The purported endorsement of some aspirants contesting the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by some members of its Southwest Board Of Trustees(BOT) has been described as plot by the ruling party to use the BOT to finally nail the party’s coffin.
Reacting to media reports that the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party from the South-West region has pruned down the number of candidates who are vying for the position of the national chairman of the party from the zone to accommodate three of the aspirants, a group, The PDP Youth Vanguard said the plot has exposed the real enemies of the former ruling party.
The group added that the move, “if indeed true, has exposed the PDP elders as sellouts who should leave the party immediately for sanity to return to it.”
According to the Youth group in a statement signed by its National Sacretary, Ibirogba Andrew and made available to newsmen in Lagos on Sunday,the purported recommendation of the Zonal board, endorsing three aspirants from the southwest region for the race is a deliberate attempt to plunge the PDP into another crisis which may eventually consume it.
The group said, “lf a consensus candidate must emerge from the lots jostling for the position, it has to be a consensus indeed.
“The decision must be all inclusive and the aspirants carried along. But a situation where some self seeking leaders would sit somewhere and begin to play the saboteur’s role is unacceptable”, the group registered.
It further maintained that the decision of the Southwest BOT ” to take such a suicidal step without the knowledge of the National BOT is suspicious and an obvious manifestion of a sellout and gang up, not only against the ostracized aspirants but the party as a whole, as the effect of the move is bound to be devastating on the party”
Media reports have it that member of the BoT from the South-West, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, signed the document that reduced the number of the aspirants to the favoured ones.
In the document dated November 3, those favoured include a former sports minister and Special Duties Minister, as well as a former Provost of the Federal College of Education (Special) , Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; a former Deputy Chairman of the party, Chief Bode George; and a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.
Out of the three, both George and Adeniran are members of its BoT, which is regarded as the conscience of the party.
Condemning what it reffered as the Interference of BOT on the Chairmanship Contest in PDP however, the Youth group said ” its unfortunate that PDP leaders who are supposed to ensure its total resuscitation are the same people toiling to ensure its demise”.