Ripples over Sourth West PDP’s endorsement of Jonathan

CONTROVERSY is currently trailing the outcome of the South-West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] leaders’ meeting in Lagos, during which delegates reportedly endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office in 2015. Feelers indicated on Wednesday that a number of the leaders were kicking against what they described as the smuggling of the issue of the presidential race into the communiqué of the meeting by some desperate delegates. The meeting came on the heels of a similar endorsement by PDP leaders from the Middle Belt and the South-South at separate meetings. Some notable PDP members, including former governors of the party from the zone, were absent at the South-West PDP leaders’ Lagos meeting. Some of those present, who craved anonymity while speaking with Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, blamed the current furore on the communiqué on “some overzealous elements and fifth columnists, who were bent on jumping the gun since the president said Nigerians should wait till next year for him to state his position on the 2015 presidency. They explained that the contentious matter was neither listed in advertisements placed in some dailies as notice on the meeting, nor was it reflected on the agenda announced at the venue of the meeting on Tuesday. Shedding light on proceedings at the meeting, a major stakeholder in PDP in the zone said the main programme had indeed been rounded off when one of the loyalists of a factional leader of PDP in Ogun State briskly took the microphone on the high table and sought the endorsement. By that time, according to the sources, most of the leaders had already left the hall, adding that some of them were attracted to the event, following a “disturbing noise” that accompanied the action of the initiator of the ‘motion.’ Another leader said he was about entering his car when some concerned party faithful rushed in protest against the action of the alleged ‘interloper.’ Meanwhile, some of the leaders are claiming that the controversial action was capable of creating further confusion and chaos in the South-West PDP which has been battling to put its house in order after losing its control of the zone to the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] in the recent past. It was learnt that some of the leaders were threatening a showdown in case those behind the whole drama decided to use the list of the delegates in possible advertisements on the outcome of the meeting. Each state had a separate list for the delegates to put down their names and append their signatures. Another source stated, “It was so embarrassing because the matter was not discussed at all. In short, it was not part of the business of the day. I can tell you that people have been bombarding with calls over the matter. Many of us are unhappy about the development. “We hope the list of delegates compiled at the meeting will not be used as advertisements on the outcome of the meeting, otherwise many of us will not take it lightly.”

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