The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State is finishing off plans to endorse Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, its candidate in the 2007 governorship election in the state, to contest with the yet-to-be-determined candidate of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Huhuonline.com has learnt.
Chieftains of the PDP, which had been in disarray following years of serious internal wrangling, are now uniting to form a formidable front in a desperate move to assume control of the state, which has continued to elude it in four different elections since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
Sources within the party told Huhuonline.com that members of the party have resolved that the best way to win the state in the next election is first to resolve the lingering crisis that has rocked the party and robbed it of success.
Again, the party is concentrating on taking advantage of the current complaints by the residents of the state against the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola, whose second term is believed to be filled with people-unpopular policies.
Part of the efforts to unify the members was the recent inauguration of the Elders’ Forum, comprising a group of respected members also possessing the integrity to iron out grey areas in activities of the party in the state. The Forum’s mandate also includes advising and supporting the running of the party by the current Executive Council.
“The Elders’ Forum is expected to bring all the warring members together just to ensure that the party takes the soul of the state in the next election,” a party chieftain disclosed to Huhuonline.com on Thursday. “It has also been mandated to carry out education of the party members and people of the state as we move to 2015.”
The source added that the choice of Obanikoro is based on his consideration by the party as a very neutral member whose activities are often influenced by a desire to strengthen the party in the state.
“Apart from the fact that he doesn’t play to the gallery, he is one of the most qualified, especially with the strength to wrestle the position from the ACN at this critical time of the state politics. It is a make or mar chance for us,” the source explained.
Speaking anonymously, an executive member of the party confirmed the information, saying that, for now, only Obanikoro is seen as the most qualified in the party for the seat.
“You know that Babatunde Fashola is not coming back and the way things are going, he is giving us a big opportunity to do well in the next election. So we are trying not to lose any chance in that regard,” the source said, adding that the elders of the party have made the decision to feature Obanikoro, who is the immediate past Nigerian representative to Ghana, in the 2015 governorship election because they feel residents of the state still consider him good enough for the position.
Huhuonline.com also learnt that PDP is further encouraged by the recent court judgement upturning some of the elections in the local government councils in the state in its favour. Presently, about five of such elections have been upturned and in some cases, such as Yaba Local Government, the tribunal ordered a reelection. In Agbado-Oke Odo and Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Areas, the tribunal ordered that the chairmen should vacate their offices for the PDP candidates in the election.
“Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA was won by Obanikoro’s son. We are now saying that if the PDP can do as much as win five of the councils so far, it means that we have a headway in 2015 but that is if we don’t miscalculate like in the past,” the executive member of the party explained.
“With the rate that the party is going on with the reconciliation exercise, we may win some seats at the state House of Assembly in the next election and that is how residents can begin to see true representation. This is an opportunity [that] we don’t want to lose.”
In one of the meetings held by the PDP at the Ikoyi residence of former National Deputy Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, where Obanikoro was first muted as one to be endorsed, many of the party members agreed that the party had lost a fortune in the state. They also agreed that this is the right time to act because of the growing unpopularity of the ACN government in the state currently.
Bode George, at the meeting, had agreed that though it would be difficult to win the entire Southwest, the PDP should win Lagos as the starting point. He urged his party members to take advantage of disenchantment within the ruling ACN due to its way of running its activities.
He expressed belief that the crisis brewing within the ACN would escalate with the direct selection of candidates in the next elections, which he said had become the hallmark of the ruling party in the state. “The recent council polls have revealed our strength,” he reportedly said.
It was learnt that part of the strategies idealised by the Elders’ Forum is the recent visit of the party executive in the state to former President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek his blessing and advice.
“He told us some things to do and we are pulling the strings in these areas. We are confident of the outcome,” a PDP source explained.
Currently, there is apprehension in the ACN, Huhuonline.com has learnt, coming on the heels of the cold war between the state governor and his benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
It was learnt that the party is only pampering Governor Fashola to enable him end his tenure without divisions.
Again, the current legal challenge facing Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji over corruption charges is known to be a major source of worry to the party. Before the case against him got hot, there had been speculations that he was the anointed.
Though he has continued to desperately mastermind underground campaigns and meetings with stakeholders in his party, there is the fear that the ACN would lose Lagos if he is chosen as the party’s flagbearer.
Some ACN top members had expressed this fear recently to Huhuonline.com. They are not only particular about the seat of the governor, the fear is that the State House of Assembly had become endangered as some of the lawmakers may lose their seat to PDP in future elections.
The party’s biggest problem comes from the Local Government councils where most of the chairmen are not meeting the expectations of the people of their areas.
Some of the party members are currently moving to ensure that the Local Government election in the state is held last.
“If the state decides to hold the Local Government elections immediately the tenure of the current chairmen expires, then we are in for trouble,” a top ranking CAN member said.
“Many of these chairmen have not worked and we know it. But, we don’t need to start washing our dirty linen in public. This is why we are just managing the situation. We are currently thinking that once the tenure of those currently occupying the seats expire, we get people of unquestionable character, who would repair our image while they are there in acting capacity, pending when elections are conducted.
He concluded that If the party doesn’t act this way, “PDP is going to beat us silly and it is difficult to find an ACN member who does not nurse this fear.
