All is now set for next month’s Peoples Democratic Party national convention which is slated to hold in Enugu State.
The event is very strategic to PDP’s success in the 2023 election because a new National Working Committee, led by the party chairman is going to emerge, and they are expected to lead the party to battle against the All Progressives Congress.
Various interests have emerged and they are supporting their candidates to win the election. This is important because whoever wins the chairmanship controls the party structure and can influence the primary results.
Governor Wike who played a key role in the emergence of the last chairman is hoping to do the same with Chief Dan Orbih, former PDP Vice Chairman.
Wike is sponsoring Orbih to become the party’s chairman, but he is facing a tough challenge from PDP bigwig who has vowed to reduce his overbearing influence on party structure, by ensuring his candidates does not win.
Other candidates said to be interested in the position are former Ondo State governorship candidate Eyitayo Jegede and Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Osun State Governor. But unfortunately for Wike, his candidate has lost out in the race, even before the first ballot is cast.
How Dan Orbih lost out in the race even before the convention commences
In to a leaked document circulating in the media, the 44-member National Convention Committee on Zoning led by Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has reportedly zoned the party Chairmanship position to the South West. This is according to a report in the Punch Newspaper. Also, the office of the Secretary has been reserved for the North.
This arrangement has dealt a huge blow on the Wike’s camp because Dan Oribih who is being sponsored by the River State Governor is from Edo State in the South-South.
That means he has been effectively ruled out of the chairmanship contest. Interestingly, Wike is yet to react to the new development, and it is not clear what his next line of action might be.
On the other hand, there might be a huge sigh of relief in the camp of the anti-Wike groups, as the River State Governor may not likely have a candidate in the election. This might go a long way to reduce Wike’s influence on the party leadership in the new dispensation.
The other alternative that might be available to Wike is either to throw his weight behind either of the other two candidates, Eyitayo Jegede or Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Or he might even sponsor a different candidate from the South West. But the latter is highly improbable because of the limited time frame.