ROW IN PDP OVER FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS

A fresh row has broken out in the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over federal appointments, Nigerian Tribune has
gathered.

Some major stakeholders have vehemently protested to the
Presidency over alleged deliberate marginalisation by the authorities, which
the aggrieved members said was capable of working against President Goodluck
Jonathan if he eventually resolved to seek another four years in office in
2015.

In a document tagged: “Towards building a strong and
all-inclusive political structure across the country: A case for PDP
governorship candidates,” a copy of which was obtained by Nigerian
Tribune,  the stakeholders accused the authorities of double standard,
having rewarded members of the campaign organisations with federal
appointments.

The party leaders were particularly miffed by the president’s
nomination of the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) in Kebbi State during the 2011 poll, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, who recently
defected to the PDP, for a ministerial position.

The second nominee, Chinedu Nebo, a professor of Metallurgical
Engineering from Enugu State, who was the Vice Chancellor of the Federal
University of  Oye-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

While Turaki may take over as the Minister of Defence which
became vacant, following the removal of Dr Haliru Mohammed Bello, Professor
Nebo is to replace the former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, who
resigned from the federal cabinet some months ago.

In a letter dated January 16, 2012, addressed to the Senate
President, Jonathan had stated that the nomination was in conformity with
Section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

However, the PDP leaders alleged that they were sidelined by the
authorities, in spite of having committed enormous resources towards expanding
PDP’s fortunes in their constituencies and wondered why, for example, the
former ACN candidate should be accorded such recognition simply because he
defected to PDP, even when the party could boast a lot of distinguished
professionals.

Part of the document read: “Recently, our attention has been
drawn to the need for Mr President to build a very strong and all-inclusive
political structure across the country. While we commend the inclusion of the
campaign coordinators of president in the SURE-P committee, there is urgent
need to bring the governorship candidates of the party into government in
whatever capacity the president deems fit.

“It is unbelievable that none of the PDP gubernatorial
candidates who lost the last election has been  recognised  in terms
of appointment into political positions to date. In fact, they are completely
neglected in the scheme of things in spite of their immense  
contributions – financially, logistically and even in the area of mobilisation
towards ensuring Mr President’s electoral victory.

“It is such a very serious omission that needs to be urgently
corrected because the situation has the tendency of jeopardising the second
term project of Mr President, and also capable of weakening the party in their
states if the matter is not properly handled. We are in a civilian regime and what
matters is political capital or goodwill that can be latched on.

“Politically, it will be unsafe to underrate the strength of
these candidates and their support base in their states. In fact, they are
supposed to be a political asset to the President in their various states. They
are true leaders of their people and the face or symbol of the party, with sure
popularity that could challenge the incumbents.”

The PDP chieftains also faulted the argument in some quarters
that the   party’s former gubernatorial candidates were excluded from
the appointments into the federal cabinet as it would amount to rewarding
failure if they were offered appointments.

The government, according to them, could treat each of the
candidates on their own merit, as the candidates are people who have
well-defined constituencies and warned the authorities against setting a bad
precedent.

To underscore their anger, the PDP leaders recalled that the
“past civilian administrations of former president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo and Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua” adequately rewarded such categories
of party men.

“In 1979, all the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) gubernatorial
candidates who lost at the  poll, were made ministers and special
advisers. By so doing, they were politically and financially empowered to
mobilise their people to ensure the success of the party in their respective
states.”

Similarly, Obasanjo did the same in 1999. Those who lost their
gubernatorial bids to the opposition parties were appointed ministers, special
advisers; a development that further enhanced the party’s victory in the 2003
general elections, especially in the SouthWest. Alhaji Yar’Adua did the same,
except for two states where they were made ambassadors.

“It is important to state that this is the first time in the
political history of Nigeria when people who contested governorship elections
on the ticket of a ruling party will be left completely outside the government.
This is a very dangerous thing to do because they are leaders with a lot of
followers across their states. We need to urgently do something to redress the
situation, so that they don’t start feeling alienated.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that President Jonathan’s
victory in the election was a combination of the efforts and sacrifice of both
the members and leaders of the PDP. Party building and, of course, success at
polls are never a one-man affair. It would not be out of place, therefore, to
say that the central personalities in the victory of PDP in the 2011 presidential
election were its bearers, particularly, the governorship candidates.”

According to them, with the
possibility of the president seeking re-election in 2015, there is an “urgent
need to draw these standard-bearers of the party closer so as to retain their
support and consolidate on the gains and goodwill already recorded in their
various states,” adding that: “This is very essential because they are people
who have structures in all the nooks and crannies of their states which we can
latch on.”

Some of the affected contestants and their states  included
Alhaji Mohammed Goni of Borno State; Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo);
Major-General Adetunji Olurin (Ogun); Dr Ade Dosunmu (Lagos); Senator
Al-Basheer (Yobe); Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (Edo) and Chief Olusola
Oke of Ondo State.

The PDP leaders said their individual and collective efforts as
candidates brought a lot of goodwill for PDP during the 2011 presidential poll.

“A look through this list shows that except for Oyo and Ogun,
other standard-bearers contested against incumbents. Therefore, the influence
and popularity of all these gubernatorial candidates in enhancing the victory
for our party in their respective states cannot be over-emphasised.

“These candidates, in pursuits of their ambitions, brought the
party to every community. They contributed immensely to the creation of
awareness and support for the party which aided the president’s landslide
victory.

“While we believe that it is the prerogative of the president to
choose members of his cabinet, we want to appeal for fairness to these
standard-bearers. The earlier they are brought on board in this administration,
the better for the growth and development of our party.

They are the real leaders and mobilisers of their people. People
do come to them on daily basis to seek one assistance/favour or the other. They
spent so much on campaigns. They deserve compensation by way of appointment to
political offices to boost their ego,” the leaders stated.

Part of the suggestion of the caucus was the need for the
authorities to arrange a meeting with all the former governorship candidates of
the party in states not controlled by the PDP, where it should be decided to
bring them into government either as ministers, ambassadors, advisers and
chairmen of boards.