Date Published: 05/18/10

Sir,

Who Takes Over from Ogbulafor?

While dilly-dally is going on between the PDP and Ogbulafor who has just tendered his resignation with 30-day notice, there is no doubt that horse-trading is also going on who succeeds him. Unlike the case of who becomes appointed the Vice President, PDP Chairmanship is not the sole prerogative of Jonathan. Nevertheless, the PDP has said that Ogbulafor was not an employee therefore his 30-day notice was unnecessary and not applicable.

Lots of names (Senator Pius Anyim, Senator Ken Nnamani, Bernard Eze, Aja Wachukwu, Rochas Okorocha, Ike Nwachukwu, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Sam Egwu, et al) have cropped up as likely successor to Ogbulafor. The South-East caucus of the PDP are setting out to conclude who should be before such a name being announced at the PDP national. But there is argument by a section of the North that says that the occupier of the position does not necessarily need to come from the South as so doing means that both the President and the national Chairman of PDP as a ruling party does not augur well.

Nevertheless, of all the names above mentioned, two (Ike Nwachukwu and Sam Egwu) are the most unlikely persons and they should not be elected to the Chairmanship seat of the PDP. The reasons are not far-fetched: Ike Nwachukwu is that chairman of the disgruntled Elders Committee set up by Ogbulafor-led NWC to reconcile warring members of PDP State chapters. Ibori is also a member of the Committee. This Committee rather than succeeding in its mission left the various State chapters worse than they met them; among those worst hit are Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Imo and Oyo. The committee is also accused of corruption, involvement in double-standard, and compromised. The Committee has been dragged to court alongside Ogbulafor’s NWC/NEC, by the Oyo chapter. In the case of Sam Egwu, his perception as Obasanjo’s man remains his albatross.

Dr. (Engr.) Tunde Abayomi, Adeola Odekun, V.I. Lagos

tundeabayomi74@yahoo.com