When in 2017, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike handpicked their choices to serve in the then National Executive Committee, NWC, of the party; few imagined how far they could go in the future.
Four years on, the governors have literally taken over the party as they are now, without doubt, the sole determinants of who gets what, when and how.
From the get-go, the 13 governors made it clear they weren’t interested in a fierce political contest but in a consensus arrangement that would see them pick the 21-man national officers’ list to serve the party in the next four years.
For weeks, the likes of former Senate President, David Mark, former Katsina, Gombe and Kaduna states governors-Ibrahim Shema, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Ahmed Makarfi flirted with intent to succeed Prince Uche Secondus as the party national chairman.
However, It took Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom an insistence of the audacious kind for his colleagues to withdraw their support for the trio and pledged same to Iyorchia Ayu, the new party chairman. Ayu, a Tiv man, hails from the same state of Benue as Ortom.
In the South-East, Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) settled for Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the new national secretary of the party. Anyanwu hails from Imo state.
In doing so, Cyril Maduabum, the Director General of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Okey Muo-Aroh were prevailed upon to withdraw from the race.
While Maduabum played the loyalty card by promptly quiting the race, Muo-Aroh insisted on heading to the convention but ended up getting disqualified from the race on account of having earlier taken the PDP to court; a charge he dismissed with a wave of the hand.
To their credit, the governors micro zoned the office of the national auditor to Anambra state and gave the slot to former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi.
Following the commencement of sales of nomination forms, the trio of Okechukwu Daniel, Samben Nwosu and Chibuogwu Benson-Oraelosi purchased forms to vie for the office. Less than three weeks of intense lobbying cum cajoling brought the race to a no contest as Okechukwu Daniel emerged consensus candidate few minutes before balloting.
The PDP northern governors again glossed over former Minister of Women Affairs, Maryam Ina Ciroma for the office of deputy national chairman (North), as they settled for Umar Iliya Damagum. Thus, Ciroma lost twice in a row as her contest for same position in 2017, similarly failed.
Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde put his might on show as his preferred candidate for the position of deputy national chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, made it to the consensus list.
Consensus List
- Iyorchia Ayu- national chairman2. Umar Iliya Damagum- deputy national chairman (North)
- Taofeek Arapaja- deputy national chairman (South)
- Samuel Anyanwu (national secretary)
- Ahmed Yayari Mohammed (national treasurer)
- Umar Bature (national organizing secretary)
- Daniel Woyegikuro (national financial secretary)
- Stella Effah-Attoe (national woman leader)
- Mohammed Kadade suleiman (national youth leader)
- Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade (national legal adviser)
- Debo Ologunagba (national publicity secretary)
- Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel (national auditor)
- Setonji Koshoede (deputy national secretary)
14 Ndubisi Eneh David (deputy national treasurer) - Ibrahim Abdullahi (deputy national publicity secretary)
- Ighoyota Amori (deputy national organizing secretary)
- Adamu Kamale (deputy national financial secretary)
- Hajaja Yakubu Wanka (deputy national woman leader)
- Timothy Osadolor (deputy national youth leader)
- Okechukwu Osuoha (deputy national legal adviser)
