THE intrigues and melodrama in the leadership tussle in the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is believably the most protracted
and acerbic in the nearly two decades of the existence of the
party. Hitherto, most crises in the party were resolved in record
time, a situation that fuelled the notion of “family affair” allusion.
Although in 2005, about 21 state chapters of the party were
embroiled in intractable feuds the party at the national level had
been largely insulated from schisms and other forms of
combustible confusions.
Several reasons have been adduced for this. Former national
deputy chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George says “the
harmony and cohesion was because the dreams of the founding
fathers and their realization always diminished and foreshadowed
whatever grievances there were. These dreams were noble and bor
dered on a party that must toe the path of honour to achieve
growth, strength, stability, and lead the country unfettered.” A
member of the Board of Trustees, BOT of the party corroborates
him, but adds that “the vision of the party as the largest party in
Africa was the abiding force.
We knew the evil effects of allowing too much trouble in the party.
And don’t forget we were in power with very feeble opposition. So,
when trouble came we faced it, and often we defeated it.”
A former minister of foreign affairs Alhaji Wali Aminu contends that
there was an overriding passion by all and sundry in the party to
focus on building the nation’s fledgling democracy. “The onus was
on the party to deepen our democracy and leave behind a legacy
in the sands of time. It was like an unwritten ethic, and this
formed the vision with which the party ruled the country.” Aminu,
further says even the spat the former president , Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo had with his deputy, Atiku Abubakar was managed in
such a way that it did not blow out of proportion until the latter
left the party.
“ There were innate fears of an implosion that never came. Several
people talked and wrote about an imminent implosion. But it never
came to be, until we left power 16 years after.
They also spoke about the party being made up with strange bed
fellows. In Nigeria, ideological parties have hardly made it.
Ideology is an idealistic thing. People are more concerned with
issues of survival; food, money.” he opines. Atiku in his treatise on
democracy in his famous “The Atiku Interviews,” which were put in
pamphlets, observed that the “ building blocks of democracy were
embedded in the dreams and vision of the party”, and that
deepening democracy in Nigeria required the collective efforts of all
in and outside the party, to achieve.”
He romanticized the concept of democracy and averred that
disagreements are common features of a civil society which
invariably nurture and sustains democracy. So where did the party
go completely off track?
Why is the once self-acclaimed largest party in Africa besieged
with a feud of immense dimension that is threatening to tear it
into shreds and perhaps route it out entirely?
How the rain began to beat the party
Since it lost power in the March 28 presidential elections, it has
been behaving like a rain beaten chicken, lacking in ideas and
cohesion. Initially, after overcoming the shock of its defeat, it tried
to forge a semblance of unity. It issued statements suggestive of
simulated courage. The high command of the party tried to
commit itself to a recovery process, by driving courageously in
hope, rekindling the embers of the lofty dreams of the founding
fathers, and setting fresh attainment goals. The clarion call was
that the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC
which sent it packing would soon come to harm, and crash. The
bugle was blown that APC came with a grand rainbow coalition
which historically will not stand the test of time as they would as
soon they test power turn against themselves like the fabled ‘ Ali
Baba and the 30 thieves’.
They imagined that their conquerors lacked the wherewithal to put
forward the best for the nation, and stay on course to further the
interest of the people and deepen democracy the way they did in
more than 16 years. To compound matters for the party its leading
lights took a flight into reticent hibernation, afraid of their shadows
and unwilling to comment on issues or provide a shade for the
badly beaten and horrified members. While their leaders were in
apparent hiding, opportunism, characteristic of Nigerian politics
took hold of the party members. In droves, they oscillated into the
APC.
So much were the defections that most members of the victorious
party warned the party hierarchy to desist from receiving
decampees from the PDP. Till date, there is no letup.
Enter the APC
In the ensuing melee to remain focused and retake power in 2019,
classical mistakes have been made. Afraid that the growing
clampdown on leaders of the party by the Economic And Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the sudden loss of voice and
esteem within the public space may have provided a ready arsenal
for the final vanquishing of the party ahead of the 2019 general
elections, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, and his Ekiti
State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose contrived a scheme in
conjunction with a few others to foist former Borno State governor,
Ali Modu Sheriff on the party as national chairman.
The plot was to use him to complete the tenure of the former
national chairman Adamu Muazu, who was forced out after the
defeat in the elections. The former deputy national chairman Uche
Secondus who held sway for months after Muazu’s exit came
under a fusillade of verbal and legal onslaughts by some leaders of
the party from the North-east who contended that the slot he
occupied belonged to the North-east. Secondus is from the South-
south, while both Adamu, and Sheriff are from the North-east.
As opposition to Sheriff mounted within the party as he mounted
the seat, reprieve came when a consensus was reached to limit
him to a three months tenure, within which he would organize a
convention and step down. That was a costly misstep. Sheriff
went to work, disbanded critical organs of the party, reorganized
the subsisting zoning formulae and, effectively shifted the office of
national chairman to his North-east zone.
Things moved fast rancorously with many people alleging foul play
and accusing the ruling APC of seizing the opportunity provided by
the crises to plant Sheriff, and ultimately destroy it. Former
presidential adviser on inter – party relations who is now the
Secretary of the caretaker committee, Chief Ben Obi, in the heat
brouhaha told Sunday Sun that “We know whose hand is in this.
The APC is using him to cause problems and kill our party. We will
not allow that to happen.”
Things came to a screeching head at the Port Harcourt convention
of the party organized by Sheriff last month when a well-oiled
coup sent him packing. A caretaker committee headed by former
Kaduna state governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi. Sheriff, who
unsuccessfully tried to postpone the convention stormed out, and
has since deployed all forms of theatrics and legal fireworks to
take back the position. At the last count there at least 11 court
cases pending in courts in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcout on the
issue.
The former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase had
brokered several peace meetings to no avail. Supporters of both
factions had severally camped out at the Wadata plaza national
secretariat of the party, itching to occupy it. Despite the
allegations of meddlesomeness, the APC as a party has yet to
react to react to it. Last Wednesday, a High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja sacked Sheriff . The court held that
Sheriff’s ascension to office was unlawful as it was based on
amended provision of the PDP constitution illegally introduced in
December 2014.
Though it did not specifically mention Sheriff’s name, it made an
order restraining all persons who became national officers of the
party by virtue of the amended article 47, rule 6 of the party’s
constitution from further parading themselves in the said
capacities (national officers).
Sheriff has since dismissed the judgment, while Markafi’s group
expectedly hailed it. The judgment has opened a fresh vista in the
leadership tussle in the party, Obi in an interview with journalists
said: “We expect more positive court rulings in the days ahead in
favour of our party. It is time for them to face the truth and
retrace their steps. We believe that truth must be upheld; we want
all hands to be on deck to chart the way forward.”
A quick glance at the prevailing fracas cannot give much hope of a
quick resolution. The two contending factions are digging in, and
baring more fangs. The once vibrant party is at the crossroads,
lying postrate and not knowing which way to go. Is this the final
death blow? Will the party rise again from this ash of despair and
confusion.? The days ahead will tell.
Source:Dailysun
