PDP and its never-ending crises

From Ismail Omipidan, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is little question confronted with what might be thought to be the “battle for survival,” the result of which can make or break it because it prepares for one more spherical of elections in 2027.

 

 

It emerged as a robust political platform within the construct as much as 1999 elections, parading outstanding personalities like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, late former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, late Chief Solomon Lar, former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired General Aliyu Gusau amongst others.

For 16 years, the occasion dominated Nigeria, managing its inner crises alongside the best way. However, analysts consider that its defeat in 2015 uncovered it as a celebration missing in self-discipline, cohesion and organisation. And put up 2015, it has been from one disaster to a different.

After the 2015 polls that noticed to the exit of the occasion’s erstwhile National Chairman, the “Game Changer,” Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the occasion went for former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, in any other case often known as SAS, to steer it to the 2019 common elections.

He was appointed National Chairman in February 2016, to finish the tenure of Muazu. According to one of many National Executive Council (NEC) members, who spoke to Daily Sun in confidence, on the day NEC voted Sheriff because the performing chairman, he (NEC member), had no concept that Sheriff was within the race. “It was when we got to the hall, that we were told that the former Borno State Governor was in the race,” he added. And with 69 votes, beating 4 different aspirants, Sheriff emerged performing National Chairman, amid protest from different occasion stakeholders, who have been against his emergence.

In spite of his ratification by the organs of the occasion, important stakeholders, together with former ministers, led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, and different leaders, have been vehemently against his emergence. For occasion, barely every week after his emergence, a gaggle, often known as PDP Rescue Group, which includes notable leaders of the occasion, most of whom have been basis members, described Sheriff’s emergence as a “disappointment to the PDP.”

The group, comprising former President of the Senate, now Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman of the occasion, Adolphus Wabara, former governor of outdated Gongola State, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta, and former deputy governor of Sokoto State, Mukhtar Shagari, amongst others, mentioned that the occasion on the time wanted somebody with an “impeccable character,” including that “the current leadership crisis is a challenge to every Nigerian.” They, subsequently, urged Sheriff to step down.

Following Sheriff’s refusal to step down, the occasion went via collection of authorized tussles, culminating within the appointment of Senator Ahmed Makarfi because the National Caretaker Chairman. In the top nonetheless, the apex court docket sacked Sheriff and described him as a politician who “displayed infantile desperation to cling to office at all cost.”

Sheriff’s sack paved the best way for the emergence of Uche Secondus because the elected National Chairman of the occasion in October 2017, at a nationwide conference of the occasion. But like most of his predecessors, Secondus, who hails from Rivers, was pressured out of workplace in August 2021, just a few weeks to the expiration of his tenure, after falling out with the forces that introduced him into the workplace within the first occasion.

Once Secondus was out of the best way, one of many basis members of the occasion and a former minister, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, from Benue State, emerged National Chairman of the occasion. Again, like Secondus, Ayu was additionally eased out after falling out of favour with the forces that made him the National Chairman.

Historically, no National Chairman of the PDP ever served out his four-year tenure. The solely two that got here near concluding their tenures have been Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Uche Secondus. Dr. Ali got here in 2005, first in an performing capability to exchange Chief Audu Ogbeh, in January 2005 and by March of the identical yr, he was elected substantive chairman. He left workplace in 2008, whereas his tenure must have lasted until 2009. Ironically too, no chairman has ever challenged the occasion’s authority to take away him, the best way Sheriff did, till the Supreme Court sacked him.

Interestingly, within the 26 years existence of the occasion, it has produced about 18 chairmen, each performing and substantive ones.

But how they conduct their affairs within the subsequent two months, starting with their National Executive Committee (NEC) assembly, now slated for February, 2025, main into its conference, which can probably come up subsequent yr, would decide whether or not or not the occasion has learnt any lesson from the collection of crises that nearly despatched it into political oblivion.

Political observers consider that impunity and imposition of candidates for elective positions for occasion and different places of work, seem like PDP’s best undoing. Will it cease? It appears solely time will inform.

As a part of measures to resolve the present management disaster, the PDP Governors’ Forum, underneath the management of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, met in Jos, the Plateau State capital final month and appealed to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the occasion to think about holding a NEC assembly in February, subsequent yr.

The name was contained in a communique issued after the assembly in Jos, the place the governors famous that the interval from November to February can be devoted to addressing the important challenges going through the occasion.

Daily Sun recalled that for the reason that PDP performing National Chairman, Umar Damagum, assumed workplace in an performing capability as National Chairman following the sacking of Senator Iyorchia Ayu from workplace, by a court docket, stakeholders have continued to accuse Damagun of lending himself for use to perpetrate the continuing disaster within the PDP, with many asking him to throw within the towel and provides peace an opportunity.

During the 98th NEC assembly of the occasion, held on April 18, 2024, the leaders of the occasion authorized the formation of a reconciliation and disciplinary committee, in addition to the conduct of Ward and State Congresses, simply as they tasked the North -Central Caucus of the occasion to seek the advice of on the difficulty of changing the performing National Chairman with a everlasting one.

However, the 99th NEC assembly, initially set for August 15, the place a few of the points have been anticipated to be appeared into, was out of the blue postponed to October 24, 2024, after which from that date, it was additional rescheduled for November 28, 2024, earlier than it was now postponed indefinitely. But it is just time that may inform if the performing chairman would heed the decision of the PDP governors.

While the occasion stakeholders await the brand new date for the NEC assembly, which the governors are proposing ought to maintain in February, the North -Central is already making case to retain the chairmanship place.

Rising from a stakeholders’ assembly in Abuja on Wednesday, the North Central zone appealed to the opposite zones to permit it produce a National Chairman to serve out the tenure of the speedy previous chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

In a communique issued by the zone, it indicated that its place was consistent with the occasion’s structure.

Prominent amongst politicians from the zone, who attended the assembly included: Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mustwang, two former Senate Presidents, Senators David Mark and Bukola Saraki, Senator Abba Moro, former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, his Plateau counterpart, Jonah Jang, and speedy previous Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed.

Others have been former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, his Kogi counterpart, Idris Wada, Senators Tunde Ogbeha and Simon, Mwadkwon, former Benue State House of Assembly Speaker, Mrs Margaret Ichen, Raymond Dabo, Mrs Sarah OchekpeSenator Suleiman Adokwe, Dave Ombugadu, Labaran Maku and spouse of former Niger State Governor, Senator Zainabe Kure.

The relaxation have been: former Information minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, Senators Peter Jiya, Dino Melaye, Philip Aduda , Mohammed Onao, Maika Jiba, Daka Shan, Maurice Tsav, Isa Dobi and Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN.

They famous: “The stakeholders (Elders) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reviewed the state of the occasion with explicit reference to the vacant place of National Chairman of the occasion following the exit of Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

“The PDP structure clearly acknowledged that for succession of places of work within the occasion in any respect ranges which is essentially to the extent that any vacant place might be changed by appointment from the zone as per part 47 (6) of the occasion.

“The occasion is guided by its personal structure always, subsequently, the management of the occasion must rise as much as the event to revive goodwill and cohesion within the occasion by making needed sacrifices and compromises to revive confidence and cohesion within the occasion.

“It is within the gentle of this that the stakeholders of the North Central Zone appealed to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in different zones of the Northern area to revive the seat of the chairmanship of the occasion again to the North Central Zone to serve out its tenure.

“That the stakeholders must strive to build consensus to get the buy-in to the position of north central zone. North central is united and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria.”