2023: PDP recalls seven former national presidents, NASS leaders and others to continue Atiku's campaign
All living former national presidents of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, except five, have been listed as members of the party's Presidential Campaign Committee (PCC) for the presidential election next year.
In addition, some former governors and presidents of the National Assembly who were still party members were also listed as council members.
The committee list of 352 members was released by the main opposition party on Thursday in Abuja.
Its mandate is to organize the campaign of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, for the 2023 elections.
The council will be inaugurated on September 28.
Atiku, the country's vice president between 1999 and 2007, was elected the party's standard bearer in May after beating 12 other aspirants. He was also the party's candidate in the 2019 elections, but lost to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PCC is chaired by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State with Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State appointed Vice Presidents, North and South respectively .
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has been appointed Director General of the Presidential Campaign Management Committee (PCMC) with four others deputizing to him in strategic areas: Operations, Administration, Technical and Systems, and research and strategy.
Past PresidentsA reading of the list showed that the party's former substantive presidents and acting presidents since 1999 have been appointed to the CCP, although some of them are no longer politically active.
The appointees are Ahmadu Ali, Vincent Ogbulafor, Haliru Mohammed (former acting national president), Kawu Baraje, Adamu Mu'azu, Ahmed Makarfi (guardian) and Okwesilieze Nwodo.
While others are Ordinary Members, Mr. Nwodo, the Third Republic Governor of Enugu State, has been appointed Deputy Director General (Research and Strategy) of PCMC.
Former PDP chairpersons not named in the CCP are Barnabas Gemade, Audu Ogbeh, Bamanga Tukur, Ali Modu Sheriff and Uche Secondus.
While MM. Gemade, Ogbeh and Modu-Sheriff are currently members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), no reason was given to exclude Mr. Secondus who served as the party's chairman between 2017 and 2021. For his part, Mr. Tukur is no longer politically active.
Similarly, Mr. Ogbeh is not active in politics, being the chairman of the Consultative Forum of Arewa, the socio-cultural group in the north.
Former vice president Alex Ekwueme, who was the party's acting president in 1998 when it was formed, and ex-governor Solomon Lar, who led the party between 1998 and 1999, are all two late.
It should be noted that all the presidents, with the exception of Mr. Ali, left office in controversial circumstances.
The party also recalled some of its former officials, including three former national secretaries, Wale Oladipo, Ben Obi and Umar Tsauri, two former spokespersons, Emmanuel Ibeshi and Olisa Metuh, and a former national leader, Josephine Anenih, who later served as minister for women's affairs.
ALSO READ: PDP Crisis: It was ill-advised for Ayu to praise Tambuwal soon after party convention - ChieftainMisters Nwodo and Ogbulafor previously held the position of national secretary of the party at different times.
However, former PDP national vice-president Bode George, who criticized Mr. Ayu's retention as national president, was not named a member of the committee.
Former GovernorsNo less than 26 former PDP governors, still members of the party, were also on the campaign list.
These are Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), James Ibori (Delta), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Shaba Lafiagi ( Kwara), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Donald Duke (Cross River), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and Namadi Sambo (Kaduna), who is also a former vice president of the country.
The others are Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), Theodore Orji (Abia), Idris Wada (Kogi), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Jim Nwobodo (former Anambra), Ibrahim Dankwambo (...
All living former national presidents of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999, except five, have been listed as members of the party's Presidential Campaign Committee (PCC) for the presidential election next year.
In addition, some former governors and presidents of the National Assembly who were still party members were also listed as council members.
The committee list of 352 members was released by the main opposition party on Thursday in Abuja.
Its mandate is to organize the campaign of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, for the 2023 elections.
The council will be inaugurated on September 28.
Atiku, the country's vice president between 1999 and 2007, was elected the party's standard bearer in May after beating 12 other aspirants. He was also the party's candidate in the 2019 elections, but lost to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PCC is chaired by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State with Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State appointed Vice Presidents, North and South respectively .
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has been appointed Director General of the Presidential Campaign Management Committee (PCMC) with four others deputizing to him in strategic areas: Operations, Administration, Technical and Systems, and research and strategy.
Past PresidentsA reading of the list showed that the party's former substantive presidents and acting presidents since 1999 have been appointed to the CCP, although some of them are no longer politically active.
The appointees are Ahmadu Ali, Vincent Ogbulafor, Haliru Mohammed (former acting national president), Kawu Baraje, Adamu Mu'azu, Ahmed Makarfi (guardian) and Okwesilieze Nwodo.
While others are Ordinary Members, Mr. Nwodo, the Third Republic Governor of Enugu State, has been appointed Deputy Director General (Research and Strategy) of PCMC.
Former PDP chairpersons not named in the CCP are Barnabas Gemade, Audu Ogbeh, Bamanga Tukur, Ali Modu Sheriff and Uche Secondus.
While MM. Gemade, Ogbeh and Modu-Sheriff are currently members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), no reason was given to exclude Mr. Secondus who served as the party's chairman between 2017 and 2021. For his part, Mr. Tukur is no longer politically active.
Similarly, Mr. Ogbeh is not active in politics, being the chairman of the Consultative Forum of Arewa, the socio-cultural group in the north.
Former vice president Alex Ekwueme, who was the party's acting president in 1998 when it was formed, and ex-governor Solomon Lar, who led the party between 1998 and 1999, are all two late.
It should be noted that all the presidents, with the exception of Mr. Ali, left office in controversial circumstances.
The party also recalled some of its former officials, including three former national secretaries, Wale Oladipo, Ben Obi and Umar Tsauri, two former spokespersons, Emmanuel Ibeshi and Olisa Metuh, and a former national leader, Josephine Anenih, who later served as minister for women's affairs.
ALSO READ: PDP Crisis: It was ill-advised for Ayu to praise Tambuwal soon after party convention - ChieftainMisters Nwodo and Ogbulafor previously held the position of national secretary of the party at different times.
However, former PDP national vice-president Bode George, who criticized Mr. Ayu's retention as national president, was not named a member of the committee.
Former GovernorsNo less than 26 former PDP governors, still members of the party, were also on the campaign list.
These are Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), James Ibori (Delta), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Shaba Lafiagi ( Kwara), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Donald Duke (Cross River), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and Namadi Sambo (Kaduna), who is also a former vice president of the country.
The others are Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), Theodore Orji (Abia), Idris Wada (Kogi), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Jim Nwobodo (former Anambra), Ibrahim Dankwambo (...
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