to inform INEC that it was an internal matter, the
commission was to fire another letter to the party, this time signed by
its secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, insisting that the fresh congresses
must hold in the states.

With INEC’s fresh
letter and the controversy over dissolution of the Enugu State on its
agenda, the NWC went into the emergency meeting at the Legacy House,
Maitama, Abuja, formerly the campaign headquarters of the Obasanjo/Atiku
Campaign Organisation.

The meeting turned
out to be stormy. Chaired by the deputy national chairman, Haliru Bello
Mohammed, members of the committee were reportedly at dagger drawn over
the issue of congress. It was gathered that some of them expressed shock
at the dissolution of the party by Mr Nwodo, who was then holidaying in
the United States, through his media aide Ike Abonyi.

Party chiefs,
especially those sympathetic to the Enugu governor, Sullivan Chime,
viewed the development as an exhibition of personal interest by Mr
Nwodo, who himself hails from the state and was its governor. Some were
said to have argued that since the protest of the chairman of the
dissolved committee, Vitalis Abba had not come to it, there was no need
discussing it.

In the end, the NWC
resolved to set up a three-member committee, comprising Messrs Mohammed,
Oke and Abubakar Baraje, the national secretary, not only to look into
the matter but also to make representation to President Goodluck
Jonathan over the manner Mr Nwodo runs the party.

Besides, the deputy
national chairman was mandated to write INEC explaining why fresh
congress should not hold in the affected states. In his letter the
following day, October 25, Mr Mohammed, said that the congresses had
become matters of litigation in the court of law, particularly in Delta
and Oyo States.

He reminded INEC
that its then Resident Electoral Commissioner in Delta State, Humphrey
Nwangeneh, monitored the congress in the state and subsequently sent a
report to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

“The documents
emanating from your commission do not support the claim of inconclusive
congress in Delta state. While the above suit pending, no fresh congress
can legally hold in Delta state. There appears to be good reason for
the commission to have a second look at the case of Delta State,” Mr
Mohammed said.

In the case of Oyo
State, although the PDP deputy national chairman confirmed that INEC did
not monitor the congress as required by law, he said there was already
an order of injunction issued by a court, hence it would be wrong to
interfere in the matter.

“Our understanding
of the ruling on jurisdiction is that the ex-parte order earlier issued
by the court was never made and that at all materials times, the Oyo
state congress was never legally encumbered by any valid court order,”
Mr Mohammed said.

Mr Mohammed,
however, informed the commission of the party’s desire to conduct
another congress in Imo State between October 29 and November 1.

Although it could
not be confirmed if INEC has replied the party, the controversy over the
conduct of fresh congress is still tearing the party apart.

It is still not
certain how Mr Nwodo, who is due back in the country this weekend, will
respond to the development, especially the reported resolution of his
colleagues in the NWC to report him to Mr Jonathan over his dictatorial
tendencies since assuming office last June.

EFCC gets in the way

As he returns, he
will be confronted with another matter, the list of the alleged corrupt
officials posted on the website of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) but which was unveiled by the media earlier in the
week.

The issue came up
for discussion at the Monday’s NWC meeting, apparently because of the
preponderance of members of the ruling party on the list.

Among the party
faithful listed on the advisory list were formers governors James Ibori
(Delta), Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Lucky Igbinedion
(Edo), Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Michael
Botmang (Plateau), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa) and
Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa).

Iyabo
Obasanjo-Bello, a senator, two former aviation ministers, Babalola
Borishade and Femi Fani Kayode, former FCT Minister, Nasir el-Rufai and a
host of other members of the PDP also made the list. Interestingly,
some of them are aspiring to various elective offices in the forthcoming
polls.

A source revealed
that the NWC members were concerned because of the effect it would have
on its outing during the forthcoming general elections. Ahmed Rufa’I
Alkali, the party national publicity secretary was to publicly expressed
this concern.

“When the EFCC,
which is the professional organ responsible for this assignment, issues a
statement like this, many people will be concerned. We should be able
to calm them down to let them know that the party will not go after
their jugular just like that. So we want them to remain calm and
continue with their normal activities as party men and leaders,” Mr
Alkali said.

The PDP spokesman,
who said the party leadership had previously met with the EFCC
chairperson, Farida Waziri to discuss ways of ensuring rancor-free
elections, said it would not take any action based on the list because
the allegations against the politicians had not been established by any
court.

The north-south tango

Curiously, these
issues are trailing the controversial rotation of presidential power
between the north and the south, allegedly adopted some years ago. The
zoning issue had not only posed a serious threat to the unity in the
ruling party, but might mar its chances in the elections.

Already, a
significant number of its members in the north, are threatening protest
votes against the party if Mr Jonathan should insist on contesting the
presidential elections next year.

Besides, four of the
presidential aspirants from the north and their aides having been
meeting with some northern elders under the aegis of Northern Political
Leaders Forum headed by former finance minister, Adamu Ciroma with a
view to picking a consensus candidate amongst them. They are insisting
the north should be allowed to produce the nest president, at least till
2015, to serve out the tenure began by the late President Umaru
Yar’Adua, a northerner.

A 12-member committee appointed by the NPLF to pick the consensus candidate, is currently on tour of the 19 northern states.

But the deep seated
animosity in the 12 year old party has crept into the National Assembly,
where it holds the majority in both chambers. Only last Tuesday, the
Senate threw out a amendment sought by Mr Jonathan to the Electoral Act
2010.

The President had
sought an amendment to Sections 25 and 87, which would have altered the
sequence of the general elections and also allow presidential aides (in
the case of presidential primaries) to be delegates during the party
primaries. The approval of the amendment, many believe would give the
president victory over his challengers.

Interestingly, the
bill was opposed not only by those asking Mr Jonathan not to run but
also those supporting his ambition to succeed himself. Kanti Bello, the
deputy director general of the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation
led those who canvassed the defeat of the amendment.

Before the amendment
came to the floor, the issue was already mired in controversy following
alleged inducement of the senators and representatives by the
Presidency. The Presidency was alleged to have promised to give each
lawmaker $30,000 to allow the amendment scale through, but the senators
through their spokesman, Ayogu Eze denied it. The presidency also denied
this.

In any case, there
was also another allegation that the lawmakers were reluctant to pass
the amendment because their own interest was not factored into the
entire deal.

For a party going into election in a few months time against threatening opposition, the rising challenges are enormous.