…silent on sharing formula for Assembly, Reps, Senate slots
By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Kwara State harmonisation committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to look into the sharing of positions between the old and new members of the party did not address the issue of allocation of elective positions, National Pilot learnt, last night.
The committee which was chaired by the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad with the Secretary to the State Government, Sola Isiaka Gold as Secretary recently concluded its assignment and submitted its report to the state leadership of the party.
The composition of the recently inaugurated state executives of the party was based on the recommendation of the committee that the new PDP should have eleven slots to seven of the old members in line with the ratio 60-40 template of the national leadership.
The committee report was however silent on the much expected sharing template adopted for allocation of slots in elective positions in the new arrangement.
Among the available elective positions that were expected to be allocated include; three senatorial slots, six House of Representatives seats, 24 House of Assembly seats and governorship ticket.
There had been widespread insinuations that the new PDP is likely to concede at least six Assembly slots and two House of Representatives to the old PDP.
Although both members of the old and new PDP purchased the governorship, House of Representatives and Assembly forms, former Minster of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, was the only member of the old block that picked the gubernatorial intent form to contest for the top seat which is expected to close, today.
Speaking on the issue, a member of the committee who confided in our reporter said they didn’t allocate elective positions because that was not among the terms of reference of the committee.
According to the source, the leadership of the party “decided to throw it open to give room for the emergence of the most popular and acceptable candidate within the party.
“All through our deliberation, we did not dwell on the issue of what or how many slots should be allocated to the two camps for the House of Assembly, Reps and Senate.
“That was not part of the assignment. Perhaps we think the leadership did this to make the entire process open and give everybody sense of belonging in this new arrangement of trust.
“So, whosoever is interested should go and obtain the form for whatever position he wants to aspire and canvass or consult his people from the various local governments.
“If they agree on consensus, all well and good but if they don’t, already we have elected delegates. So any local government or constituency that does not have consensus aspirant, can go to the field because the leadership has indicated that they don’t have any vested interest”.
The source said that the party is of the view that 2019 is going to be very critical in the state and any candidate that will emerge from the party must be of proven integrity, acceptable and popular.
He added that “on this basis, it will limit the popularity and acceptability of the candidate if we have to follow the ratio 60-40 template okayed by the national leadership.
“After the harmonisation, the general believe is that we have become one strong and bigger party and we want everybody to approach the exercise with the spirit.”
The source added that it was the template adopted in Kwara that was also adopted by the national leadership for other states for those who defected from APC to PDP.
