PEOPLE'S Democratic Party (PDP) officials are having a rethink about electing President Goodluck Jonathan as the chairman of the party's board of trustees as it could portray their organisation as a regional body.
Following the PDP's recent election loss, several high-ranking officials like party chairman Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu and the chairman of the board of trustees Chief Tony Anenih have had to resign. President Jonathan has been touted as a replacement for Chief Anenih but yesterday, the board of trustees met and having discussed the issue are now having second thoughts about the idea.
During yesterday's meeting, the board expressed fears that if the outgoing President Jonathan accepts the offer of being its next chairman, it might present PDP as a regional party. Also, there is the fear that President Jonathan is trying to dominate all the party's structures against all other major stakeholders.
At the moment, the PDP's acting national chairman Uche Secondus, is from Rivers State and the national secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, is from Osun State. Party members are worried that if President Jonathan becomes the chairman of the board of trustees, it would portray the PDP as a southern party and alienate the north of the country.
One board member said: “We opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo who after handing over became the chairman of PDP board of trustees. It is not good for President Jonathan to do same, even if he is offered the office of the chairman of the board of trustees.
“It would not augur well in view of the party that some of the major offices are already concentrated in the south. We have other competent Nigerians that are members of the board of trustees, so President Jonathan should resist the temptation of accepting to become the chairman."
He added that the choice is his, as he either he accepts to become the chairman of the board of trustees and further diminishes the star of the PDP or reject it thereby brightening the party's star. President Jonathan is said to be in dilemma over the offer of accepting to be the chairman of the board.
