The Peoples Democratic Party came so dangerously close to extinction that some concerned members led by media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, actually rehearsed a mock funeral.
Not literally, of course. He registered another political party, called APDA, in a move called Plan B, but which quite seriously was a mock funeral.
But the PDP survived, thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court which gave it another lease of life, and to the interim leader of the party and former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who steered the ship through the perilous times.
On the threshold of the party’s convention, we had what is probably the most exhaustive interview yet with him in Abuja. We covered everything from the crisis that brought the party down from its Olympian heights to what its future holds.
Akin Orebiyi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo and Lagos states respectively in the last two general elections, also shared his experiences.
We also caught up with ‘Mathematical’ Segun Odegbami, who spoke on the state of our football, its past and our chances at the World Cup.
The 2017 winner of the NLNG Prize for Literature, Ikeogu Oke, is featured in this edition too.
Our regular columns are on offer with deep insights, as usual.
Enjoy….
