Makarfi, PDP Governors Ready for Transparent Convention, Says Adeniran

Dopkesi: I won’t step down Metuh, Ubah, others fault Anambra congress

Less than 24 hours to the commencement of proceedings at tomorrow’s elective national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), some aspirants have expressed confidence that the process will be fair and transparent.

One of the chairmanship aspirants from the South-west, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, said yesterday that there was hope that election at the convention would be open, transparent and credible.

Adeniran who had earlier expressed reservations on the preparations for the conduct of the convention, said the party leadership has satisfactorily responded to the issues he had raised, adding that his fears have been allayed.

Speaking with journalists yesterday, the Director General of Adeniran’s campaign organisation, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, said the governors elected on the platform of the party have shown their determination to ensure that the convention is conducted in a transparent and fair manner.

He said: “Governors have agreed that the convention must be transparent. We are happy with the Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, Delta State Governor, Ofeanyi Okowa. I have worked with him, he is a man of integrity.”

According to Gabam, the governor is doing what is right so far, adding that there is no doubt that he will be transparent in the conduct of the convention.

“We are happy with the chairman of the convention committee, he is a man of honour. We know him very well.

“He has assured us that there will be free and fair contest. We have no reason to doubt him. We believe them and we hope that the election will be transparent, open and credible,” Gabam said.

On the complaints that they made over the composition of the convention committee, he said: “We raised series of issues in the past. But the leadership of the party has demonstrated capacity. Most of the issues we raised have been addressed, whether they were 100 per cent or not, they have allayed those fears and we are grateful.

“We don’t have much to complain about. Most issues have been taken care of. We raised issues on the chairmanship of the electoral committee and the party responded, we now want to allow everything to lie. Other issues, nature will tidy them up.”

The campaigns DG said the delegates, have displayed maturity adding “having gone round the country, the show of support from the delegates gives us no doubt that they understand the dynamics of today.

“It shows that we have left the era of delegates being cajoled into doing what they are against. They have shown maturity and They can take their own decision. I appeal to them to vote according to their consciences,” he said.

Also yesterday, one of the chairmanship aspirants and the founder of DAAR Communications Plc, Raymond Dopkesi, said he would not step down for any one in the race.

In a statement issued yesterday by one of his campaign officials, Ide Eguabor, the politician urged party delegates to disregard “such cheap and division which are antics aimed at causing I’ll win in the PDP.

“Dokpesi will not step down and those wish so are advised to redirect their energies to campaigns that will benefit their aspirants rather than dissipate energy in negative direction.”

Dokpesi said the national convention is the first real effort by the PDP since inception at entrenching an internal democratic process that will lead to deepening the country’s democracy.

According to Dokpesi, the era of impunity and imposition has long gone out of fashion.

“The delegates will decide every contestant’s fate and we should all agree to abide and accept the convention decision,” he said.

However, just as the party leadership is putting everything in place for the convention, some PDP stakeholders from Anambra State stormed the national secretariat in Abuja yesterday to protest against what they described as fraudulent congress conducted in the state.

In a petition jointly signed by the former National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh; a member of the BoT, Chris Ubah; Prince John Emeka, Chris Azubogu and nine others, the party stakeholders said there was nothing like state congress that took place in Anambra State on December 4 as was being erroneously presented.

The group at a meeting held at residence of the Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ben Obi, in Abuja urged the party leadership to order a repeat of the exercise on another date after tomorrow’s convention.