The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have begun search for a new national chairman after the confirmation of the sack of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu by his ward and the Benue High Court. Sunday Telegraph had re- ported that Deputy National Chairman (North) Ambassador Umar Damagun, who has been acting since Ayu’s sack, has failed to provide leadership to the party. A party source told this newspaper that PDP at the moment, needs someone who is respected and is accepted by generality of party members, to lead the party.
When Saraki and others were defecting to the APC, Mark said he will remain in PDP even if it means he is the last man standing.” PDP had zoned its chairmanship position to the North Central. Both Saraki and Mark are from that region. A news medium had re- ported that Saraki declined interest to lead the party. Osaro Onaiwu, director general of his campaign when the former Kwara State governor vied for the PDP presidential ticket last year, was quoted to have said in a statement that, “Saraki was grateful for the love shown him by PDP faithful across the country, who are clamouring that he should help return the party to its former leadership role in the country.
“Dr. Saraki has been playing in the background and has been holding the party together since after the general elections earlier in the year. “There are other former presidential aspirants that can be- come chairman. I can tell you on good authority that the issue is not an option for Saraki. “Dr. Saraki is a utility player, who has been holding the party together through several interventions. We believe he can still be playing deep in the party’s affairs without be- ing the chairman.”
The source still believes the former President of the Senate could change his mind if a strong representation is made to him by PDP leaders. “Mark may be little difficult to convince because of the way he was treated before the last national convention; PDP wouldn’t have been in this mess if he had been national chairman. “Saraki is a respected member of our party. He is someone with the interest of PDP at heart. He can be convinced to lead the party at this critical moment.
“The party needs someone like him; he commands the respect of even the G-5 members,” the source added. PDP governors may have also joined in the search. Chair- man of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Moham- med, told journalists after the forum’s meeting last Tuesday that the governors discussed the state of affairs of the party but added that “the issue of the substantive chairman is a party affair. I can also tell you that the reconciliation of aggrieved party members is ongoing. The chairmanship issue is one the party will address.”
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