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Edo PDP deputy chairman quits, 

 IT is not the best of time for the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.

While the ACN is grappling with the mass defection of aggrieved members, the PDP Deputy Chairman, Mr. John Jesuorobo, has resigned over alleged irreconcilable differences with his boss, Chief Dan Orbih.

He also accused Orbih of refusing to call a meeting of members of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the party on how to move it forward.

But in a swift reaction, the PDP Director of Mobilisation, Paschal Ugbome, described the allegations as unfounded. "His lies about why he is leaving the party are very embarrassing to us and he should not mislead Edo people. What happened was that he came into the party with one Isaiah Osifo, who was a product of settlement and harmonisation of the party after the crisis. So, most of them in that group left with Osifo, it is no longer news.

"When his mentor, Isaiah Osifo, failed to clinch the senatorial ticket, he went to Labour Party. So, instead of telling Edo people why he left, he is trying to mislead them. It is very logical that he has to go with his mentor and stop making allegations against the chairman".

But in a statement yesterday, Jesuorobo described the former Chief of Staff, Osifo as the best candidate for the senatorial seat in Edo-South in the forthcoming elections.

"The failure of the PDP in the state to organise free and fair primaries further reduced the confidence of the public in the ability of the PDP to provide a responsible democratic government. Osifo left the PDP to pick the Edo-South Senatorial ticket of the Labour Party.

"It is on this point that I resigned. My desire in the pursuit of sustainable democracy cannot be frustrated by my resignation from that office and membership of the PDP", he said.

Meanwhile, ACN members, who are still not satisfied with the recent conduct of the party's primaries, are to dump it for the PDP.

This came on the heels of efforts by the leadership of the ACN to reconcile the aggrieved members at a peace meeting on Monday in Igarra, Akoko-Edo Local Council, which Governor Adams Oshiomhole attended.

He urged members of the party to always use internal mechanism to resolve all intra-party crises to ensure peace in the party. "Whatever are our frustrations, we have to move forward. We are going to institutionalise this forum and from time to time, we will sit together to discuss what affects us", Oshiomhole said.

Those who attended the meeting were the senatorial candidate of the party in Edo-North, Dr. Domingo Obende, Peter Akpatasson, House of Representatives candidate and Commissioner for Arts and Culture, Abdul Oroh, among others..

But hundreds of PDP supporters led by Orbih on Wednesday received former Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Tunde Lakoju and Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Mike Okuo, who left ACN for the PDP.

At the well-attended ceremony in Igarra, Orbih, while receiving the new comers, said the party was ready to reclaim power from the ACN, which he said, has made the state a debtor.  But he called on members of the party to intensify their campaign to achieve that aim.

The election of Gbenga Daniel, the governor of Ogun State, as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), has split the organisation down the line.

His election was announced at the weekend by the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam. The governor, who spoke on behalf of NGF, after a closed door meeting held at the Ogun State lodge in Abuja, said Mr. Daniel will steer the group’s leadership till May 2011.

However, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat said on Sunday that the announcement is misleading, stating that the appointment was not for the entire forum, but for the PDP Governors’ Forum.

The director general of the secretariat, Asishana Okauru, in a statement, said the NGF has not held any election towards producing the possible replacement of the present chairman and the governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki....

He said there was a distinction between the NGF, which, he noted, was a non-partisan forum for all elected governors in the country, regardless of party affiliation, and the PDP Governors’ Forum.

Controversial election

Mr. Suswam, while announcing Mr. Daniel as the new chairman at the end of a meeting with other Peoples Democratic Party governors, said the leadership change became necessary, since Mr. Saraki is contesting for the 2011 presidential race and could not preside over its affairs as expected.

He cited Mr. Saraki’s distraction, stating that the forum had not been able to comment on national issues as it was known for..

“Take for instance the October 1 bomb blast in Abuja and other national issues. We could not comment because we had no chairman to speak through,” Mr. Suswam said.

He added that Mr. Daniel was chosen because of his exemplary leadership qualities, based on his track record and experience as a second term governor. He maintained that he was unanimously elected by consensus by all the members of the group to coordinate its activities and assure focus.

Responding, Mr. Daniel said that he would ensure that the forum returns to its position of prestige, assuring them of adequate consultations with other governors towards ensuring continued seamlessness enjoyed in its operations for over three years. He also pledged the forum’s loyalty and support to the Jonathan/Sambo presidential ticket, as former members of the forum.

Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom State, said the selection of Mr. Daniel was based purely on his performance as a capable administrator with outstanding qualities to move the forum forward.

Count us out

However, Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano State governor, has dissociated himself from the appointment of Mr. Daniel.

Speaking through his senior special assistant on media, Sule Ya’uSule, Mr. Shekarau said there was never a time he was part of any meeting that took the decision to appoint Mr. Daniel as the chairman of the NGF.

“To the best of my knowledge, there was never a meeting where a decision to appoint a new chairman of the forum was reached,” Mr. Shekarau said.

He particularly frowned at the manner in which a few PDP governors sat and appointed Mr. Daniel as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying the body is not entirely a PDP affair and not a partisan forum. He said as far as he is concerned, Mr. Saraki still remains its chairman.

Also, the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has denied the purported election, describing the report as embarrassing and unfair. He dismissed the claim that any meeting was held where the decision was taken.

According to him, Mr. Saraki has reconvened a meeting of the NGF for Wednesday (November 3), saying part of the agenda for the meeting was to elect a new chairman for the group.

“I have since checked out and I can confirm as a matter of fact that there was no meeting of the Governors’ Forum. However, some People’s Democratic Party governors met at a venue that was never a venue of our meeting at Governor Gbenga Daniel’s lodge and it was at that forum that they are now claiming to represent the Governors’ Forum,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

He explained that any governor could aspire to the position, noting that “anyone who nurses such position should be ready to persuade other governors to accept him.”

Expressing disappointment at the attitude of the governors, he said, “if a forum of thirty six governors cannot freely choose a chairman of the Governors’ Forum, then we cannot be talking about a free and fair election in 2011.”

Mr. Okauru, the director general of the forum, said the purported election “has created some confusion in the public on the distinction between the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

“The NGF is a non-partisan forum for all elected governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.

He confirmed Mr. Oshiomhole’s statement that a meeting of the forum is to hold next week. The group, which is an umbrella organisation of the 36 states serving governors of the federation, patterned after the American Governors Association, was formed since 1999, especially with a motive to present a smoothly united front when appearing for the monthly state council meetings, which they always attend with the Federal Executive Council.

Mixed reactions

Late last night, a statement by Mr. Saraki said the so called election of Mr. Daniel should be disregarded.

But Soyemi Coker, the factional Speaker of Ogun House of Assembly, on Sunday, described Mr. Daniel’s election as a testimony of his exemplary leadership qualities.

Mr. Soyemi, in a statement issued in Abeokuta by his special assistant (media and publicity), Ayo Giwa, said the election did not come as a surprise, going by Daniel’s “political ingenuity and enviable administrative track records.”

The rancour over the election of Mr. Daniel has led to speculations that Mr. Saraki is being shoved aside because of his indication of interest to contest for the presidency against President Goodluck Jonathan.

It is believed in the political circles that this was part of the campaign to see that Mr. Jonathan has the support of most governors, since Mr. Daniel is the coordinator of his campaign group in the South West.