PDP fails to name chair as BOT meeting is postponed

The search for a chairman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues following the postponement of yesterday’s meetingof its Board of Trustees (BOT) led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The BOT was expected to pick one of the leading contenders for the post following the South East caucus inability to choose a consensus candidate.

A source told us that the parley was deferred to allow for "wider consultations".

The former party chair, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor stepped aside to clear himself of a N104million corruption charges in court.

The former secretary of the BOT, Abdullahi Adamu, had also resigned. He too is facing corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) .

Also, the Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr Mohammed Haliru Bello, sources say may also have to "toe the path of honour" if ongoing investigations by the EFCC of the Siemens bribery scam establish that he has questions to answer.

The EFCC is interrogating four former ministers including Bello over an alleged 17.5million euro bribery scam.

Others invited by the EFCC include former Ministers of Communications, Cornelius Adebayo and Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olarenwaju(rtd) and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Senator Jibril Aminu.

Bello was still being interrogated by the EFCC as of the time of filing this report.

The National Secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, in a statement in Abuja said the BOT meeting had been postponed.

Baraje, however, did not give reasons for the postponement.

Two former meetings scheduled for Owerri and Abuja to pick the next chairman of the party were suspended. No reasons were given.

Baraje said: "This is to inform all concerned that the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier scheduled for Monday, 24th May 2010 has been postponed. A new date shall be communicated to all members in due course.

"The PDP regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the BOT by this postponement and look forward to welcoming them as soon as the new date is announced."

Chief Obasanjo was at the Presidential Villa yesterday to confer with President Goodluck Jonathan.