2015: Mark lobbies state PDP chairmen over consensus govs

Senate President, David Mark

There are indications that the Senate President, David Mark, is putting intense pressure on the state chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party to pick the party’s governorship candidates for the 2015 election through consensus.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the PDP national leadership had asked Mark to meet with the state PDP chairmen over the need for the party to achieve the objective.

Mark, according to findings by Saturday PUNCH, has held series of meetings with the chairmen in Abuja to ensure that the party achieves the objective. A PDP chieftain, who did not want his name mentioned, confided in one of our correspondents that the Senate President first met with the PDP chairmen at the State House in Abuja a few days after the inauguration of the new Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, where he informed them of the party’s National Working Committee’s decision on consensus.

The source, who said that the issue did not go down well with the PDP chairmen, added that the first meeting ended in stalemate as both parties refused to shift ground.

“The PDP National Working Committee was not happy that the party chairmen did not agree with the consensus option,” the source added.

The source said the Senate President again called a second meeting with some party chairmen during the week.

Some of the PDP state chairmen have, however, confirmed that they met with the Senate President, but they expressed diverse reasons for the purpose of their meeting.

The Ogun State PDP Chairman, Mr. Adebayo Dayo, said that the Mark-led committee had been holding meetings with the party leaders and state chairmen from the six South-West states.

He said, “There are meetings going on, on daily basis by the David Mark-led committee. The party leaders and chairmen in the six South-West states are being invited in turns to Abuja for meetings.”

“What we discuss normally centres on the need to accommodate those who defected or are defecting to the PDP. We also stressed the need to follow due process in choosing the candidates that will contest in the 2015 general elections.”

Dayo, however, said that the state chapter of the party would not subscribe to consensus arrangement in picking its governorship candidate for next year’s poll.

Chairman, Mr. Iyiola Oyedepo, who confirmed that all the governorship aspirants had met with the Senate President on how to harmonise themselves, said the party would want its candidate to emerge through open and credible primary.

He said, “We are fully prepared for the primary. We have put everything in place to ensure free, fair and credible primary.

“But if there would be a consensus, all aspirants must agree on the modalities for such. We have not been able to achieve that thus far. So, we are preparing for full primary.

“Our aspirants have met with the Mark-led team to sort themselves out. I am aware that the aspirants have met with Mark once.”

Copyright PUNCH.