Politics
PDP Chairmanship Race: Who Wears The Crown?
As ants swoop on sugar, a legion of politicians have indicated interest in leading the Nigeria’s ruling political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
At the last count, not less than 25 members of the party including the serious, not so serious and the unserious are jostling for the post even after zoning arrangement of the party. The race has been limited to only contestants from the South-East.
The contestants are the former Senate President, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Ex-National Secretary of the party and former Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Ex-National Vice Chairman, Chief Fidelis Ozichukwu, the incumbent National Vice Chairman, Olisah Metu and Chief Engr Ezekiel-Izuogu.
Going by the list so far, it could be said that the five front runners are attracting the attention of stakeholders for different measures.
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof Rufai Alkali says the South-East zone would still produce the next substantive chairman of the party. He said under the existing arrangement, the South-East produces the National Chairman of the party.
However, since Nwodo’s resignation, the party hierarchy has been polarised, some want Alhaji Bello Mohammed to be in charge till the next party convention, others want the South-East to complete their tenure, which expires in September 2011.
Quite interestingly, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is among those calling for a candidate from the South-East for the replacement of Okwesilieze Nwodo in order to give the zone a sense of belonging. The former President is rooting for Chief Ojo Maduekwe, whom he believes is more qualified than any one else.
President Goodluck Jonathan wants leaders from the zone to decide. Hence, the leaders from the zone have set up a seven man-panel headed by the Imo State Governor, Ikedim Ohakim to screen eligible contestants from the zone.
From investigation, the battle is certainly going to be between Chief Ojo Maduekwe and former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim.
A new twist to the contest is a court order barring one of the contestants, Chief Olisa Metuh from contesting, an Anambra High Court had barred Chief Olisa Metuh from contesting following a court action by two aggrieved members of the party, Prince Emeka Eze and Hon. Tim Egboka.
The South-East therefore needs to put its house in order to achieve a common political front for the people of the zone to clinch the chairmanship position of the party.
The political question now is who wears the crown as the next National Chairman of PDP from the South-East geo-political zone?
Surprisingly, prominent Northern politicians are in support of North holding unto the party chairmanship position to counter-balance the power equation in the country between the North and the South.
But what is puzzling political observers is the impact of frequent changes of PDP chairmanship and stability of the party. Does the changes foster stability of the party and voters confidence in the party?
Chief Isaac Obele Eeh, former State Financial Secretary of the PDP in the State said that such changes of the party leadership would never foster the much needed stability within the party. He said “frequent changes will never ensure policy stability in the party,” stressing that a new chairman comes with a new vision, blue print and policy thrust for running the party either to reforms weaken or strengthen internal democracy within the party.
Chief Eeh advocated for internal conflict resolution mechanism to be adopted within the party to settle differences arising from the party’s leadership, rather than frequent removal.
However, the PDP leadership must ensure internal reconciliation within the party by reaching out to most aggrieved members in order to face the general elections as one united political party, as a house divided against itself cannot stand.
However, for failing to unite the home front and ensure cohesiveness within the party in the South-East, the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo was forced to resign his position prior to the party’s national convention.
The former Chairman was alleged to have played an undignified role between the camps of the two frontline presidential aspirants of the party, prior to the primary won by President Goodluck Jonathan.
However the last political straw that broke the camel’s back over Nwodo’s removal was his alleged disobedience to a lawful court order issued by an Enugu High court. Nwodo was alleged to have flouted the Court order and his appearance briefly at the convention angered the party leadership.
The PDP said “Nwodo flouted a court order restraining him from parading himself as the National Chairman. His presence at the special convention caused the party some embarrassment.
The Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Bello Mohammed also said,” the action of Dr. Nwodo dragged the party into disrepute contrary to the party’s Article 21 (1) (c) & (h) of the PDP Constitution.
Meanwhile, since 2007 when the position of the party’s National Chairman was zoned to the South-East, the zone had produced two National Chairmen within a period of three years, nine months. In 2007, Dr. Vincent Ogbulafor who was elected the party’s National Chairman as a neutral candidate between the contending forces in the party to keep the party united following the polarisation of support for either Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, the former Senate President or Dr. Sam Egwu, former Governor of Ebonyi State who were campaigning then for the chairmanship position of the party.
Three years into his tenure, Dr. Vincent Ogbulafor was forced to resign to pave way for Nwodo as his successor. Immediately, Nwodo took over, he declared the zoning principle within the party dead while he embarked on internal reforms within the party.
At inception on 24th September, 1998 as a political party, Dr. Alex Ekwueme became the founding and interim National Chairman who voluntarily resigned the position to contest the party presidential primary with General Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. Chief Solomon Lar took over the mantle of leadership and led the party to victory by winning the presidential election in 1999 and majority governorship seats in the country.
Engineer Barnabas Gemade, now PDP senatorial candidate for Benue State took over the party chairmanship position from Chief Solomon Lar.
Chief Audu Ogbeh, a principled politician took over the mantle of the party leadership to restore confidence of the party members. Chief Ogbeh did his best to improve upon the image of the party.
Today, Chief Audu Ogbeh is a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Retired Army Colonel, Dr. Ahmadu Ali whose tenure was regarded as the “Garrison Command Period” took over from Chief Audu Ogbeh and successfully led the party to victory in the 2007 general elections.
Political watchers argue that for the South-East to produce a credible leader to move the party forward, that leader must have the political clout to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming elections.
The pitfalls of the past National Chairmen from the zone must be avoided by any incoming National Chairman. Only then can the party restore the confidence of Nigerians and in their party members.
Philip-Wuwu Okparaji
The state chairman of the party, Dr Babandi Gumel, disclosed this in a statement signed and made available to journalists on Saturday.
According to the statement, the Jigawa PDP received news of Alhaji Lamido’s suspension with “profound shock and disappointment”.
The statement added that the suspension, which was reportedly based on allegations that Alhaji Lamido attended meetings capable of undermining party unity, amounts to an affront to justice, internal democracy and the reconciliation efforts recently championed by the PDP leadership.
The party stressed that the exercise of legal and constitutional rights within the party should not be interpreted as an act of disunity. It recalled that Alhaji Lamido approached the court after he was allegedly denied the opportunity to purchase a nomination form to contest the position of National Chairman of the PDP.
The statement further noted that the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, ruled in Alhaji Lamido’s favour by restraining the PDP from proceeding with its national convention until his right to contest was determined.
The Jigawa PDP argued that the suspension appeared to be a punitive action against Alhaji Lamido for seeking judicial redress over an issue on which the court had already found merit.
The party also faulted the decision of the BoT for contradicting recent public statements by its chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, who had emphasised reconciliation within the party, admitted past mistakes and appealed to aggrieved members to return fully to the PDP fold.
However, it maintained that suspending a founding member who sought justice through legal means runs contrary to the spirit of reconciliation and healing publicly advocated by the party leadership.
The chairman said the suspension was premature and prejudicial, as the matter remains before the courts. He also described Alhaji Lamido as one of the few founding fathers of the PDP who has remained loyal to the party without defecting, warning that punishing such loyalty sends a negative signal to other committed members.
The party further argued that the action undermines party unity at a time when the PDP requires cohesion to effectively challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It also insisted that there is no provision in the PDP constitution that allows for the suspension of a “life member”.
The party called on the BoT to immediately and unconditionally withdraw the suspension of Alhaji Lamido.
It also demanded that the BoT publicly affirm the right of all party members to aspire to leadership positions in line with the party’s constitution and the laws of the country, without fear of victimisation.
It further urged the BoT to retrace its steps, align its actions with its reconciliation agenda, and tender an apology to Alhaji Lamido.
The Jigawa PDP reaffirmed its commitment to a united, democratic and law-abiding Party.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, CISLAC warned that if proven, such actions would amount to a serious breach of constitutional order, legislative integrity, and public trust.
The organisation noted that Nigeria’s law-making process is clearly defined by the Constitution, stressing that any alteration of a bill after parliamentary passage undermines democratic governance and the principle of separation of powers.
CISLAC further emphasised that taxation has direct implications for citizens, businesses, sub-national governments, and the overall economy. It stated that uncertainty or a lack of transparency in tax legislation could erode investor confidence and raise concerns about accountability and the possible abuse of executive power.
The organisation described the situation as particularly troubling given the rare inclusive, and thorough public consultation that shaped the law’s final provisions prior to its passage.
“This process brought together taxpayers, civil society groups, professional organisations, the private sector, labour unions, local governments, and technical experts, ensuring that diverse viewpoints were considered and carefully balanced.
“Any unilateral changes to these agreed-upon provisions, made outside the established legislative process and without renewed public engagement, not only breach public trust but also violate the fundamental tax principle of representation, which holds that citizens must have a meaningful voice in shaping the laws that govern how they are taxed. Such actions undermine democratic accountability, weaken the legitimacy of the tax system, and risk eroding public confidence”, it noted.
CISLAC expressed particular concern that uncertainty surrounding the authenticity of the tax law, coming at a time when a new tax regime is expected to take effect, could exacerbate the economic hardship already faced by many Nigerians.
It observed that citizens are contending with rising living costs, inflationary pressures, declining purchasing power, and reduced access to basic services, warning that implementing a disputed tax framework under such conditions, risks deepening inequality, discouraging compliance, and fuelling public resentment.
The organisation stressed that tax reforms must be anchored in clarity, legality, fairness, and social sensitivity, cautioning that any tax system introduced without full transparency, adequate public communication, and legislative certainty undermines voluntary compliance and weakens the social contract between the state and its citizens.
As part of its recommendations, CISLAC called on the Presidency to urgently publish the exact version of the tax law assented to, alongside the authenticated copy passed by the National Assembly, to allow for public and institutional verification.
It also urged the leadership of the National Assembly to promptly exercise its oversight powers to determine whether the assented law reflects the will of the legislature, including a review of the enrolled bill process.
The organisation maintained that any discrepancy discovered should be treated as unconstitutional and addressed through lawful means, such as the re-transmission of the correct bill or judicial interpretation where necessary. It further called for an independent review of the process by relevant institutions, including the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and, where required, the judiciary, to establish the facts and assign responsibility.
CISLAC noted that the controversy highlights the urgent need to strengthen safeguards at the legislative and executive interface. It recommended measures such as digital tracking of bills, public access to enrolled legislation, and more transparent assent procedures.
CISLAC emphasised that the issue is not about partisan politics but about safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions. It warned that allowing any arm of government to unilaterally alter laws passed by another sets a dangerous precedent and weakens constitutional democracy.
The organisation urged all parties involved to act with restraint, openness, and fidelity to the Constitution, noting that Nigerians deserve laws that reflect due process, the public interest, and the collective decisions of their elected representatives.
CISLAC added that it will continue to monitor developments and engage relevant stakeholders to promote accountability, transparency, and the rule of law in Nigeria’s governance processes.
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