PDP NWC members jostle for appointments •More aspirants gun for PDP chairmanship

STRONG indications are emerging that the national secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon go into limbo as no fewer that four members of the National Working Committee (NWC)

prepare to take federal appointments.

Findings by Nigerian Tribune have revealed that the acting national chairman of the PDP, Dr Haliru Muhammed would have submitted his resignation letter last week along with three other NWC members, but for some considerations which prevented them from doing so.

While the PDP acting chairman is set to bag a ministerial appointment with the National Secretary, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, the National Publicity Secretary, Professor Ahmed Alkali Rufai and the National Legal Adviser, according to findings, may bag other federal jobs.

The top officers were to tender their resignation letters last week at the NWC meeting, whereas, the meeting failed to hold since key members did not turn up.

President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to forward the list of ministerial nominees to the Senate this week, amid reports that a caretaker committee would be appointed to take charge of the PDP, pending the election of substantive national executive next year.

However, the race for the PDP chairmanship position continues to hot up with several interested candidates warming up to take over from the incumbent.

No fewer than nine contenders have indicated interest in the party’s number one position.

The contenders include Senator Danjuma Goje; former Defence Minister, Dr Shettima Mustapha; Senator Jibril Aminu; Dr Adamu Mua’zu and Alhaji Idris Waziri. Others are Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Alhaji Mohammed Goni; Alhaji Hassan Adamu and Alhaji Gambo Lawan.

They are all from the North-East zone of the country where the position has been zoned to.

The governors of the PDP-controlled states have started bracing up for the task of appointing the next chairman, having defined the quality of the candidate which they prefer to support.

The PDP governors, according to reports, had declared preference for a chairman who is youthful and independent-minded amid reports that they are set to advise President Jonathan on the need to have a chairman who would enjoy popular support among the party’s stakeholders.