Date: 2014-11-25

As the PDP prepares for its primaries next month, Mumini AbdulKareem looks at the logjam between the gubernatorial aspirants under the platform of the PDP and Hajia Muina Bola Shagaya on the issue of Dele Belgore's governorship issue.

The twin protests in Ilorin and Abuja successively penultimate Sunday and Monday by aggrieved members of the Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finally brought to the open, internal bricking that had dogged the party over the alleged foisting of Dele Belgore by Hajia Muinat Bola Shagaya as the party's gubernatorial aspirant for the 2015 governorship election.

At the last ward congress of the party held across the 16 local governments in the state, the issue almost marred the exercise as Shagaya was allegedly accused of working in tandem with the returning officer for the state, Iyiola Omisore to doctor the list of delegates that emerged from the wards in favour of the candidacy of Belgore, her anointed aspirant.

According to opponents of the Shagaya project, Belgore's show in the last ward congress was a clear pointer that he might not be a sellable candidate at the primaries scheduled for next month.

Other gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the party include Senators Gbemi Saraki, Sulyman Ajadi, and Simon Ajibola, Prof AbdulRaheem Oba, Bio Ibrahim, Sunday Babalola, John Dara, among others.

Belgore, who was a former governorship aspirant under the platform of the defunct ACN in 2011 and came second reportedly, garnered less than 30 votes out of the 750 available at the ward congress election.

The question now is why then is Shagaya, backed by the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, insisting on the project which has come under severe attacks from other governorship aspirants.

Shagaya, according to reports, has expended millions on the party and has emerged the eye of the party in the presidency.

Almost single-handedly, the oil magnate decided the appointment of the current minister of National Planning despite the "gang up" against her from party members. But whether she will also deliver Belgore alone this time around is what political pundits in the state have been watching.

However, feelers from various camps of other gubernatorial aspirants and party members averse to the project are however not encouraging as most of them have vowed to stop her this time around or the party will bear the brunt during the election in 2005.

Speaking with one of the governorship aspirants on the matter, Sulyman Makanjuola Ajadi, a former senator told National Pilot that the era of imposition is not welcome the least in the new PDP, adding that the other aspirants will do the 'needful' if sanity is not restored.

"There is strong rumour that they wanted to change the delegates' list and we are resisting it. All we want is that there should be free and fair primaries in Kwara and anybody that wins, all of us will rally round him. Our stand is that there should be no manipulation, or change of delegates. You know if there is rumour in politics and you don't talk, sooner or later, it will become a problem and that we don't want to happen", he added.

Echoing the position of the guber aspirants, a house of representative aspirants for Ilorin West/Asa, Hon Kayode Ayelabegan said imposition (of Belgore by Shagaya) is the last thing that will work in Kwara PDP and it will be stoutly resisted.

"Whether from Abuja or Lagos, nobody will impose on us in Kwara State. We are going to primary where you come with your track record and allow people to scrutinise you. The issue of manipulation of delegates' list, which is already rearing its head is being resisted because people are holding on to the mandate given to them.

"The PDP at the national wants the peoples vote and not those that will rig election. By the time we are in government, we want to do it collectively with the people who voted us in. The delegates that contested the election emerged from the ward and we know those that won. It's not controversial and that is why it will be difficult for anybody to come with doctored list to represent delegates at the primary", he added.

Though, political pundits opined that the PDP can ill afford to have a divided house approaching its primaries to elect its gubernatorial candidate in an APC controlled state, opponent held the view that the party had not done enough to erase that narration, pointing out that the delegates' list crisis was what led to the recent defection of over 10,000 of its members to the ruling APC, an event that had attracted differing comment from both parties.

While admitting that there were tolerable violence and disagreement during the last ward congress, the PDP chairman, Iyiola Oyedepo, maintained during a press conference that the party will not allow the APC to profit from its ward congress crisis.

"Though there were 'tolerable violence' and disagreement that accompanied the exercise, the party was doing its best to handle the matter amicably", he added.

Recent events in the party have not shown positive signs as all the efforts to sell Belgore to other guber aspirants have reportedly met a brick wall.

In the last few weeks, though, Shagaya and other aspirants have scheduled meetings, most of the meetings have either ended in deadlock or totally abandoned.

Even talks about the promise of the president to return those that resigned their federal appointments like Prof Oba and Ajadi to their post allegedly to boost the Belgore's calculation have not also been welcomed by the aggrieved aspirants, who see it as a booty trap. The affected aspirants have however denied the allegation.

It was gathered that at a recent meeting with the governorship aspirant at the party's national secretariat in Abuja, Shagaya reportedly "shut the mouth of some of the aspirants crying wolf over her influence and chided them for collecting the party's expression of interest and nomination forms at the cost of N11.5m while the party is being starved of funds.

"She told them point blank that accusing her of selfish interest smacks hypocrisy. She particularly chided them for having the money to collect the intent and nomination forms at the cost of N11.5m and yet refused to spend for the party", a source who craved anonymity told this medium.

Even the threat by the aggrieved aspirants to the national leadership of the party that if Shagaya go on with her project the party should forget 2015 in Kwara with additional consequences of mass defection has not been seen to really done much.

Reacting to the issue, one of the delegates who were allegedly affected by the imposition of the delegates list told National Pilot that Shagaya's action will spell doom for the party unless the party retrace its steps and set priorities right.

Virtually all the gubernatorial aspirants, the source added, are on the same page on the issue except Dele, adding that some of the party members are just mouthing 'freedom' without comprehending its meaning.

There are three reasons why the Belgore's project is being sold, he submitted.

"You see, she (Shagaya) has three plans. Plan A was to anoint Belgore and say others should not contest. That one appears to be failing. They started with the meeting with the Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim, who had two meetings with them but nothing positive came out of it. They move to the Senate president who told them that the issue of anointed candidate cannot wash and all the aspirants should work together to support whoever emerges under a free and fair primaries. That is why they shifted to the first lady's office. Now it appears that also is not working. So the plan B is to rig the primary at the source", he added.

He said furthered that "Unfortunately, those the party does not need to win election in Kwara are the ones involve in the project and those who they want to scheme out are the ones needed because they are the people that are grassrooters who had sustained the party. Not Shagaya , the Minister or Dele.

"I think you will not blame some of these people, If you look at the way Belgore came in 2011, he was imposed, no congress was held to make sure he emerge the ACN candidate. They have to stunt the party for him, he added.

Responding to the issue, though Dele Belgore said issue on this matter at this stage should be directed to the party, he however said he is ready for the race and prepare for the party's primaries.

Speaking through his media aide, Rafiu Ajakaiye, Belgore said "we are in the (PDP) governorship race and very prepared to go for clear and transparent primaries. We welcome all the other aspirants", he added.

In his remark, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Chief Rex Olawoye maintained that the party is poised for its primaries where a candidate that will be generally accepted will emerged and command the support of other aspirants who lost out of the primaries.

"Nobody is imposing anybody. We are not going the way of the APC. Our party is democratic and we will further that tenets in the forthcoming delegates' congress of the party to produce a popular and acceptable candidate for the gubernatorial election in 2015.

As things stand, while the aspirants have vowed to resist the project, there is no sign that Shagaya has back-pedalled on the issue. This logjam, according to political observers was what necessitated insinuation that aspirants are reportedly planning to agree on a consensus among themselves from either Kwara Central or South to team up and defeat the anointed. But how far that would go and the response from Shagaya for now would evolve in the next few weeks as the party primaries draws closer.