Fresh crisis hits PDP Written by Jacob Segun Olatunji and Leon Usigbe - Abuja Monday, June 24, 2013

A fresh crisis is again brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
over the seat of its National Secretary declared vacant by its
National Executive Committee (NEC) along with others which would be
filled during the July 20 mini-National Convention.
Feelers from the party revealed that the position was actually
contested for by both Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Chief Dapo
Sarumi, whileother aspirants stepped down at the last minutes for
Oyinlola in line with the party's directive and won while Sarumi came
second with seven votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its report,
faulted the conduct of the National Convention by annulling elections
of eight of the 12 members of its National Working Committee (NWC) and
upheld the elections of its National Chairman, National Secretary,
National Auditor and National Financial Secretary.
However, the National Secretary of the party, Prince Oyinlola was
removed by a court order and his Deputy, Mr Solomon Onwe took over
while the same fate befell the National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha.
Findings revealed that some concerned party leaders are now pushing
for the party to replace Prince Oyinlola with Chief Sarumi whocame
second during the National Covention of the party as it was in the
case of the late Dr Wahab Dosunmu and Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele
during the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), era in Lagos State.
According to the source,"there is nothing new in that, Chief Sarumi
should be made the National Secretary of the party in the over all
interest of the party because he stoodfor election against Oyinlola
and came second while others stepped down, now that Oyinlola is gone,
he isthe next candidate because INEC cleared the election of the
National Secretary, we have to be careful because technically anybody
can rush to the court at the last minute when itwill be too late to
make any correction to challenge this, then the party will be in
trouble."
"It happened in Lagos during the NRC and SDP of the Babangida
two-party system. The court voided the electionof the late Dr Wahab
Dosunmu and the next person to him who scored only few votes replaced
him, so we should not bring any sentiment, Sarumi should be allowed to
step in since he is eminently qualified for theposition, except they
have against him, we should learn to be doing things right in order to
make progress," our source declared.
The source, however, hinted that the leadership of the party was aware
of what to do but some forces were against Chief Sarumi because of his
membership of the unregistered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), the
political machinery of late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua and his
perceived closeness to the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is
also belived to be nursing presidential ambition come 2015.
"This issue had been raised, but some forces were against giving it to
him because of the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015,
they are thinking that Sarumi who ignored the Party's directive and
contested against Oyinlola if given the position might be too hard to
control and would even work for Atiku, one of the pillars of the PDM
which Sarumi is a top notcher till date, they even alleged that it was
Atiku who ordered him not to withdraw from the race at the convention
when others did," our source explained further.
The Nigerian Tribune learnt that the matter was already giving the
party leaders and the presidency a serious concern on how to handle it
in the way that it would not run foul of the INEC guidelines again and
the law of the land.
A highly placed Presidency source told Nigerian Tribune in Abuja on
Sunday that the matter had already been brought to the notice of the
President and expressed the hope that it would be handled
appropriately to avoid being caught napping.