Special Report: Meet the eight candidates contending PDP’s chairmanship title today

…as Bode George backs out of race

All is now set for the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention scheduled to hold today (Saturday) at the Eagles Square in Abuja.

However, one of the leading contenders, Chief Bode George backs out of the race on Friday evening, therefore, leaving the position open to the remaining eight candidates.

Those in the race for the position of the PDP chair, include former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel; founder of AIT and Raypower, Raymond Dokpesi; a former Deputy National Chairman and Acting Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus; and a former Minister of Education, Tunde Adeniran.

Others are a former Governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja; a former governorship candidate of the party in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje; a former Minister of Youth and Sports, Taofeek Adedoja and Segun Aderemi.

1. Tunde Adeniran

Prof. Tunde Adeniran is among the founding members of the party. He served as chairman of the electoral panel for the party’s national convention in 2011.

Adeniran is a professor of political science and is aged 72.

He has held various prominent positions in public office in the past such as Minister of Education, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany and chairman of the Board of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Many believe that with his level of education, exposure, experience in politics and governmental matters, Adeniran has what it takes to be in the helms of affairs of the PDP.

He is also said to be the favourite for senior party chieftains from the north such as Jerry Gana, Ibrahim Mantu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who recently defected to the party.

His “gentility” is, however, perceived to be a weakness for him in the convention, with many in the party insisting that what the PDP needs at the moment is a chairman that can lead it as a “vibrant” opposition to the ruling APC ahead of the 2019 elections.

Moreso, pundits are of the opinion that any candidate that emerge the National Chairman of the party will be resuming as the head of an opposition party rather than a party in power, hence, such Chairman will need to portray a battle-ready figure with the capacity to improvise occasionally and lead the party into the challenge in 2019; a duty many think Prof. Adeniran might find difficult discharging if elected as chairman.

2. Uche Secondus

Uche Secondus once served as the party’s acting chairman, deputy national chairman, organising secretary, and its two-term chairman in Rivers State.

With the positions he has held in the PDP, there is no doubt that Secondus has a deep knowledge and workings of the party; a plus that may earn him the support of some key decision makers – including governors.

Another plus for Secondus is that at 62 years of age, he is much younger than other other contenders like Adeniran and Ladoja who are 72 and 73 years old respectively. This could be an advantage for stakeholders of the party who are said to be rooting for young hands.

If he emerges, the workings of the party will not be new to him as he has a network across the divides. However, like Dokpesi, Secondus is also from the South-South region.The implication of his emergence is that the South East chance of clinching the Vice-Presidential ticket may become slim as the South West will definitely put in all its resources into ensuring the position comes to the region. Politically, the calculation of an Uche Secondus as National Chairman is that it creates a level of marginalization against the Southwest region and also promote a general believe of what many has whispered as the ‘South-Southernization’ of the party by the South-South having produced the immediate past President.

3. Chief Rashidi Ladoja

The candidacy of Chief Ladoja is more like a chess game. Having been received with accolades and funfair back into the party from the Accord Party, Chief Ladoja is on the road to test the efficacy of the promise of equality and level playing ground he was promised while been wooed back to the party. Chief Ladoja knows he is more of a freshman into the party and may not have the inroad network to galvanize the support of the entire National delegates but if the party does not screen him out in the race and he eventually gets to the convention as a candidate, his desire for inclusiveness would have been established.

A former governor of Oyo state, Ladoja joined the race very late, weeks after some of the contenders had kicked off campaigns.

He had left the PDP for Accord Party when the party was in leadership crisis but, just like Atiku, later returned in August this year.

Not long after he indicated interest in the party’s chairmanship position, he was endorsed by Oyo state chapter of the PDP. However, unconfirmed reports have it that PDP governors are considering him for the option of the party’s deputy chairman.

Apart from the PDP stakeholders in Oyo, the former governor is also said to enjoy massive support on the grassroots level and had in the build-up of the convention, said the chairmanship race is not a “do or die affair.”

At 73, Ladoja is the oldest among the key contenders in the Saturday convention.

Prof. Taoheed Adedoja

A former minister of youth and sports, Adedoja was the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2015 Oyo state governorship election.

He is known within the party circle as a dedicated party member and has also traversed the length and breadth of the country, selling his candidature ahead of Saturday convention.

While indicating interest in the party’s chairmanship position, Adedoja had promised to put an end to “impunity” and “imposition of candidates” within the party.

While speaking Thursday on his chances of emerging the next PDP chairman, he had described himself as “a man of all parts who has lived and made friends across different parts of the country”.

He has also vowed that the PDP under his leadership will win back the presidency in 2019.

Jimi Agbaje

Agbaje is a Nigerian Pharmacist, and Politician. He was the 2015 flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, [PDP] in the Lagos State Governorship candidate, but he lost.

Recall that Agbaje had also vied for the state’s governorship election under the platform of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) in 2007. Despite Agbaje’s serial loss in seeking an elective position in government, he has been able to build himself a formidable brand in the political circle.

The 60-year old politician has garnered in his favour the integrity that accords him respect among the leaders of the party.

If not for the postponement of the second Port Harcourt convention, Jimi Agbaje would have emerged as the National Chairman of the party despite the challenge posed by Chief Dokpesi then. He was the candidate of the Governors and they literally made a case for him as the best image the party deserves then.

Raymond Dokpesi

Former chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi is a frontline personality in the Peoples Democratic party.

In the midst of the uncertainty around the judgement of the Supreme Court, some party leaders pandered to him to create an alternative platform for the party, however, this was where Dokpesi problem started.

Rather than put in place an alternative party whose leadership will be collectively selected, Chief Dokpesi went ahead to put his followers and loyalists in all the top positions of the alternative party. This immediately caused distrust between him and the leadership of the PDP.

Party sources had earlier kicked against his candidature claiming that the media mogul is still a registered member of the Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) – the party he co-founded amidst the PDP leadership tussle between Ali Modu Sheriff, former PDP chairman, and Ahmed Makarfi, current caretaker committee chairman.

However, he has gotten a clearance by the National Executive Council of the party as fit to contest for the National Chairmanship seat.

Gbenga Daniel

Former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel is a popular figure in the party. Apart from being a key political machinery in state, he has also played lead roles in the South West at large. During the 2011 election of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Daniel played was the Southwest Coordinator of the campaign.

One cannot rule out the political stature of Daniel, especially if one considers that he once defeated a strong incumbent in 2003 in Ogun State, a feat he replicated when he coordinated the Southwest for Jonathan’s victory.

Daniel who is already endorsed by PDP stakeholders in Ogun, during the build-up of the convention, promised to return the party to the path of the rule of law.

The 61-year old politician and an engineer by training has also made significant roles to the growth and rebranding of PDP in Ogun and Southwest.

Daniel apart from some of the inner caucus the rule the PDP is said to have the support of some former as well as serving governors for today’s convention.

Olusegun Aderemi

Ekiti State politician and member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Olusegun Aderemi has thrown in his hat for a shot at the national Chairmanship seat of the party.

Aderemi who hails from Omuo Ekiti was born on the 10th of April, 1973. He attended the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State where he graduated with a Higher National Diploma(HND) in Accounting/Insurance.

Aderemi is no doubt one of the least popular among the eight contenders, and also the youngest [he is aged 44] .

In June 2016, he had led youth groups within the PDP to the party’s secretariat in Abuja where they threatened to take over the party if the leadership tussle rocking it at the time was not resolved within seven days.

Despite his young age, the Ekiti politician may have some “fresh ideas” to add to the party and help it gain some grounds ahead of the 2019 election.