Former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Oyo Deputy Governor, Ambassador Taofeeq Arapaja will both slug it out for the post of Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the convention today and tomorrow.
This is as the party has adopted open-secret ballot for it. The consensus arrangement has been arrived at for all positions except three.
Recall that the convention had been given the all-clear with the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, throwing out former National Chairman Uche Secondus’ suit.
Also, as a last minute effort to ensure 100% consensus, stakeholders met at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
At the meeting were former Vice Presidents Namadi Sambo and Atiku Abubakar; Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state.
Also in attendance were former Senate Presidents— David Mark and Bukola Saraki.
One-time governor of Ebonyi state, Senator Sam Egwu; ex-Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi, and immediate past Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, among others, were also at the meeting.
Note that there are 21 seats in the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP.
However, addressing newsmen after the meeting on Friday, Governor of Adamawa State and Chairman of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee, Ahmadu Fintiri, said only three positions are now to be contested for.
The positions are Deputy National Chairman (South), National Auditor and Youth Leader.
Fintiri added that delegates would still cast ballots for all the positions despite the reality that 80 percent of the positions in the NWC would be contested unopposed.
The poll would take an open-secret ballot mode, the governor told the press conference in Abuja on Friday.
Although last minute lobbying was still ongoing, none of the contestants for the three positions is shifting grounds.
Instead, they are individually courting the support of heavyweights such as a former Vice President. Whether last minutes compromise will be reached, is yet to be seen.
