PDP Chair: Obasanjo, S’East Governors on collision course

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and governors of the South East elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party are set on a collision course over the choice of the successor to the outgoing National Chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the three PDP governors in the South-East – (Ikedim Ohakim (Imo); Sullivan Chime (Enugu ) and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) have unanimously rejected the preferred candidate of Obasanjo as successor of Ogbulafor, who resigned his position on Wednesday.

Ogbulafor‘s resignation climaxed the intrigues thrown up by his trial for corruption.

The governors elected on the platform of the ruling party had on Wednesday agreed to withdraw their support for Ogbulafor, who was accused of corruptly enriching himself when he was serving as Minister of Special Duties in the Obasanjo administration.

It was learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan sealed the fate of Ogbulafor at a meeting with the governors in Abuja on Wednesday. Jonathan was said to have asked the governors, especially his South-East kinsmen to persuade the embattled party leader to throw in the towel on moral ground.

Consequently, the exit of Ogbulafor has thrown up succession crisis in the South-East, which is expected to produce his successor in line with the zoning arrangement of the ruling party.

Although the governors were reported to have settled for a former Governor of Enugu State and former National Secretary of the Party, Chief Okwesiliese Nwodo, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that Obasanjo insisted that a former National Auditor and acting National Secretary of the party, Chief Benard Eze, who is one of his acolytes in the South-East, must succeed Ogbulafor.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that Obasanjo was vehemently opposed to Nwodo, whom he sacked along with former National Chairman of the party, Chief Barnabas Gemade, when he held sway at Aso-Rock.

Already, Obasanjo and the governors, it was further learnt, were jostling for the backing of Jonathan in the battle for the leadership of the party.

A source in the Presidency told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that Obasanjo and the governors had met separately with Jonathan on the contentious issue before he travelled to Rivers State, on a two-day official visit to the oil-rich state.

The source said Jonathan advised the combatants to sheathe their swords until he returned to Abuja on Friday.

The source added, ”The exit of Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, as the National Chairman of PDP has led to succession crisis in the South-East of the country.

“In line with the existing arrangement, the position of national chairman was zoned to the South-East. It is clear that President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the national leader of the party, has also given a nod to the arrangement.

“But former President Olusegun Obasanjo is challenging the governors of the PDP in the zone, namely Ikedim Ohakim of Imo State; Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, on the choice of the new national chairman from the zone.

“Former President Obasanjo is insisting that his boy, who is a former national officer of the party, Benard Eze, should emerge as the new national chairman of the party at all costs. Former President Obasanjo, who is still basking in the euphoria that his political son (Jonathan) has taken charge of the Presidential Villa, is eager to take over the structure of the party.

“The former President is obviously enjoying the limelight that the new political dispensation had offered him and he is desperate to install Benard Eze to show that he is fully back into reckoning. But the PDP governors in the zone have vowed that Benard Eze, would only clinch the position over their dead bodies.

“The governors are backing a former Governor of Enugu State and a former National Secretary of the party, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, to take over the leadership of the party. The former President (Obasanjo) and the governors are mounting pressures on President Goodluck Jonathan, to do their biddings.

“They have met the President (Jonathan) and he asked them to wait until he returned from Rivers State, for amicable resolution of the impasse. But the former President believed that his relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan may help to push Benard Eze through,” added the source, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned in print.

Meanwhile, the source also said the rating of two former Senate Presidents, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim and Chief Ken Nnamani, before Jonathan by Obasanjo nailed the former lawmakers and sealed their consideration for the coveted party position by the President.

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that Obasanjo convinced Jonathan, who initially considered one of the former senate presidents that he would be committing a political suicide by allowing either of them to emerge as the helmsman of the party.

It was learnt that Obasanjo persuaded Jonathan, that either of them would become uncontrollable as head of the National Working Committee of the party.

The source added that Obasanjo reminded the President about the ”uncompromising and uncooperative posture” of the duo as senate presidents during his administration.

Obasanjo was said to have told Jonathan that Nnamani in particular scuttled his third term aspiration.

The source added, ”The hopes by former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani, to emerge as new National Chairman of the PDP were sealed by a damning report on them by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

”The report which was presented to President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly projected them as disloyal personalities, who could not be trusted with such sensitive position. Former President convinced the incumbent President that Anyim and Nnamani, would assume full power as national chairman of the party.

”He (Obasanjo) reminded the President (Jonathan) about how Chief Ken Nnamani, scuttled his aspiration for third-term and the originality of Chief Anyim Pius Anyim as senate president. His report apparently discouraged the President from considering either of them as successor to the outgoing national chairman.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201005164214834

Na today.

I have always maintained that the removal of Vincent Ogbulafor has nothing to do with fighting corruption. It has everything to do with Obasanjos continued war against Ndigbo and others who stood in his way against his third term plots.
Now he is openly playing his games.

If Jonathan doesn't distance himself from Obasanjo, he will lose next year. This is a war he and Obasanjo cannot win.

I was very angry with Senator Nnamani for his role in removing Ogbulafor. How can some of our people (even the high ranking ones) be so naive? He has removed Ogbulafor, now Obasanjo will ensure he remains irrelevant in PDP. Did he think that the ape of ota has forgotten his lead role against his third term plots?

North Plans to dump PDP

•North set to dump PDP
•Jonathan’s pact with governors
•Crisis deepens over Ogbulafor’s successor

As the reality of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition to contest the 2011 race increasingly dawns on Nigerians, politicians of northern extraction are getting set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for an alternative platform.

The move regarded as a Plan B is aimed at stopping Jonathan’s ambition to join the race and to ensure that a northerner irrespective of party affiliation wins the next presidential election.

The development came amid fears that Jonathan is not likely to conduct a credible election because of his vested interest in the forthcoming poll.
A top member of the PDP told Sunday Sun that power brokers of different parties in the North are already meeting secretly to fine-tune strategies toward achieving the objective. According to him, the party that might be the rallying point of the politicians is the National Democratic Party (NDP).

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/may/16/national-16-05-2010-001.htm

South East must rally round APGA. We have nothing to do with PDP. It will soon deflate. We should vote for the APGA Presidential candidate next year. The APGA candidate may not win, but at least we shouldn't vote for anyone working with Obasanjo.

Don't you get tired of playing VICTIM? Was Ogbulafor resignation Obasanjo's making or not? Some say it was Jonathan cleaning up so he could OWN the house. You say it's Obasanjo's plot to get Ibos out of office. Which one e be now?  How can it be Obasanjo when an 'Ibo' man is the president of Nigeria? And here I thought you once said that once an Ibo man is made president, all will be well. 

Another news sources claims Governors have moved to join Jonathan's Cabal, and they, the new cabal is responsible for Ogbulafor's situation, but here you claim it is Obasanjo's doing. Na wa oo!!! I am getting whiplash trying to follow your reasoning on here. If I was not sure, I could swear many Nigerians need Obasanjo to remain in the picture so they can conveniently continue to blame him for all stupid acts of their team members.

^^

Here you go again refusing to even read the story. Did you even read this story at all? Why is Obasanjo insisting on a fellow with dent? Why is he afraid of a more decent fellow like Nnamani? What is he planning this time?
Oh I know! He is planning to plant his STOOGE as the party chairman so he can continue to pull the strings from behind the scene. It looks as if Nigeria cannot move forward with Obasanjo.

Onlytruth:

^^
Here you go again refusing to even read the story. Did you even read this story at all? Why is Obasanjo insisting on a fellow with dent? Why is he afraid of a more decent fellow like Nnamani? What is he planning this time?
Oh I know! He is planning to plant his STOOGE as the party chairman so he can continue to pull the strings from behind the scene. It looks as if Nigeria cannot move forward with Obasanjo.

The story is not the problem, your assertions here are. You claim he is doing it to, wait for it, VICTIMIZE ibos ( your favourite card there), yet, we know that the president is, yes, an ibo man, and the Governors who supported the move are behind, guess who, the president, so why do you blame Obasanjo for Vincent Ogbulafor's resignation?  How in the world could this be about victimizing ibos? Nnamani is, guess what, ibo, yet he is not being removed, neither is the president.

Planning to plant his stooge? good one! ROFLMAO!!!

Kobojunkie:

The story is not the problem, your assertions here are. You claim he is doing it to, wait for it, VICTIMIZE ibos ( your favourite card there), yet, we know that the president is, yes, an ibo man, and the Governors who supported the move are behind, guess who, the president, so why do you blame Obasanjo for Vincent Ogbulafor's resignation?

Not to argue with you, but anyone working with Obasanjo cannot get my support. Andy Uba, Achike Udenwa, and all others working with Obasanjo had only terrible plans for their people. So, the sooner the president distances from Obasanjo the better for him. And time is running out.

Onlytruth:

Not to argue with you, but anyone working with Obasanjo cannot get my support. Andy Uba, Achike Udenwa, and all others working with Obasanjo had only terrible plans for their people. So, the sooner the president distances from Obasanjo the better for him. And time is running out.

I notice Jonathan is not on that list of yours, even though the article rather alludes to his granting Obasanjo’s wish there. Also, would he not be a backstabber if  he NOW decides to distance himself from the PAPA that made it possible for his unqualified, unproven behind to even reach the presidential palace? The dude is already out making deals to get governors and officials to make his continuing in office, possibly past 2011, possible. I am not sure why you are still whining about Obasanjo when it seems clear that we may be getting a new GODFATHER in office soon. lol

@kobojunkie,
assuming obj has done much to the development of this country under the military as well as his two terms as an elected president to earn him the best president nigeria has ever seen, don't u think it is time this gentleman quit politics and give chance to the new generation to try.
the world has seen the likes of clinton, mandela and bush who were once the topic of the whole world. at the end of their tenure, they left giving chance to the new generation of politicians to come on board.
are in the believe that obasanjo is the god of nigeria? do u think without him, nothing will happen? do u think apart from obasanjo, no other person of nigerian blood has what it takes to lead this country? what happens if obasanjo eventually dies? maybe nigeria will sieze to exist?
it is very simple, as long as this man is alive, he wants to remain relevant just for the single reasons of covering his corrupt tracks.
can't u see all corruption cases that has obj's name in it will die a natural death.
even in our families, one gets to a level where an old man does not take part in certain decissions. obj is this old that he can seat back and act as an advicer but what do we have here, a decission maker whose intention is always to impose his old wills on the new generation of nigeria.
at this stage of his life, he is not expected to be at the forefront of this country.
look at other progressive countries of this world and see how they are moving and then compare it to the one man govt we have here.
jonathan and yar adua came with a purpose otherwise a party manifeto of which the death of yar adua shld have seen jonathan continue from where yar adua who was his boss stopped but what do we have here, bring back ribadu, forgive him all his sins and make him this and that. bring back el rufai and let him be our spokesman.
have u ever stopped to ask, why are all these obj boys coming back now?
obj definitely is using this light weight jonathan to achieve his aborted third term projects.

ROFLMAO!!!! Ok, @Onlytruth, over to you. Someone here is calling your dear Jonathan Obasanjo's boy-boy. So, what is new?? ROFLMAO!!!

This obsession with Obasanjo is so out of hand . . . if the man removes himself from the picture, some folks will not have much else to live for or even say. ROFLMAO!!

Kobojunkie:

ROFLMAO!!!! Ok, @Onlytruth, over to you. Someone here is calling your dear Jonathan Obasanjo's boy-boy. So, what is new?? ROFLMAO!!!

This obsession with Obasanjo is so out of hand . . . if the man removes himself from the picture, some folks will not have much else to live for or even say. ROFLMAO!!

The guy articulated my earlier position very well. My problem with Jonathan is that he is allowing himself to be Obasanjos "boy boy". That is the point of this thread. If Jonathan drops Obasanjo tomorrow and tows the path of REAL moral rectitude, I would support him.

lmao @ the title of the picture,

@Onlytruth, the dude did not articulate/ channel your thoughts in the way you claim. Read his post again with care.  According to him, Jonathan is a puppet, not a whole man or leader, as you propose. You on the other hand further emasculate Jonathan with your many attempts to weave Obasanjo into the situation, blaming him for acts reportedly initiated or carried out by Jonathan himself. 
 
The problem I have with people who analyze the Nigerian issue the way you do is
a) You usually position yourself as the Victim in it all
b) You are all too willing to emasculate those whom you put on a pedestal just so you can excuse their faults for YOUR own ego's good.

'My man did not do it, the devil did' is the generally accepted reasoning out there. Jonathan does this but NO, Obasanjo is to blame for it. Yar adua got the same excuses applied for his 11 years of inepititude and inhumane treatment of his own people, and the country as a whole. So many willingly played the 'Obasanjo did it' card for him.

It is so sad that we let a man who pulled a country back over 20 decades off the hook because of our obsession with  Obasanjo, and in our plight to make him miserable, we unwillingly make him even more relevant today than he really ought to be.

I am more convinced today that we are likely to get a repeat of the same as long as we continue to create these absurd connections to Obasanjo, in our minds. Yes, the man is a politician and is out there to create for himself opportunities to remain relevant. But when I hear people continue to pin the irresponsible actions of presidents, and politicians on Obasanjo, I wonder if they do not understand they are themselves aiding Obasanjo in achieving his goal.

Kobojunkie:

@Onlytruth, the dude did not articulate/ channel your thoughts in the way you claim. Read his post again with care.  According to him, Jonathan is a puppet, not a whole man or leader, as you propose. You on the other hand further emasculate Jonathan with your many attempts to weave Obasanjo into the situation, blaming him for acts reportedly initiated or carried out by Jonathan himself. 
 
The problem I have with people who analyze the Nigerian issue the way you do is
a) You usually position yourself as the Victim in it all
b) You are all too willing to emasculate those whom you put on a pedestal just so you can excuse their faults for YOUR own ego's good.

'My man did not do it, the devil did' is the generally accepted reasoning out there. Jonathan does this but NO, Obasanjo is to blame for it. Yar adua got the same excuses applied for his 11 years of inepititude and inhumane treatment of his own people, and the country as a whole. So many willingly played the 'Obasanjo did it' card for him.

It is so sad that we let a man who pulled a country back over 20 decades off the hook because of our obsession with  Obasanjo, and in our plight to make him miserable, we unwillingly make him even more relevant today than he really ought to be.

I am more convinced today that we are likely to get a repeat of the same as long as we continue to create these absurd connections to Obasanjo, in our minds. Yes, the man is a politician and is out there to create for himself opportunities to remain relevant. But when I hear people continue to pin the irresponsible actions of presidents, and politicians on Obasanjo, I wonder if they do not understand they are themselves aiding Obasanjo in achieving his goal.

OnlyTruth will twist any logic just to arrive at his usual conclusions
1. Everyone is after the Igbos
2. Obasanjo and the Yorubas are responsible for the mess Nigeria is in
3. If an Igbo acts irresponsibly, it is because of OBJ

Jonathan is his own man but for now to get the 2011 president he has to take advice from Obj( whos has been throught it 3 times!!) - thats evident. I mean damn can Jonathan atleast become president in 2011 first before people start undercutting him.

Only truth is an idiot according to him Obj has something against igbos because he wants to replace vincent ogbulafor(an igbo man) with another igbo man who can assure jonathan presidency in 2011.

Its quite obvious those in south who dont want Jonathan as president in 2011 come from the PDP SE and SS zone.
Onlytruth is dumb and blind  he sees everything through tribe.

Onlytruth:

South East must rally round APGA. We have nothing to do with PDP. It will soon deflate. We should vote for the APGA Presidential candidate next year. The APGA candidate may not win, but at least we shouldn't vote for anyone working with Obasanjo.

lol how  do you reason? abeg jare you need some serious brains.

So you wont support Jonathan because Obj is supporting Jonathan but you support IBB because Ojukwu supports IBB? LOL hahaha
you are marginalizing yourselves again and turning your back on SS people and their presidency. but yet you "say they are your brothers" BS.

Kobojunkie:

Don't you get tired of playing VICTIM? Was Ogbulafor resignation Obasanjo's making or not? Some say it was Jonathan cleaning up so he could OWN the house. You say it's Obasanjo's plot to get Ibos out of office. Which one e be now? How can it be Obasanjo when an 'Ibo' man is the president of Nigeria? And here I thought you once said that once an Ibo man is made president, all will be well.

Another news sources claims Governors have moved to join Jonathan's Cabal, and they, the new cabal is responsible for Ogbulafor's situation, but here you claim it is Obasanjo's doing. Na wa oo!!! I am getting whiplash trying to follow your reasoning on here. If I was not sure, I could swear many Nigerians need Obasanjo to remain in the picture so they can conveniently continue to blame him for all silly acts of their team members.

This ethinc nonsense cannot help Nigeria grow. My question is "IS OGBULAFOR GUILTY"?

Onlytruth:

South East must rally round APGA. We have nothing to do with PDP. It will soon deflate. We should vote for the APGA Presidential candidate next year. The APGA candidate may not win, but at least we shouldn't vote for anyone working with Obasanjo.

if SE govenors dont support Jonathan as president - they can kiss their rotation presidency good bye

PDP can deflate all it wants that will just make way for ANPP AND AC- which is fine with me.

Tinubu or better yet Fashola for president or vice president in 2011. or PRESIDENT IN 2015
insha allah,- to all my muslims

Alhaji Sanni Abubakar- hausa leader

I want the governor, not only to run for a second term in 2011, but I also pray that one day he will become the president of Nigeria. “I want Fashola to become the president of this nation so that he can repeat the wonders he is doing in Lagos to cover the entire country. I passionately pray to Allah to make Fashola Nigeria’s president one day,” he declared.

[img]http://2.bp..com/_wnjlhTha8wM/StxaD8jQBzI/AAAAAAAAAOc/6AVqsUJS3P0/s320/bola+tinubu.jpg[/img]

they already have SW, Edo and muslimu votes  if they go up against Jonathan or any candidate in the SOUTH.

AC- ANPP will surpise all of Nigeria mehn- I can already see it if they put fashola or tinubu maybe even oshiomole on the ticket its no way they cannot beat Jonathan.


I think there will be a muslim - muslim ticket.

sjeezy8:

AC- ANPP will surpise all of Nigeria mehn- I can already see it if they put fashola or tinubu maybe even oshiomole on the ticket its no way they cannot beat Jonathan.


I think there will be a muslim - muslim ticket.

By turning it into a muslim affair, are you not going to build resistance to that idea? Why not promote an idea on the merits of that idea rather than the de-merits of that idea? Abiola/Kingibe would not have won June 12 if it was promoted as such.

Katsumoto:

By turning it into a muslim affair, are you not going to build resistance to that idea? Why not promote an idea on the merits of that idea rather than the de-merits of that idea? Abiola/Kingibe would not have won June 12 if it was promoted as such.

Abiola/Kingibe- was promoted as such for nothern appeal ofcourse. Abiola wasnt even a politician and no record of good governance.

By sayng muslim muslim ticket doesnt turn it into a muslim affair its not new news that the chances of muslim mulism ticket in Nigeria beats those of christian and muslim especially if that chrisitian is a southerner.

muslim- muslim  is would win- with the likes of a fashola, tinubu, oshiomole, mimiko- who have all done well based on merit.

people can oppose a muslim- muslim just like people oppose Zoning, but they are being unrealistic not to vote muslims who have records of good governance.  It only make sense to throw a southern muslim up there against any southerner.

Not for the sake a religion but simply for the sake of winning. Im a christian but I would put up credible southern muslim on every presidential ticket whether president or vice- just to win even if it counts me out as a southern christian.

sjeezy8:

Abiola/Kingibe- was promoted as such for nothern appeal ofcourse. Abiola wasnt even a politician and no record of good governance.

By sayng muslim muslim ticket doesnt turn it into a muslim affair its not new news that the chances of muslim mulism ticket in Nigeria beats those of christian and muslim especially if that chrisitian is a southerner.

muslim- muslim  is would win- with the likes of a fashola, tinubu, oshiomole, mimiko- who have all done well based on merit.

people can oppose a muslim- muslim just like people oppose Zoning, but they are being unrealistic not to vote muslims who have records of good governance.  It only make sense to throw a southern muslim up there against any southerner.

Not for the sake a religion but simply for the sake of winning. Im a christian but I would put up credible southern muslim on every presidential ticket whether president or vice- just to win.

My point is that it is not necessary to introduce religion into it. Let the achievements and abilities of those on the ticket sell it without introducing the de-merits of the ticket.

chiozor:

This ethinc nonsense cannot help Nigeria grow. My question is "IS OGBULAFOR GUILTY"?

You would need to direct that question @onlytruth who seems to think Ogbulafor a saint being dropped by EVIL Obasanjo(when in fact, reports point to this being Jonathan's doing) all because he is ibo. 

Katsumoto:

My point is that it is not necessary to introduce religion into it. Let the achievements and abilities of those on the ticket sell it without introducing the de-merits of the ticket.

true but if you looked at the earlier comment I said fashola thats like self explanatory. hes dong well in his state aswell as the other i mentioned

I don't respond to morons

If Jonathan doesn't RUN AWAY from Obasanjo, he is doomed with him next year. Even if my brother runs with Obasanjo being his puppeteer, I won't support him or vote for him. Obasanjo is marked down and his clock is ticking.
I won't want to go down with a sinking ship.
I know Nigeria and I know where the power is.

It would seem that Nigeria is about to move back to regional parties. If all this news is true, then we are starting to see the first steps of Regional parties springing up again. PDP is making a lot of people angry especially among the elite of the north and many people of the southeast. And we know how AC is spreading throughout the Southwest so this may be an interesting election. I actually believe regional parties are beneficial for Nigeria.

And having a Muslim - Muslim ticket will not mean guaranteed success. Especially, if the Muslim politician in question is a Yoruba. He will never get the support of other Muslims in the core north. The Hausa would rather have one of their own then another Muslim from another part of the country. This is the sad truth.

We should not forget that many people of the South East and South-South will scream bloody murder if their was a Muslim - Muslim ticket.

EzeUche:

It would seem that Nigeria is about to move back to regional parties. If all this news is true, then we are starting to see the first steps of Regional parties springing up again. PDP is making a lot of people angry especially among the elite of the north and many people of the southeast. And we know how AC is spreading throughout the Southwest so this may be an interesting election. I actually believe regional parties are beneficial for Nigeria.

Smart observation.

In fact the regional parties make more sense than all these lies at the center. That way, people can be true to their values.

Onlytruth:

Smart observation.

In fact the regional parties make more sense than all these lies at the center. That way, people can be true to their values.

I would also support APGA over PPA when it comes to Eastern politics. After seeing what PPA has done, or should I say haven't done in my home state of Abia State, I would rather see APGA in power.