What will Fani-Kayode bring as PDP chairman?

by Alexander O. Onukwue

Femi Fani-Kayode will be contesting the position of the national chairman of the PDP, if the position is zoned to the South-West, according to The Punch.

The former aviation Minister was one of those who cheered to the victory won at the Supreme Court by the Ahmed Markafi faction over the legitimacy dispute with the Sheriff camp. Fani-Kayode, in his usual style, was quick to shame Senator Sheriff, supposedly for failing to lead to the Party’s demise.

Fani-Kayode has been unavoidable in the square of public commentary on the matters of state. After failing to lead President Goodluck Jonathan to a successful re-election in 2015, he chose not to go into any shells to nurse defeat.

He has stayed “active” and blistering in his darts towards the Buhari Government and the APC, sometimes assuming a one-man army.

With the PDP now back to life, he must be seeing an opportunity to get a firmer and more legitimate pulpit from which to throw more fiery hits at the APC.

Now as the Opposition Party, the PDP chairmanship position could assume a different appearance to the ones that were obtainable in the past, and with Fani-Kayode as a first elected Chairman, he will have a unique opportunity to mould the role in his image. The duty of making public releases and issuing statements on the Party’s behalf is traditionally that of the Publicity Secretary, but you will not bet against Fani-Kayode making that also part of his duty when the avenue presents itself.

On the road to recovery, the PDP could benefit from the strength of characters who are already have the attention – and irritation – of the public and of the ruling Party. As a former Presidential campaign director and Minister, Fani-Kayode can also be considered as one of the experienced heads who can hold their own within the ranks of the Party.

His other main competitors, Bode George and Jimi Agbaje, are reasonably formidable figures within the party, but it can be argued that neither has the balance of ‘enough good and evil’ that may be perceived necessary for this role.

Should it become the case that they do not zone the Chairmanship to the South-West, Fani-Kayode may find himself without opposition for the other position in the National Working Committee which may arguable suit him better: the Publicity Secretary. Whatever it becomes, as his Media Adviser, Jude Ndukwe, said, the “Party needs strong leadership to take on the APC Federal Government” and that his boss “has that strength and passion and he has worked very hard for the party.”

We await the zoning announcements.

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