President Goodluck Jonathan has resisted moves by rival groups in the Peoples Democratic Party to make him intervene in the raging crises in the party over the list of candidates to be officially adopted by the national electoral body in some states.
Investigations by our correspondents in Abuja on Friday showed that there had been moves by rival candidates in Ogun, Oyo, Enugu and Abia to get the President’s support.
It was, however, gathered that Jonathan insisted that since the party’s lists of candidates for the states were being contested in various courts, his intervention would amount to a violation of the rule of law.
Currently, there is uncertainty about the candidates that the PDP will present in the four states as there are court orders and counter-orders on the party’s lists.
Also, many of the affected members are confused about their political future, as it will be difficult for them to contest under the umbrella of other parties after February 14, which is next Tuesday.
The date is the deadline for parties to withdraw or substitute their candidates for the forthcoming elections in April.
In Ogun State, where two factions of the party held parallel primaries, the Independent National Electoral Commission accepted the list of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s faction.
The faction, which has a former Oyo State military administrator, Maj.-Gen. Tunji Olurin (retd.), as its governorship candidate and Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello as one of its senatorial candidates, had secured an injunction from a Federal High Court, Abuja.
The order restrained INEC from accepting the list of a rival faction led by the state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
Besides Daniel, who emerged a senatorial candidate of his faction, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, was elected by the group to contest the Abeokuta South Federal Constituency seat.
The hope of the Daniel’s group was dashed on Tuesday as it could not prevail on the Federal High Court to vacate the order, which prevented INEC from accepting its list.
The governor, who was angered by the turn of events, had on Tuesday hinted that he and his supporters would leave the PDP, if his group’s list was not accepted.
It was gathered that the governor was contemplating defecting to the Accord Party, where he and other candidates on his list might contest.
But the President sent a delegation comprising his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadome; a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih and the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, to meet with Daniel at his residence in Sagamu on Wednesday.
Investigations showed that at the meeting with the delegation, the governor lamented that he and his supporters were unjustly treated.
A member of the PDP National Working Committee said, “The governor stated that the PDP headquarters and INEC were represented at the group’s primaries. He insisted that his list was authentic.”
It was learnt that the delegation made the governor to understand that the party and the President were not ready to violate the rule of law.
The top member of the party said, “The governor was told that the President is not pandering to the wish of Obasanjo and that the party was not out to humiliate him. He was made to understand that Jonathan would not violate any court order.”
It was gathered that the governor was offered the party’s senatorial ticket for Ogun East, while the final verdict of the court is being awaited.
“The PDP leaders know the contribution of the governor and the speaker to the growth of the party. They are not prepared to let them go. They are, therefore, ready to offer them tickets for the April elections before the Abuja Federal High Court gives its judgement,” the PDP NWC member added.
But it was learnt that the meeting was inconclusive as the governor insisted his list should be accepted.
The PDP member said, “The governor reasoned that it would not be good for him to solve his problem and leave his followers in the lurch.”
But while Daniel’s meeting with the PDP leaders was inconclusive, there were indications that the Obasanjo’s group had decided to field Bankole for the Abeokuta South Constituency poll.
GidiGlobe Team investigations showed that the President, during a rally in Ibadan on Tuesday, appealed to Obasanjo to accommodate Bankole in his group’s list.
It was gathered that the members of Daniel’s faction were divided on the plan to leave the PDP. A member of the faction, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Many of us have decided not to follow the governor if he leaves the PDP.”
In Oyo State, our correspondents learnt that the governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala and other candidates of his faction were shocked that INEC cancelled their names from its list.
Before the cancellation of the names, the governor was among the PDP candidates that were given the party’s flag during Jonathan’s rally in Ibadan on Tuesday.
The PDP NWC member said, “The governor thought that the flag he was given was an indication that he had triumphed over his political enemies. He was shocked when he heard that INEC had withdrawn his name because of the order of a Federal High Court in Ibadan.”
Our correspondents learnt that Alao-Akala was hopeful that he would win the court case and be reinstated as the party’s candidate.
Besides Alao-Akala, INEC also withdrew the name of the Enugu State governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, as the PDP governorship candidate in the state because of an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Director of Media, Sullivan Campaign Organisation, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, however, said that the governor would emerge victorious. He said that the withdrawal of Chime’s name was in line with the rule of law.
Also, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday stopped INEC from recognising the incumbent governor of Abia State, Mr. Theodore Orji, as the PDP governorship candidate, pending the determination of a suit challenging his victory in the party’s state primaries.
Commenting on the various court cases, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said, “INEC will obey the law. It is a creation of the law and it will obey the law.”
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