PDP elections: S-West, S-East kick off campaign

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
…S-West still burdened by ongoing legal cases
LAGOS- Campaign for the eight vacancies in the National Working
Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has kicked off
in earnest with a number of the ousted officers mobilising key
stakeholders in their zones to win back their seats.
While the South-East party stakeholders are understood to be pushing
for the return of its officers that were forced to resign, the
South-West caucus, it was learnt, was still split on the issue and the
process of filling the key offices allocated to the zone.
A meeting of South-West stakeholders to determine how to share the
three top positions of National Vice Chairman, National Secretary and
National Auditor, it was learnt, has been fixed for next week.
The meeting and the plan, however, could be derailed by the ongoing
legal issues arising from the last zonalcongress that are still in
court.
The South-East, Vanguard learnt, is also to meet next week on the same
issues on the position of National Publicity Secretary and National
Women's Leader that are shared to the zone, now vacant.
Metuh may return
Yesterday, it was, however, learnt that Chief Olisa Metuh could be
riding his way back to office upon the recommendation of his
performance in that office between March 2012 andhis resignation last
Thursday.
It was also learnt that the influential South-East caucus in the
National Assembly and elements from the zone appreciative of Chief
Metuh's work as the party's chief publicist were already drumming for
his returnwith strategic meetings being held with others concerned.
However, a definitive pronouncementon an automatic return for Metuh,
it was learnt, would be made next weekat a South-East caucus of the
PDP being arranged for Enugu.
S-West still burdened by legal cases
The South-West, it was learnt, is however, being burdened by the two
issues of zoning and the court action instigated by disaffected party
members over the original election oflast year.
The former National Vice Chairman, Engr. Segun Oni, sacked by the
court upon the process instigated by disaffected party members over
the conduct of the zonal congress, it was learnt, was yet to decide
whether to seek for a fresh term.
"We are still waiting on key stakeholders on how the zoning would be
decided," a key associate of the former governor told Vanguard
yesterday.
He was hopeful that Oni would make a categorical decision on the issue
before the stakeholders' meeting.
However, another party official from one of the South-West states was
pessimistic about the zone fielding replacements for the empty
positionsgiven what he alluded to the ongoingcases in the courts
against the conduct of last year's convention and congresses.
"Unless the cases are withdrawn, the prospects of the South-West
meeting the deadlines for the election of the officers would be very
difficult," the party official said yesterday on the condition of
anonymity.
Eight of the members of the NWC members and their deputies
resignedlast Thursday following the recommendation of a committee
constituted by President Goodluck Jonathan. The recommendation was
partly on the basis of the report of theIndependent National Electoral
Commission, INEC which affirmed that the process for the election of
the national officers violated the guidelines of the party.
The national convention to elect a new set of national officers has
been slated for July 20.