Obasanjo’s resignation: What next for PDP, Jonathan?

[MrVan]

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE

ARGUABLY, former president and Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has a lot of ace up his political sleeves. He is full of suspense and strategy.

Twenty-four hours after leading a team of PDP top shots in the South-West geo-political zone to woo former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rasheed Ladoja back to the party, he threw in his towel yesterday as PDP BOT chair to "have a bit more time to devote to the international demand on me." He was on the saddle for 58 months.

Since he returned to power on May 29,1999 as civilian head of state, 20 years after he voluntarily quit power as military ruler, Obasanjo has remained a major factor and power broker in the world's largest black nation.

Though his eight-year reign as president  was eventful, his alleged attempt to go for a third term that would have seen him leading the country for a cumulative 15 years smeared his record as a non-sit-tight leader in a continent characterised by sit-tight rulers.

Before bowing out on May 29, 2007, however, Obasanjo ensured that his party retained presidential power through late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Dr Goodluck Jonathan. He also paved the way for a post-president role for himself in the PDP. He got the party's constitution amended to reserve the BOT slot for only former presidents and national chairmen. The BOT was also made the highest decision-making body of the party as contained in Section 12.76 of the party's constitution.

Obasanjo Thus, Obasanjo had little or no hassles picking the top seat on June 27, 2007, less than a month after leaving Aso Rock. In a deft move, he had his predecessor, Chief Tony Anenih, pushed aside

As BOT chair, Anenih had fixed the meeting for 8pm, but the time was changed without his consent to 10 a.m and the meeting did not start until 12.30 p.m and ended at about 3 p.m. Obasanjo's election at the Kano Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, was the first time in PDP's history that  the board of trustees meeting would be held in the morning. Past gatherings had always been in the night. Though Anenih was absent at the meeting, his wife, Josephine Anenih was present at the meeting where the decision was taken to replace his husband.

With his emergence as chairman of the board, Obasanjo brought his influence to bear on the affairs of the party. When Yar'Adua became terminally ill about two years into his four year tenure, Obasanjo, who first visited the ailing president in a Saudi hospital returned to champion the crusade for Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be sworn-in as acting president as Yar'Adua did not hand-over to him before traveling out.

The polity was intensely divided over the matter. Some power forces, especially from the North opposed the move fearing that it would hurt the region's turn to produce the president. In the end, the National Assembly, employed the doctrine of necessity, to save the day and Jonathan was sworn-in as acting president.

On the road to the 2011 polls, the zoning matter rose again after Jonathan said he was running. The North insisted he should allow a northerner to emerge as PDP candidate and later as president to complete the turn of the North.

But backed by Obasanjo and other stakeholders, Jonathan won the PDP presidential ticket and went on to win the election proper after saying that he would do one term of four years.

Speaking on the issue during the campaigns following comments that zoning was dead in PDP, Obasanjo said  that zoning  of public offices in the party was "alive and kicking" noting that the accident of history that threw up President Goodluck Jonathan as the PDP presidential candidate  must be understood.

Obasanjo however, said Jonathan should be commended for agreeing to do one term if elected in the April general elections, to assuage the bitterness of the pro-zoning elements, saying the president should be encouraged to stick to the vow.

The former president garnered for himself a host of enemies in the party, who as of September last year plotted to remove him as BOT chair. Indeed, plans to weaken the BOT and make it advisory in capacity were on before Obasanjo resigned yesterday.

With Obasanjo out as BOT chairman, the party and by extension President Jonathan may miss a veritable pillar of sorts ahead of future polls.

Vanguard Nigeria

[MrVan]