Barely any unforeseen circumstances, former Minister of State for Power in the immediate past Federal Government, Hon Mohammed Wakil, from Borno State will be named as the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this week.
The Nigerian Tribune learnt that his nomination has been agreed upon by stakeholders of the party from his zone, the North East, which the party leadership requested to forward a candidate to serve out the tenure of Dr Adamu Mu’azu who resigned after leading the party to a devastating electoral defeat last year.
Last Tuesday’s meeting called in Gombe for the purpose had been unable to reach a consensus, which had apparently now been achieved after more horse trading among the parties involved.
When ratified by the party national organs whose meeting have been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Wakil who was majority leader in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 and later, Speaker of the House of Representatives, will serve out the remainder of Mu’azu’s tenure which expires at the end of March.
His emergence is said to have been endorsed by Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, who was intent on pushing the post out of his North East zone or Gombe State in order to avoid any negative consequences on his 2019 presidential election because of the zoning principle of the PDP.
Apart from Wakil, other persons from the zone interested in the position are two former Special Advisers (Political Matters) to President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak (Adamawa) and Prof Rufai Alkali (Gombe) who was also the PDP National Publicity Secretary.
Also interested are immediate past Minister of the FCT, Dr Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); former National Vice Chairman (North East) Senator Paul Wampana; Ambassador Iliya Damagum, Senator Sa’idu Kumo, Abdulahi Jalo and former Minister of State, Mohammed Wakil.
Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu, initially showed interest but has since abandoned the ambition.
Current PDP National Vice Chairman (North East), Senator Girgir Lawan who summoned the North East stakeholders meeting in Gombe to nominate a chairmanship candidate ended up presenting himself as a candidate.
Wilberforce Juta, one time governor of old Gongola State had his named mentioned briefly too as Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku is believed to have touted his candidature.
Wakil’s selection is coming at a time some stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are mulling the idea of a national caretaker committee to replace the present National Working Committee (NWC) with a term of between six months to one year and mandate to re-organise the party.
If the idea sails through, it would be the first time since the formation of the party that it would have a caretaker leadership at the national level even though such measure has been commonplace at other levels of the party’s leadership.
The proponents are saying that a national caretaker committee could be set up under a “doctrine of necessity” and would not be frowned at by the PDP’s constitution since it already accommodates it at other levels.
Top party source confided in the Nigerian Tribune that some members are pushing for it, arguing that the North East cannot produce a consensus national chairmanship candidate before the scheduled meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday of the national organs including the National Caucus, Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Executive Committee (NEC), meaning that there will be no national chairmanship nominee from the zone to present to the various organs for their ratification.
But this has clearly been negated by the emergence of Wakil as the nominated chairmanship candidate even though it is not clear if all other aspirants will go with his choice.
The Nigerian Tribune learnt that the PDP is also in quandary because the new party boss from the North East, in line with its zoning policy, can only be in office legally till the end of March to finish the tenure of Mu’azu along with the rest members of the present NWC before a fresh process is launched to produce a new NWC as prescribed by its constitution.
The source said, the options available for the party will be a national caretaker committee, the extension of the tenure of NWC led by the acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus or he could be replaced till March by Dr Ahmed Gulak.
This can happen if the former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters who has gone back to court to enforce an earlier ruling ordering Secondus out of his seat and declaring Gulak chairman gets a favourable ruling.
Not only that, the party may also be forced into extending the tenures of its ward, local government, state and zonal levels because the programme of congresses and the national convention has not been approved by NEC.
The PDP had by December last year scheduled its Ward Congresses for Saturday, February 27, 2016; Local Government Congresses for Saturday, March 5, 2016; State Congress for Saturday, March 12, 2016; Zonal Congresses for Wednesday, March 16, 2016 to culminate in the National Convention on Saturday, March 19, 2016 where it hopes to elect a new NWC.
Unless Secondus’ appeal of the judgment secured by Gulak is successful, his present programme of party congresses and convention may see as illegal.
With little time left at their disposal before the tenures of party executives run out, this week’s party organs’ meetings may be forced into a drastic action, the party source said.
Our source volunteered: “The problem we are going to have is that the various organs of the party right from the wards, local governments, states, zones were elected the same week. As from March 24 all these organs tenure will expire
“It is not just selecting a chairman but you also have to take a decision on the others.
“But the NWC may also come up with their agenda to say they need time plan for the convention.
“Will they get the chance? If they get it, are you going to appoint a caretaker committee? At the national level, we have never had a caretaker committee. But at the state level, we have been having caretaker committees
“If the constitution has not frowned at the caretaker committee at the state levels, it cannot also frown at caretaker committee at the national level.
“The national leadership should set up an emergency caretaker committee with a minimum of six months or not more than one year within which to do reconciliation, head count to know who’s on the ground, which has left the party, strengthen the party machinery at the ward, local government and state levels.
“Congress were supposed to start soon. If you want to conduct them where will you start? Most of the states have no governors especially on northern Nigeria except Gombe and Taraba.
“If you want to do congress now, there will be a lot of acrimony. Doctrine of necessity is required
“We must have a caretaker committee because you cannot amend the constitution now. What the party has done so far is illegal. Like for example, talking about the constitution review. NEC did not approve it. Convention programme now, NEC did not approve it.
“Going by their arrangements, congresses were supposed to have started even before NEC had met.
“Gulak has gone back to court for enforcement and may become automatic chairman if the situation is not resolved now.
“There must be institution memory, there must be a group of people selected who can make sacrifice and be ready to work for the party,” the party source argued.
However, when contacted, the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said those contemplating the idea of a national caretaker committee lack adequate knowledge of the party’s constitution.
He said such persons were not likely to be members of the NWC would not have the opportunity to press home their idea.
“We will not do anything that the Independent National Electoral Commission will hold us on,” Metuh said.