Following Pressures on Ogbeh...
2003: PDP Renominates 20 Governors

May return Mbadinuju after today's primaries
Obasanjo meets governors, state chairmen
From Kola Ologbondiyan and Chuks Akunna in Abuja

Following intense pressure on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday dashed the hopes of all aspirants challenging the results of the last gubernatorial primaries as it handed out certificates of candidature and symbolic nomination flags to 18 incumbent governors. The certificates for two other governors who were absent at the presentation were ready.

The presentation of nomination certificates to the governors was, however preceded by a meeting between 18 of the state chief executives and President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Presidential Villa.

Also present at the meeting were Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the national cordinator of the Obasanjo-Atiku Campaign Organisation, Mal-lam Adamu Ciroma and his deputy, Chief Tony Anenih.

Of the 21 PDP governors, only Governors Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi) and Chinwoke Mbadinuju (Anambra) were absent at the handing over ceremony held at the conference room of the PDP national secretariat.

While Kalu and Egwu were said to be unavoidably absent, Mbadinuju is expected to slug it out with nine other aspirants at the Anambra State PDP gubernatorial primaries holding today.

Addressing the governors shortly before handing them PDP flags and certificates making them the party's official candidates in next April's gubernatorial elections, the PDP chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, acknowledged that there were pending protests and appeals on the primaries but said the party had by the primaries subjected the governors to sufficient hardship and was not poised to add to their pains.

He said: "All of you have gone through the primaries and we have received the results. In advanced democracies, whenever an incumbent declares intention to seek re-election, no other party member challenges him.

"But, we have made you pass through the rigours of primaries and the stress that accompanies it. It is not because we do not realise the roles you play as party leaders in the states, but we want to show that PDP is not unduly influenced," Ogbeh told the governors.

He lauded the PDP governors and members for what he said was a violence-free National Assembly and gubernatorial primaries of the party, describing the move as "one fantastic achievement."

The PDP chairman noted that, by the gesture, newspaper reports, foreign diplomats and watchers of Nigerian politics have been proved wrong on the fears of the likelihood of an outbreak of violence following the various primaries in the PDP.

"If you can achieve this (level of peace)," Ogbeh told the governors, "by the grace of God, we will achieve more in 2003." The PDP chairman hinged the need for certifying the governorship candidates on the stipulation of the Electoral Act that names of party candidates get to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by January 11, 2003.

However, it is believed that contrary to the claims by Ogbeh, he may have been compelled to issue the certificates following threats by the governors to boycott this weekend's national convention.

Sources told THISDAY that the governors had met with the PDP chairman Sunday night where they pointedly threatened to boycott the party's presidential primaries, slated for this weekend, if the party failed to hand them the flags and certificates by yesterday.

Until yesterday, the party leadership had made it clear that it would not succumb to pressures from any quarters to either influence the outcome of the results of the gubernatorial primaries in the states nor wish away the appeals and protests from "aggrieved parties."

THISDAY gathered that, following what the 21 PDP governors considered the "unduly hard stance" of the party leadership on the primaries, particularly the initial disqualification of Mbadinuju and Reverend Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, they (governors) began making frantic efforts to checkmate the PDP leadership.

The resolve of the governors to challenge the party leadership was reportedly strengthened with reports that some of their challengers at the primaries had inundated the party national secretariat in Abuja with petitions and that PDP was losing sleep over the protests and complaints.

While, for instance, second republic Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na'Abba, had met with the PDP chairman, protesting the emergence of Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso in Kano State, other aspirants, particularly those in Enugu and Bayelsa States, had forwarded strong petitions to the PDP headquarters.

It was on the strength of the fears of losing some of their own at the primaries that at least 16 of the governors reportedly met at the Abuja lodge of Governor James Ibori of Delta State Sunday night.

Shortly after the meeting, THISDAY gathered further, the governors headed straight for Ogbeh's private home, where they were said to have complained bitterly on the ignominious treatment being meted to them by the party.

They were said to have issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the party leadership, threatening to withdraw all their delegates to the January 5, 2003 national convention where the presidential candidate of the party will be selected if they were not recognised as flagbearers.

Also during the certificate presentation to the governors, Ogbeh condemned the rival parties for not abiding by the tenets of democracy.

He said: "Other parties are not bothering to hold primaries. In two states not controlled by the PDP, all we saw on television in the past few days was the presentation of gubernatorial candidates. No efforts were made to discuss to the hearing of the public on efforts to elect or select candidates."

The PDP chairman expressed displeasure at what he said were misplaced criticisms in the media and by the public, which he said were spurred by double standards.

"Sometimes, too much attention is paid to PDP difficulties. I like to comment on this and like the media to take note of this: Are they (other parties) practising democracy? We go through the rigours, we are criticised. They do nothing and nothing is said about them," regretted Ogbeh, even as he urged: "please, be fair in your journalism as well."

In a veiled reaction to the hordes of petitions pending before the National Appeal Panel, Ogbeh said: "Even though there are petitions and protests...we want to assure you that this national secretariat will be fair to all." He however sound a note of caution: "We are also aware that PDP is not a court of law and does not therefore constitute itself as such. We will therefore not use the allegations alone to disqualify you (the governors) from participating in the race.

In a remarkable gesture, the PDP chairman began by presenting the party flags and candidates' certificates, first to Nyame, who is still smarting from an earlier disqualification.

Also presented with the PDP flags and certificates were Dr. Peter Odili, Obong Victor Attah, Chief Achike Udenwa, Chief DSP Alamieyeisegha, Chief George Akume, Chief Joshua Dariye and Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Bayelsa, Benue, Plateau and Niger States respectively, in that order.

The others who took turns to receive the insignia of victory are Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Musa Yar'Adua (Katsina), Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu (Nassarawa), Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Chief Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), Ibori (Delta), Mr. Donald Duke (Cross River), Mr. Boni Haruna (Adamawa), and Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu (Bauchi).

Responding on behalf of the governors, chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Adamu, thanked the PDP leadership for the gesture, describing it as "the beginning of the end." Also describing the occasion as a "vote of confidence," the governors, he assured, would work tirelessly not to let down the party.

However, the Aso Rock meeting which lasted for about two hours was believed to have been convened at the instance of President Obasanjo.

The meeting may have convened to rally support for the president amongst the governors at the weekend national convention.

The governors who attended the meeting were Odili (Rivers), Akume (Benue), Dariye (Plateau), Haruna (Adamawa), Kwankwaso (Kano), Attah (Akwa Ibom) Duke (Cross River) Ibori (Delta) Nyame (Taraba), Igbinedion (Edo), Udenwa (Imo), Makarfi (Kaduna), Kure (Niger), Nnamani (Enugu), and Adamu (Nasarawa) as well as Bayelsa's Alamieyeseigha.

Although none of the governors was forthcoming on the details of the meeting, there were indications however that the meeting centred on a review of the strategy and method to be adopted at the party's forthcoming presidential primary election.

There were also indications that the re-nomination chances of Obasanjo also brightened during the discussions at the meeting as Ciroma and Anenih were said to have played prominent roles in convincing the governors to direct delegates loyal to them to support Obasanjo at the convention.

Alamieyeseigha, who gave a clue on what transpired at the meeting said it was woven around the party's primaries in some states and the forthcoming party's presidential nomination.

Odili, who directed newsmen to Ciroma, the National Co-ordinator of the Obasanjo/Atiku Campaign Organisation however volunteered that "we are still going to discuss further at the PDP National Secretariat, so it would be presumptuous to say anything now."

Dariye, in his comment, said a consensus was reached at the meeting under a convivial atmosphere, stressing that all the issues would be resolved at the enlarged meeting of the party that would follow at the national secretariat.

"We have a consensus at this particular parley. It is a family meeting where issues were dispassionately addressed. But if you can get in touch with the national co-ordinator," the Plateau State Governor said.

However, Ciroma and Anenih refused to speak with the newsmen at the Villa.

The meeting started at about 12.25 noon when Obasanjo with Atiku in tow walked into the Federal Executive Council chambers, the venue of the meeting, smiling and throwing banters.

While the governors of Abia, Kalu, Anambra, Mbadinuju, and their Ebonyi State counterpart, Egwu were absent at the meeting, others who were at the event include the Defence Minister, Theophilus Danjuma, the National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau, the former chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Tom Ikimi as well as the Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Dr Gbolade Osinowo.

The president will also today meet with chairmen of his party in the 36 states.