PDP: A lifeline from the brink

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday bounced back from the dead when the Supreme Court delivered its ruling in the legal tussle that had kept the party under the weather for some 14 months. With that ruling come a dramatic bounce in the steps of its supporters and stakeholders of the erstwhile ruling party.

Former two-time Senate President, Senator David Mark said during a PDP Senate caucus briefing that the judgment is an indication that “change the change” is on course. Members of the party in the House of

Representatives who had been the most divided along the line came back to the table and immediately issued a quit notice on the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in Aso Rock. The Governors and other

stakeholders have also been talking and all exuding the confidence of a victor.

But beyond the infectious smiles that adore the face of PDP politicians and their allies goes the aphorism; the reward for hard work is more work. In this sense, the reward for success at the apex court is more hard work.

This takes us to the heart of it all. How did PDP found itself in the mess that nearly obliterated it from existence? The simple answer to that is called arrogance of power. That could encapsulate all the ills the party got itself soaked with but there are much more. The party jettisoned its Constitution which stipulated a code of conduct for members.

Article 9 of the PDP Constitution spells out 17 items on the Code of Conduct for party members. Some of the key items include Section F, which stipulates that a member shall observe discipline, behave honestly and carry out loyally all decisions of the majority and decisions of the higher organs of the party.

In Article 9(G) members of the party are to refrain from publishing or distributing any article that purports to promote any faction or tendencies in the party. The constitution also demands that members must exhaust all internal mechanisms on all issues before externalising such.

Thus, while the arrogance of power took the lion share of the blame for PDP’s fall in 2015, impunity and lack of consideration for the party’s constitution worsened the damage already done by the loss of power at the centre.

In the build up to 2015, the Governors’ Forum took over the control of the party. Having struck an agreement with former President Goodluck Jonathan, the then governors started playing god. They appointed their nominees for Senate and House of Representatives seats, and they anointed delegates to state congresses and the national convention. In all instances, they also anointed their successors.

There was no reference to hierarchy and organs of the party. And Jonathan made the mistake of failing to treat the states on individual merit. For instance, then Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state who

was owing teachers and pensioners still got the treatment extended to governors who had some things to show as dividends of democracy. Jonathan failed to read the Olusegun Obasanjo book on Chinwoke

Mbadinuju of Anambra state who was denied ticket for second term in Anambra state in 2003.

If we excuse the failures of Jonathan in the build up to 2015, there is certainly no alibi for the decision of the Governors Forum to again foist Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on the party as its national chairman.

It was akin to Fela’s witty composition: trouble dey sleep yanga go wake am. And the party reaped palaver in torrents.

And then you want to ask whether the PDP will (or) has learnt its lessons having gone through the baker’s furnace.  The reality of that will come with time. It will clearly show in how it handles the emergence of candidates in its next national convention. It will show in how it arrives at its governorship candidates, the senatorial and House of Representatives candidates going forward. It would show in horse-trading, dialogues and negotiations rather than the brazen winner takes all attitude of the Governors’ Forum. All this will go to show that the party has indeed been humbled and it has learnt some lessons. Should it happen that the PDP will allow the last crisis go to waste? The effects would be quite predictable. There would be mass defections, lingering court matters and maybe its eventual demise.

Though it is difficult to say now whether the Osun West rally of the PDP, which got Senator Ademola Adeleke elected ahead of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was part of the humble pie the party needed to eat, that example should remain on the banner if the party wants to regain the people’s confidence.

In Osun West senatorial election of July 8, we saw an unusual PDP. A good number of strong candidates who had stuck out their necks for the polls surrendered their ambition without a hue.  That does not happen ordinarily in the PDP. You can only foist that kind of a situation via rancor and law suits. But it happened that even well-placed candidates like former Minister of Youth Development and a former Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, agreed to hold his ambition and allow Adeleke. The people saw seriousness in the party and rewarded them with votes.

In the past, all the party needed to win Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and even Edo was such level of accommodation.  Will the PDP retain such spirit going forward? That remains the unanswered question.