The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have started feeling the pressure of plans to dislodge it from power in 2011 and has settled down for fire brigade approaches meant to enhance its chances in the 2011 general elections.
The Board of Trustees of PDP, during its last meeting in Abuja, had set out plans for the party to infuse a winning spirit in the party ahead of the 2011 general elections and that was after reviewing the party’s dwindling electoral fortunes across the federation, the opposition parties having preyed on some of the states it hitherto had in its firm grip.
Saturday Tribune can report, however, that the need for PDP to minimise risk in the 2011 general elections was the reason it proposed to offer its members in the National Assembly automatic ticket, although that proposition has started generating ripples within the party.
As investigations revealed, the PDP took the decision on realising that it may not be able to manage the crises likely to come up from its primaries which may be held in January since the party was already embroiled in crises in most of the states it has under its control now.
The idea of using automatic ticket as a ploy to mitigate tension in the party was said to have been suggested by a caucus of the party and some think-tank of President Goodluck Jonathan on the consideration that members of the National Assembly have the tendency to deliver their respective constituencies to the party, most of them having been tested electorally.
However, it is not all members of the PDP in the federal parliament who will benefit from the special offer to reclaim their tickets, as the party thought it more appropriate to favour only legislators with record of outstanding performances in their respective constituencies.
To determine the legislators in this category, the ruling party, Saturday Tribune learnt, would set up special monitoring teams to move round the states of the federation to ascertain the popularity of each member, in line with the record of performances they could tender.
According to party officials, assessment of the legislators would not be limited only to the constituency projects they had executed, their ratings in the respective legislative chambers they belong would also be taken into consideration.
The party is, therefore, considering the option of picking as many of them as possible whose performance would have been rated above average, pegging its conviction that on those in such category that would not have problem fighting their ways back to the National Assembly in next year’s elections.
The thinking by PDP is, however, not limited to National Assembly members, according to findings, as state governors too would be assessed based on their performances.
Saturday Tribune learnt that some state governors considered as liabilities to the PDP would be dropped as a means of retaining the confidence of party members in states concerned, amid threats from some states that aggrieved members may move out of PDP en masse if an unpopular candidate was imposed.
The PDP has of late suffered losses in some states of the federation, mostly in South-West zone where it lost three states, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun, to the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC.N), so also Edo State to the same party.
Aside the threats constituted by ACN to PDP in the South-West, the All Nigeria Peoples Party ANPP) has also been re-organising to take more states in the North while retaining the three states in its stronghold, Borno, Yobe and Zamfara.
In the same North, the influence of the growing Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) led by General Muhammadu Buhari has also been constituting threat to the PDP, moreso with open determination by the former head of state to take over power in 2011.
In the same breath, the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is to meet with stakeholders of the party in Ogun State led by Governor Gbenga Daniel in his Ota farm today.
The meeting by Obasanjo, Saturday Tribune can reveal, will touch on the forthcoming elections in relation to preparations by the state, as indications are rife that the stakeholders, including National Assembly and state assembly members and contestants to various elective offices would know their fate on zoning of elective offices.
Indications that the meeting in Ota would be crucial emerged against the backdrop of personal interest being shown by President Jonathan in the possible outcome, as party officials, who spoke with Saturday Tribune, disclosed that whatever the decisions reached would immediately be communicated to the president.
The national headquarters of PDP is to set up a special committee to monitor events in both Ogun and Oyo states, following the loss of three states in the South-West to the opposition parties.
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