2011: Presidency, PDP troubled over party’s chances in South-South
Written by Idowu Samuel, Abuja. Thursday, 04 November 2010
But as they do this, there appears to be a major obstacle that needs to be cleared.
Nigerian Tribune can report authoritatively that both the presidency and the ruling party are worried about the chances of the PDP in the South-South zone, as each of the states in the zone is embroiled in one problem or the other ahead of the 2011 elections.
However, national chairman of the PDP, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, allayed the fears that the chances of the party were threatened in the south-south.
But according to the contents of a working document, a copy of which was exclusively obtained by the Nigerian Tribune from an impeccable source, an independent committee secretly working for Jonathan within the presidency had identified some areas of conflict in most states of the region, just as the document classified them as ‘slightly troubled’ and ‘very troubled.’
The committee equally reports directly to the president through one of his very close aides.
In the category of the “very troubled” states are Bayelsa, Delta and Edo, while Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom are branded as “slightly troubled” states.
For instance, the committee, in the case of both Bayelsa and Delta states, suggested an “all-embracing peace initiative” to avoid mass defection of members of the party to other political parties.
“In analysing the issues in each of the states in the region, it was discovered that the cause (s) of disaffection in each of the states were peculiar to one another; they are equally borne out of the desire of actors to have total control of the party.
“Based on our earlier submissions, a conclusion was easily reached that the issues in the cases of Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers states are issues that are not totally out of hand as their governors appear to be in total control, not only of party apparatus, but they have equally enjoyed smooth relationship with major actors except in a few exceptional cases where some estranged personalities have different inclinations in ‘national politics,’ which, of course, are obvious to Your Excellency.
“The same may not be said of Bayelsa, Delta and Edo states, as the preponderance of too many bigwigs in the party is the collective cause of the unending conflicts in the states.
“But in the cases of Bayelsa and Delta states, an unpleasant trend may emerge from the conflicts. Unless urgent steps are taken to stop it, it is apparent that many party big wigs are on the verge of leaving the PDP for other political parties in protest against their governors for reasons as contained in part three of the attached.
“It is, therefore, recommended that an all-embracing peace initiative is necessary in order to avoid the embarrassment of mass defection to other political parties at the point of governorship election in those states.”
But Nwodo, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Media Matters, Ike Abonyi, said there was nothing to fear as the elections drew nearer.
“I don’t think we need to worry ourselves because of the next general election; you are talking in terms of the real elections but we are only preparing for the party primaries.
“As far as we know, there is no candidate of the party until the primaries are conducted; as such, the question of PDP having sleepless nights because of pockets of avoidable clashes of interests in the South-South does not arise now.”
Meanwhile, the dwindling fortune of the PDP in the South-West zone has started sending jitters down the spines of the leadership of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan inclusive.
The PDP, in line with suggestions from President Jonathan has, however, started taking measures aimed at staving off the rampaging forays of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) into the zone.
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