The idea of removing States’ Governors as leaders of the the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and installing party chairmen in their respective states instead is being worked out by the top leaders of the said party. An official source [name withheld] has revealed that, should the arrangement be reached, only the President would be recognized by the party as the national leader.
According to the PDP constitution, there is no such position as party leader; however, the President is acknowledged as the national leader, and the governors hold analogous posts in their respective states.
The idea to change the current structure might be triggered by the current state of affairs between President Jonathan and the Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, as well as similar conflict between the party’s national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and Adamawa State governor Murtala Nyako.
According to a source within the PDP, there are plans to impose a new organization system according to which the state party chairmen would take full control of the affairs of the party in the state — with governors remaining important members of the party.
The source also disclosed that the PDP might soon caution the governors against using the appellation of party leaders to order to avoid duplication, stressing that the party can have only one leader, the President of the country.
The party, according to the anonymous source, is “not comfortable” with governors taking over the organization of the party and regulating what happens in their respective states, despite the fact that, at the state level, the governors fund the parties.
The highest leaders of the party currently deal directly with the party chairmen and are ready to make all the necessary changes to ensure that the position of party leader at the state level is watered down.
When contacted, the PDP national publicity secretary, Barrister Tony Caesar Okeke, said he is “not aware” of the development.
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