The Peoples Democratic Party has
recently been plagued with one crisis after another and a major test
before it is tied to who emerges the party’s national chairman at its
next convention, GBENRO ADEOYE writes
From all indications, now is the time
for the Peoples Democratic Party to be united and strong, but
ironically, it seems to be the time the party is at its weakest point in
its 17-year history.
Since the party was relegated to the
main opposition status after losing the presidential seat to the ruling
All Progressives Congress in 2015, the tale has been about one
wrangling or the other- all internal. And there seems to be no immediate
end in sight to the ongoing crisis in the erstwhile biggest political
party in Africa.
Indeed, the party is at a crossroads and
some decisions made ahead of the 2019 general elections look set to
either make or mar the party’s chances to discover its lost relevance.
But there is one major decision to be
made first, which will decide the fate of the party’s current National
Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff beyond May 21, 2016- the date of the party’s
national convention.
By all standards, Sheriff is arguably
the most unpopular chairman in the party’s history, so the test before
him and his backers are quite stiff. Although, Sheriff has enjoyed
considerable support from PDP governors, he has largely failed to win
some other key caucuses of the party to his side.
It was learnt that the zonal chairmen of
the party, the state chairmen and some federal lawmakers were against
the choice of Sheriff as the party’s National Chairman, but the
governors pulled weights to ensure that it happened.
Eventually, some of the stakeholders of
the party, who had initially kicked against the choice of Sheriff for
the position, only let it go after being assured that he only had to
complete the three months tenure left for the North East zone.
It is rumoured that Sheriff’s backers
see him as the perfect candidate to reposition the party ahead of the
2019 general elections.
For one, Sheriff was once a member of
the APC and therefore seen as a shrewd politician who can thwart any ace
the ruling party might still have up its sleeves ahead of 2019. Then,
he is believed to have deep pockets, which is crucial considering the
economic downturn and the attendant paucity of funds in government
purse.
Findings however show that his antagonists do not trust him, which is just one of the issues.
Even before Sheriff joined the PDP, he
had worked for the party on more than one occasion. As a member of an
opposition party, Sheriff worked for former President Olusegun Obasanjo;
the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua; and the immediate former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
Although, some members of the PDP have
argued that Sheriff’s history of anti-party activities in favour of the
past leaders means that he has always loved the party, others are of the
opinion that if he had worked against his parties in the past, nothing
stops him from working against his new party- the PDP- in future.
Also, there are members of the party who
see Sheriff as carrying too many baggages than needed for the position
of the party’s number one person.
In 2015, Sheriff was interrogated by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged mismanagement of
N300bn between 2007 and 2011 when he was a governor of Borno State.
He is also being repeatedly linked to
the deadly Islamic sect, Boko Haram, even though there has been no
evidence to substantiate such allegations. However, Sheriff’s
antagonists seem to be of the opinion that their party’s national
chairman should not have such weighty allegations hanging on his neck,
proven or not.
Meanwhile, there is another set of
people who are against Sheriff’s continued stay in his position as PDP
National Chairman for reasons related to equity and this is the set of
antagonists probably giving him the worst headache.
These antagonists argue that all the 12
chairmen the party has had in its history have come from five of the six
geo-political zones and none from the South West geo-political zone.
The past chairmen of the party are: Dr.
Alex Ekwueme (South East); Chief Solomon Lar (North Central); Chief
Barnabas Gemade (North Central); Chief Audu Ogbeh (North Central); Col.
Ahmadu Ali (North Central); Prince Vincent Ogbolafor (South East); Dr.
Okwesilieze Nwodo (South East); Dr. Haliru Mohammed (North West); Alhaji
Kawu Baraje (North Central); Dr. Bamanga Tukur (North East); Adamu
Mu’azu (North East); and Prince Uche Secondus (South South). It should
be noted that Bello and Secondus were chairmen in acting capacities.
Consequently, some South West PDP
leaders have threatened to leave the party should the zone be ignored
for the position after the upcoming convention.
It was learnt that some of the PDP
leaders in the zone, who have met over the issue, include a former
Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; former Ogun
State Governor, Gbenga Daniel; former Minister of State for the Federal
Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide; a former Minister of Works,
Adeseye Ogunlewe; the governorship candidate of the party in Lagos in
the 2015 election, Jimi Agbaje; a chieftain of the party, Bode
Olajumoke; and former Special Adviser to former President Jonathan on
Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.
Stressing the position of the South West
caucus, Okupe had said recently, “I want to state categorically,
without any fear of equivocation, that we, the Yoruba from the South
West, desire and demand the post of the national chairman at the next
convention of the party.
“The sad implication of the above is
that, regrettably, many of us from the South West may have to reconsider
our membership of this great party we have helped to nurture and
supported through thick and thin, a party we have loved almost more than
our very existence, and the party… .” But the South West caucus of the
party is not the only one to have threatened to leave the party, some
former ministers, who served with Jonathan have also issued similar
threats, putting pressure on the zoning committee headed by Governor
Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.
Explaining the situation, a lawyer and
political analyst, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said the “PDP has always been
organised around certain understanding, one of which is that offices
will be shared according to agreed formula.
“But that equation seems to have been
altered radically when Jonathan emerged as President in defiance of the
zoning policy of the party and ever since then, there have been all
kinds of permutations.
“So the thinking in the South West is
that they are entitled to chairmanship slot and there are also elements
opposed to the emergence of Sheriff including ministers who served under
Jonathan.”
However, some analysts have taken the
threats with a pinch of salt, saying it is highly unlikely for the PDP
members to leave the party for either the ruling APC or other weaker
parties like the Labour Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance or
the National Conscience Party.
But on the other hand, some analysts
have advised the PDP to take the threat seriously and that failure to do
that could lead to its demise.
For instance, the Head of Political
Science Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Jonah Onuoha,
described the threat by some of the party’s South West leaders as
serious.
Onuoha said the PDP was fast becoming a
party with a strong presence in only the South East and the South South
zones of the country.
He said, “The PDP must do everything to
carry the South West along because for now, it has been quarantined to
the South East and the South South. For it to have the outlook of a
national party, it must carry the South West along.
“The party must adhere to the demand
from the South West to get the national chairmanship because if it fails
to do that, it may lead to its obituary.
“It is only strong in the South East and
the South South and without carrying the South West along; I don’t
think it can face 2019. If it fails to get the South West people on
board, it must align itself with other parties to form a new party that
can challenge the APC. Otherwise, the APC will go unchallenged.”
On what could play out if Sheriff
retains the national chairmanship position of the PDP beyond May 21,
Shittu said, “It is too early to predict what their reaction will be to
particular outcomes but what I see playing out eventually is realignment
of forces.
“Some people might be disenchanted and
want to leave the party but whether it will transform into a gain for
the ruling party remains to be seen because it has been grappling with
its challenges. There might be some agreements that could lead to the
emergence of separate parties. But these are in the realm of conjecture
and speculation so the best thing is to adopt the policy of ‘wait and
see.’”
But generally, the analysts are of the
opinion that the crisis rocking the PDP will ultimately affect the
country’s young democracy.
Onuoha said, “The PDP is not really
playing the role of opposition, for it to do that, it must be strong. To
do that, it needs support from the South West.”
Another lawyer and analyst, Mr. Liborous
Oshoma, who described the threat by the South West PDP members as a
preamble to their defection, also said that the situation would affect
Nigerians.
“It is a way of preparing the ground to
leave an unpopular party because nobody likes to play opposition
politics in Nigeria,” he said.
“Now it seems it is only PDP members
that are corrupt as it is only its members that are facing corruption
charges. So it is either because they have skeleton in their cupboards
and want to cover it up or the ground is no longer as wet as it used to
be.
“Basically, I don’t see the PDP playing
strong opposition, so we don’t have an opposition party. The PDP members
cannot tell the government what to do because they were also there for
16 years and did not impress the people. The only way the party can play
formidable opposition is if it has young vibrant members who will
apologise to Nigerians, rebrand and change its style.
“The name has been associated with
impunity and so it is difficult for the party to play formidable
opposition. So ultimately, Nigerians will suffer for it because there is
no opposition at the moment, so government seems to be on a roller
coaster.
“The government is acting as if it has
20 years to spend in power. The budget has not been passed and people
are suffering, yet there is no sense of urgency. The sooner Nigerians
brace themselves to know they are the ones in opposition, the better for
us.”
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