Kashamu tells what will happen to PDP if S’West fails to produce national chairman

Ahead the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention this Saturday, Senator Buruji Kashamu has warned against the alleged plot to ensure that the next national chairman of the party does not come from the South West.

The senator who represents Ogun East senatorial district in the National Assembly, said should the South West not produce the party’s chairman that the PDP will be reduced to a mere regional party.

He said in a statement on Wednesday, that “If those trying to scheme out the South-West succeed in their effort, the zone would be rendered irrelevant in the PDP. Without prejudice to anybody’s right to contest, irrespective of the established zoning arrangements, it is an open secret that the PDP national chairmanship had been conceded to the South-West pre-Port Harcourt convention.

“As a consequence of this, other positions zoned to the South-West are innocuous deputies to substantive offices except the National Treasurer. Even the Deputy National Secretary that is a member of the National Working Committee is not included. All these are because of the vital national chairmanship already conceded to the South-West. In fact, if elections were to hold then, a particular promising young politician from Lagos, South-West could have won.”

Wondering why the party leadership seems to be favouring the plot to scheme the South West out in the chairmanship position of the PDP, Kashamu reasoned that even if there would be a change to the earlier agreement, that there should have been a discussion involving all stakeholders.

“If a consensual stand is to be changed, it is only reasonable and fair that a new all-inclusive stakeholders’ meeting be called, where necessary re-zoning of key party posts from the South would be discussed to enable the national chairmanship to become open to all the southern zones. Similarly, the previously held consensus of the Vice-President coming from the South-East in 2019 would accordingly be revoked for all southern zones including the South-West to contend as it is happening now,” he said.

The senator called on the South-East to join the South-West in fighting the injustice.

“The PDP South-East needs to be categorical now in support of the South-West on the ongoing national chairmanship tussle between the South-West and the South-South.

READ ALSO: Kashamu in trouble as court sacks suit to stop PDP’s disciplinary action against him

“The logical implication of this avoidable tussle is to make uncertain, the settled South-East vice-presidential quest in 2019. If the South-East expectedly takes a principled stance in rightful support of the South-West, naturally as a reliable race in adherence to agreements, the Yoruba PDP would reciprocate without any prompting. What is currently happening is glaringly an orchestrated assault on the South-West to end up with nothing in 2019, with the disgusting connivance of the national party administrators. This is a dangerously illogical political permutation for the 2019 national elections,” he said.

While Kashamu commended the PDP Northern Elders Forum (NEF) support of the South-West, he urged delegates to the convention to follow suit with the NEF so that fairness and justice could be entrenched in the PDP.

 

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