- The PDP chairmanship aspirants’ meeting has again failed to produce a consensus candidate
- It had zoned its chairmanship slot to the south which comprises southwest and south-south
- The party’s national convention has been slated for December 9 to elect its principal officials
The meeting by chairmanship aspirants for the December 9 national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to choose a consensus candidate among them, was again deadlocked.
New Telegraph reports that this was the second meeting the aspirants were holding since they were unveiled on October 24 at the PDP national secretariat.
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NAIJ.com gathered that eight persons have been intensifying their campaigns for the chairmanship of the party, which has been zoned to the south. Six of them are from southwest while two come from the south-south.
The first meeting of the aspirants, which was hosted by Dr. Raymond Dokpesi last week, was attended by six of the aspirants.
Former deputy national chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George and former Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, were absent, necessitating the rescheduling of another meeting last Tuesday.
However, only four aspirants - Dokpesi, Daniel, Jimi Agbaje and Toaheed Adedoja, attended the meeting, which was again hosted by Dokpesi. No reason was given for the absence of the other four.
Daniel who spoke to journalists at the end of the meeting, however, still believe the aspirants could choose a consensus candidate among them.
“Nothing is impossible especially when you have people of like minds. Even in the podium on the December 9, some people may, for a reason say that they want to step down. It happened before,” he said.
Daniel blamed the media for the “hype” as he described the contest as a family affair.
”You must appreciate that all of us are friends and pals. We have come a long way and this intra-party contest is not going to make any difference and this is what we are demonstrating here.
“Yes, it is indeed a contest for the chairman of the party; it is not a do or die sort of thing.
“But I think what we have demonstrated here is that we are of the same family; we are from the same party, of the same ideology and all of us are eminently qualified.
“I do strongly feel that with the array of people that have come out it means that there is prospect and hope for the party, and that Nigerians are looking up to PDP to effect the change,” he added.
He looks forward to a successful convention as he stated that it is incumbent on the aspirants to ensure that the forthcoming convention was a success.
Dokpesi also noted that there was no enmity among the aspirants, adding, ”All of us are working together, we are brothers and we have been together for a long time for something close to 30, 35 years. All we want to do is to serve the party and do our very best.”
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Dokpesi who was present at the inauguration of Bode George’s campaign office last week promised to attend that of Gbenga Daniel on Tuesday, October 31.
A source at Prof. Adeniran campaign office told this medium Dokpesi was in the office last Monday, which Dokpesi himself confirmed.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that a fresh crisis reportedly ensued between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over some south south governors' choice of national party chairman.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Wednesday, 1 November 2017