How they stand: Two former govs, one ex-envoy — the eight people battling to lead PDP

In less than 24 hours from now, members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will elect new leaders  to take over from the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee.

Eight contenders – all from the south – are gunning for the position of the national chairman.

From the south-west are Rasheed Ladoja, Segun Aderemi, Jimi Agbaje, Tunde Adeniran, Taoheed Adedoja and Gbenga Daniel; while from the south-south are Raymond Dokpesi and Uche Secondus.

One person would emerge to lead the party not only as a formidable opposition ahead of the 2019 general election but also a “government-in-waiting”, with the party seriously seeking to return to Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power.

Below is a dossier on the key contenders:

TUNDE ADENIRAN

A founding member of the PDP and chairman of the electoral panel for the party’s national convention in 2011, Adeniran is a professor of political science and is aged 72.

He has held various prominent positions in public office in the past such as minister of education, Nigerian ambassador to Germany and chairman of the board of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Many believe that with his level of education, exposure, experience in politics and governmental matters, Adeniran has what it takes to be in the helms of affairs of the PDP.

He is also said to be the favourite for senior party chieftains from the north such as Jerry Gana, Ibrahim Mantu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who recently defected to the party.

His “gentility” is, however, perceived to be a weakness for him in the convention, with many in the party opining that what the PDP needs at the moment is a chairman that can lead it as a “vibrant” opposition for the ruling APC ahead of the 2019 elections.

UCHE SECONDUS

A major ccontender, Secondus was once the party’s organising secretary, deputy national chairman, and its two-term chairman in Rivers state.

With the positions he has held in the PDP, there is no doubt that Secondus has a deep knowledge and workings of the party; a plus that may earn him the support of some key decision makers – including governors.

Another plus for Secondus is that at 62 years of age, he is much younger than other major contenders including Bode George and Adeniran who are 72. This could be an advantage for stakeholders of the party who are said to be rooting for young hands.

GBENGA DANIEL

Daniel was the governor of Ogun state from May 2003 to May 2011, and judging from happenings, he is one of the strongest candidates for the chairmanship position of the PDP.

An engineer by training, he is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and since leaving office in 2011, has returned to his private business.

He once defected from the PDP to the Labour party after clashing with Buruji Kashamu, a senator, over control of the PDP in Ogun state, but returned to the party in 2014.

Apart from reaching out to the powers that be in the PDP, Daniel is said to have the support of some former as well as serving governors for the Saturday convention.

He has also been endorsed by PDP stakeholders in Ogun and during the build-up of the convention, promised to return the party to the path of the rule of law.

He is aged 61.

RAYMOND DOKPESI

One of the founding members of the PDP, he was chairman of Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT and Raypower Television and Radio, until he resigned in 2014 because of partisan politics.

He was part of the brains behind the Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), the party formed in the heat of the PDP leadership tussle between Ali Modu Sheriff, former PDP chairman, and Ahmed Makarfi, current caretaker committee chairman. He later admitted that the APDA was formed as a “plan B” should the PDP not be able to survive its then crisis.

In the build-up of the convention, Dokpesi traversed the length and breadth of the country to meet with delegates and seek their support.

With reports emerging lately that he may step down for any of the other key contenders, Idea Eguabor, his campaign director, insisted on Thursday that Dokpesi “is not only a front-runner but remains the aspirant to beat at the convention grounds on Saturday”.

RASHEED LADOJA

A former governor of Oyo state, Ladoja joined the race very late, weeks after some of the contenders had kicked off campaigns.

He had left the PDP for Accord Party when the party was in leadership crisis but, just like Atiku, later returned in August this year.

Not long after he indicated interest in the party’s chairmanship position, he was endorsed by Oyo state chapter of the PDP. Unconfirmed reports have it that PDP governors are considering him for the option of the party’s deputy chairman.

Apart from the PDP stakeholders in Oyo, the former governor is also said to enjoy massive support on the grassroots level and had in the build-up of the convention, said the chairmanship race is not a “do or die affair.”

At 73, Ladoja is the oldest among the key contenders in the Saturday convention.

OLUSEGUN ADEREMI

One of the least popular among the contenders, Aderemi is the youngest. He is aged 44.

It was not until barely a month ago that he joined the race for the PDP chairmanship position.

In June 2016, he had led youth groups within the PDP to the party’s secretariat in Abuja where they threatened to take over the party if the leadership tussle rocking it at the time was not resolved within seven days.

Despite his young age, the Ekiti politician may have some “fresh ideas” to add to the party and help it gain some grounds ahead of the 2019 election.

JIMI  AGBAJE

A pharmacist by training, Agbaje’s first shot in politics was after the annulment of the June 12 presidential won by late Moshood Abiola in 1993.

He was the PDP’s candidate in the 2015 Lagos state governorship election; his second time, after first vying for the state’s governorship election under the platform of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) in 2007.

Based on his affiliation with Afenifere, he joined the Action Congress (AC) – his first political party, but later left for the DPA when it was alleged that Bola Tinubu, then of Lagos, had already anointed someone else to succeed him even before the party primary.

He is known to be strong-willed and an advocate of a true consensus chairman of the party. One of the factors working in his favour is trust and respect among the leaders of the party.

Agbaje is 60.

TAOHEED ADEDOJA

A former minister of youth and sports, Adedoja was the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2015 Oyo state governorship election.

He is known within the party circle as a dedicated party member and has also traversed the length and breadth of the country, selling his candidature ahead of Saturday convention.

While indicating interest in the party’s chairmanship position, Adedoja had promised to put an end to “impunity” and “imposition of candidates” within the party.

While speaking Thursday on his chances of emerging the next PDP chairman, he had described himself as “a man of all parts who has lived and made friends across different parts of the country”.