Finally, the D-Day is here as all is now set for the most talked-about Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) convention, which is scheduled to hold in Abuja tomorrow. Interestingly, we gathered that as much as 92 aspirants are in the running for 23 offices at national convention of the party.
Following months of legal tussle, in-fighting and bickering, which nearly tore the PDP into shreds, the party is now set to reorganize and restrategise to be able to reclaim power come 2019 from the All Progressive Congress (APC), which many believe has nothing to offer Nigerians anymore having spent over two years of their first term clueless.
According to reports from the party secretariat, some of the offices to be contested for at the convention include the national chairman of the party, which would take over from the temporary leadership; the deputy national chairman (South), deputy national chairman (North), secretary, deputy national secretary, national legal adviser, deputy national legal adviser, national organising secretary, national youth leader, and national publicity secretary.
The aspirants that are gunning for the chairmanship position include Mr. Uche Secondus, Mr. Gbenga Daniel, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Rashidi Ladoja, Mr. Taoheed Adedoja, Mr. Tunde Adeniran, Chief Olabode George, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and Mr. Aderemi Olusegun. There is no woman that is contesting the chairmanship position of the PDP at the convention.
All the chairmanship aspirants had been screened by a screening panel headed by a former governorship candidate of the party in Edo State, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The screening took place at the Presidential Campaign office of the party, popularly known as Legacy Building, which is located at Maitama District in Abuja. Seven out of the nine aspirants are from the South-West. Secondus and Dokpesi are from the South-South. There were surprises on the list of those competing for the position of Deputy National Chairman (South), as some names from the South-West featured prominently on the list. They are a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, and a former Minister of Solid Minerals, Chief Sarafa Isola.