PDP names Ahmadu Ali as Jonathan’s Campaign Director.

The national leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party may not appeal to members who defected from the
party as a result of the rancour that followed its just-
concluded primaries, The PUNCH has learnt.
The party has also named a former National Chairman of
the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, as the Director-General,
Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation.
It was also learnt that the party had foreclosed talking to
those who moved to other political parties where they felt
they could achieve their political aspirations.
Among those who left were a former Governor of Oyo
State, Chief Bayo Alao-Akala, who is now a member of
the Labour Party; a former Minister of State for Industry,
Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom (All Progressives
Congress); and a former National Chairman of the party,
Senator Bernabas Gemade.
Many other aggrieved members of the party, despite the
plea by President Goodluck Jonathan not to leave the
PDP, have also left the party as a result of the
controversial primaries.
The President had on Saturday appealed to them not to
leave, saying that the leadership of the party was working
hard to resolve the conflicts thrown up by primaries in
many states.
Despite this, the party said there was no mass exodus
among its members, adding that in politics, while some
were leaving a political party, others would be joining.
The National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, in
answers to questions from our correspondent in Abuja on
Monday, said there was nothing to fear concerning those
who left the party.
He said, “There is no mass defection in the PDP. I’m
assuring you of that. In politics, you win some; you lose
some. That’s what we did in Oyo, Sokoto, Kwara and
other states.
“We are not shocked (by the defections). When the former
Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, took our
mandate to another party, God gave it back to us
miraculously.
“In Kwara, when the governor and others took our
mandate to the opposition, God brought Dele Belgore and
others to us.
“In Sokoto, when the governor also took our mandate
away, God gave us Attahiru Bafarawa. The same thing is
happening in Oyo and other states where we are gaining
members.”
He said there was nothing to fear, adding that the national
leadership was ready to go ahead with the presidential
campaign.
Oladipo also confirmed the appointment of Ali as the
director-general of President Jonathan Campaign
Organisation.
On who is the actual governorship candidate of the party
in Ogun State, Oladipo, refused to be categorical on this.
He merely said that his party would meet the deadline set
by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the
submission of governorship candidates’ names by political
parties.
It will be recalled that the members of the National
Working Committee of the party had ordered the state
chapter of the party not to conduct the governorship
primary.
The directive was ignored as a faction of the party in the
state went ahead to elect Alhaji Gboyega Isiaka as its
governorship candidate. The action was being contested
by the other faction of the party in the state.
However, Oladipo said there was nothing to be worried
about on this.
He also said the issue of Anambra State, where three
different primaries were held at different locations, was not
an issue.
He said, “On Ogun State, INEC has set the 26th of this
month as the deadline for the submission of the list of
candidates for governorship and House of Assembly
members.
“Our party will beat that deadline. As for Anambra, we
organised primaries and the names of those who won have
been sent to INEC.”
Asked about the names of those who were sent, he said
he was sure that the commission would still publish them.