The search for who succeeds former President Olusegun Obasanjo as chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be settled today as the party leaders have agreed to hold an election to fill the vacant office.
The position became vacant following the resignation of Chief Obasanjo in 2012.
Before the resort to election on January the 8th, it had been thought that the new BoT chairman would emerge by consensus as against an election proper.
But none of the contenders have agreed to step down for another.
In line with Article 12.77 of the party’s constitution, aspirants argue that the election would prove the level of acceptability of the winner to the party leaders as well as strengthen the party’s internal democracy which has been the undoing of many political parties in their selection processes.
Conveying the party’s new decision to the public, the board’s secretary, Senator Walid Jibrin said, PDP at its December meeting failed to agree on a consensus candidate and had thus settled for the process of election which had been fixed for today.
Jibrin, however, said that whoever emerges BoT chairman today would serve a single term of five years in accordance with the party’s constitution and must be sound, acceptable and credible with proven integrity and a clear vision for the party’s goals.
While the south-east zone is strongly pushing for the job, the north equally wants it in line with the zoning tradition in BoT.
The race is believed to be between the newly appointed chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Tony Anenih, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, and two former national Presidents of the PDP, Senator Ahmadu Ali and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo.
Other contenders are Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Shuaibu Oyedokun.
