5 PDP members aspire for party's chairmanship position

Five top members of the Peoples Democratic Party from southern Nigeria want to be national chairman 

 The party is currently facing serious leadership challenge with Sheriff and Makarfi leading two factions – The south-east and south-west are battling for the vice-presidential slot in 2019 As the battle for the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party continues, five top members of the party from the southern part of the country are currently jostling for the seat of its national chairman. 

Members of the PDP at the recently held national convention of the party in Rivers state The five, according to a report by Daily Trust, include the out-going national vice chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; the national vice chairman for the south-south, Cairo Ojougboh; former deputy national vice chairman, Chief Bode George; a media professional, Chief Raymond Dokpesi; and a former senator, Bode Olajumoke. Currently, the party is embroiled in a leadership tussle with two factions, one led by Ali Modu Sheriff and the other led by a committee headed by Ahmed Makarfi. While some warring factions of the party on Thursday, May 26, resolved after a meeting, to support the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the party, some other members of the party including the representative of Ojo constituency 1 at the Lagos state House of Assembly, Victor Akande, believe Sheriff remains the recognised chairman of the party. The Makarfi-led PDP, supported by governors on the platform of the party, is to relinquish power within the next three months to allow a new leadership. Those in the race are otpimistic that the position of the chairman would be zoned to the southern part of the country since the national working committee of the party had zoned the presidency in 2019 to the north. The five aspirants, according to the report, would soon pick their forms while the south-west and south-east are battling to win the position of the vice president in 2019. READ ALSO: Top PDP leaders tell Sheriff not to sue Makarfi The report quoted a source close to Ojougboh as saying: “he has commenced preparations for the contest. He is consulting widely and he is receiving the nod of those that matter. “The Edo/Delta chapter of the party is pitched against the Rivers/Bayelsa chapter and this is because of Secondus’ ambition to contest as national chairman‎ if zoning is reviewed in favour of the South. “The people that matter in the party including governors never wanted the south-west to get the chairmanship slot because they have doubts on the ability of some politicians from there to lead the party. “Chief Dokpesi is not popular in the party, so he will have an avalanche of challenges to grapple with. He is best known to be a media man. “He also has a court case the outcome of which can’t be predicted for now.” Sheriff was sacked as chairman of the PDP at a national convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers state weeks ago. On the reason he was removed, Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, said the action was to save the party. The governor said even though he was one of those who supported the former chairman, he had no option  than to support his removal so as to forestall disintegration of the party, adding that: “We cannot sacrifice the party for any individual.”