By Anthony Maliki, Abuja
Ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention scheduled for November 15, 2025, Dr. Phillips Omeiza Salawu, PhD, D.Sc, FCA, FCTI, FCS, FFIA, FCCrFA, FCCFI, CPFA, ACIB, AICMC, LLB, BL, remains tops and the candidate to beat despite new entrants “smuggling” themselves into the race.
Dr. Salawu is the only candidate amongst all the advertised contestants that is truly neutral and non-aligned to any of the four Power blocs in the PDP as of today making his candidacy peculiar.
There have been reports that a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; ex-National Chairman, Kawu Baraje and former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, have shown interest for the office of National Chairman with acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, also making moves to secure the position in a substantive capacity.
Dr. Salawu said: “The race is getting sweeter. I welcome them all in the struggle to reposition the PDP. I am ready and fully equipped to match any of the new entrants into the race, I will not be intimidated, we shall triumph at last.”
As it were, it must be noted that the North Central geo-political zone is constitutionally, legally and morally entitled to supply the next PDP National Chairman if stability is desired in PDP.
Notwithstanding, Dr. Salawu’s unique and special quality of neutrality will better equip him with the Necessary Moral Armament and Moral Authority to quickly reconcile the various Power blocs within the PDP and thereby unite the party in the shortest possible time frame.
Besides, the former Deputy Governor of Kogi State has the added advantage of haven started with the PDP as at 31st August 1998 when the party was officially named at the then International Conference Centre, Abuja FCT.
No doubt, he knows the history of the party from the very beginning as he was the first National Director of Finance of the PDP at its National Headquarters in Abuja between 1998 and 2002.
He is equally well informed on Nigerian History, its Geo-Political complexities and equipped with appropriate instruments on how best to resolve the emerging National Issues in the PDP.
Dr. Salawu, an intellectual, a Chartered Corporate Accountant, a Chartered Public Finance Accountant, a Chartered Banker, a Chartered StockBroker, a Chartered Tax Consultant, a Certified Forensic Auditor, a Chartered Mediator and Conciliator, a Barrister and a Solicitor at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, will be of immense political value to the PDP as its National Chairman.
He is very calm but extremely courageous to confront any threat of injustice and audacious to confront all forms of evil without fear and will not be timid to run away when the battle is getting hotter. However, Dr. Salawu is humble and fears God Almighty, the Owner of the Universe. He will listen to all arguments and to all shades of opinion before taking decisions, he is fair and firm.
While he was first PDP National Director of Finance at the National Secretariat, he deployed his intellectual, technical, professional, material, institutional and logistic resources towards the solid foundation and growth of the party.
He was a Founding Father of the Party in all material respects and only very few individuals within the PDP have contributed more than him in terms of resource deployment and commitments towards the foundation and growth of the party. His professional skills as a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Banker were of immense utility to the party in its Fund Raising Efforts during the Party’s crucial moments of Financial Scarcity.
Indeed, His Excellency Dr. Salawu hopes to bring to bear a 3-Point, 3-R Policy Agenda for the repositioning of the PDP: Reconciliation, Restructuring and Restoration.
Also, by his Non-Alignment posture, Dr. Salawu, a Chartered Mediator and a Chartered Conciliator, is in a better Technical position to reconcile the four different power blocs within the PDP.
As a PDP Deputy Governor of Kogi State for almost nine years from 2003-2012, His Excellency Dr. Salawu never had any squabbles with his Political boss, the Governor of the State and he exited government Services in Kogi State without any blemish to the glory of God Almighty.
He has now been re-absorbed into the membership of the PDP National Board of Trustees, (BoT), a position that qualifies him an automatic membership of the PDP-NEC.
Dr. Salawu was in the Merchant Banking Sector of the Nigerian Economy in four different Merchant Banks between 1983 and 1995, and rose from the position of a Financial Analyst to that of a Deputy General Manager, (DGM), in Corporate Banking and International Banking Operations.
During his career in the Merchant Banking Sector of the Nigerian Economy, he was well trained by some International Banks including Chase Manhattan Bank of New York, the CitiBank of New York and the Australia-New Zealand Bank in London.
Dr. Salawu is an Academic Star who won Prime Academic Prizes during his school days for his Academic Distinctions.
He bagged a First Class Degree in his B.Sc program and consistently led his class during his first degree program. At his PhD Degree Program, he equally led his class in the Course Work written Examinations. He made similar brilliant exploits at some of his Professional Examinations.
Dr. Salawu is a distinguished Alumnus of Government Secondary School Okene, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK, Emily Woolf College of Accountancy in High Holborn, London, University of Jos, Baze University Abuja FCT and the Nigerian Law School in Bwari-Abuja Campus.
Dr. Salawu is not an idle person but a well engaged personality and has a second address apart from his Political Address. He is the Chairman of the Omegah Business Conglomerate with interests in Hotel management, Real Estate, Agriculture, Mining & Quarry, Oil & Gas, Education, Forensics and Business Consultancy.
Dr. Salawu has the audacity, the capacity, the maturity, the calmness and the qualities of what it takes to lead the biggest political party in Africa, the PDP, at this crucial moment of its political history.
According to the PDP official timetable, the sale of Nomination and Expression of Interest forms will begin on September 3 with submission closing on September 22. Screening of aspirants will take place on September 30.
Born in Ihima District of Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, on 29th October, 1957, Dr. Salawu was selected as a Delegate to the Nigerian National Conference of 2014 to represent the North Central GeoPolitical Zone.
At the said National Conference, he proposed the Alternation of the Nigerian Presidency between the Northern and the Southern parts of the country with Dual Vice-Presidency to cover the unlikely political accidents to maintain the Strategic Political Equilibrium. He argued for the simultaneous rotation of the Nigerian Presidency amongst the six GeoPolitical zones for unity, peace, prosperity, stability and national security of the country.
Dr. Salawu also served as a Governing Council member for the University of Calabar between 2013 and 2017 and chaired the Council’s Audit Committee as a Chartered Accountant.
Dr. Salawu is happily married to Her Excellency, Mrs Grace Itopa Omolola Salawu; and the marriage is blessed with six children and five grand children for now, all to the glory of Almighty God.
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