PDP: The road ahead 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had an elective national convention that has been adjudged as hugely successful. Here, LEON USIGBE, who witnessed the event, brings a review. 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is enjoying a moment of calm following its successful special elective national convention. Despite all the pre-convention fears and anxiety particularly resulting from the stern effort of its erstwhile national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to scuttle the exercise, the main opposition party came out of Eagle Square, Abuja virtually unscathed and boasting that it has put itself in a position to rescue Nigeria from its perceived maladministration of the All Progressive Congress (APC) government.

Professor Iyorchia Ayu was confirmed the new National Chairman while others elected with him for the National Working Committee (NWC) to assume office on December 9 are Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum; Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; National Treasurer, Ahmed Mohammed; National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature; National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro and National Women’s Leader, Professor Stella Effah-Attoe; National Youth Leader, Muhammed Suleiman; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, National Auditor, Okechuckwu Daniel, and others..

They are all products of zoning and micro zoning by the regions as adopted by the party in the run up to the national convention. It is a measure prescribed by the party’s constitution to ensure equity and inclusion.

 

Consensus headache

Despite the merits in the zoning formula, it nearly became an Achilles’ heel for the main opposition party with sections feeling they had been shortchanged and unjustly shut out of the race for the NWC jobs. Therefore, getting some of the members to accept the candidates thrown up by the party stakeholders became an uphill task in many cases.

Reaching a consensus on the various positions was daunting for the contending interests in the party. For the national auditor, former Anambra State governor, Mr Peter Obi found himself head-to-head with former PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh. While Obi was at the head of Anambra state PDP stakeholders including Senator Uche Ekwunife that brought in Obiechina, Metuh was the major sponsor of Nwosu with both camps failing to yield to the desires of the other.

More energy-sapping were those of the national deputy chairmen (north and south). The election of the new NWC was overshadowed by the failed final attempts by governors elected under the party to get former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola to step down for Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja as the anointed candidate for the office of the national deputy chairman (south). Following the decision to back Arapaja for the post, the governors had invited Olagunsoye to a meeting where they appealed to him to step aside in the interest of the party. But an adamant former Osun state governor expressed bitterness over the poor treatment he said he was getting from the state chief executives.

But worried by the negative message a lack of consensus going into the national convention may send, the governors resolved to dispatch emissaries to his house to continue their pressure on him. Five of the governors led by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state were said to have stormed Oyinlola’s residence in Abuja one night with “a package,” which sources said did not appeal to him. When the governors realized that they were not making any headway, they decided to allow him and Arapaja to contest but ensuring that state delegates were mobilized for the former Oyo State deputy governor. At the poll, Arapaja garnered 2,004 votes to defeat Oyinlola who polled 705 votes while a total of 165 votes were declared invalid.

Hajia Inna Ciroma who is wife of the late former Minister of Finance and PDP chieftain, Malam Adamu Ciroma, also vowed not to withdraw from the race for the national deputy chairman (north) in favour of Umar Ilya Damagum despite the pressure from the state governors. She insisted that she had paid her dues in the party where she was a minister and woman leader. Mrs. Ciroma also frowned at the lack of inclusion of women in the PDP leadership and pointed out that her emergence as the national deputy chairman could assuage the womenfolk. Her insistence caused the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) led by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to promise constitutional review that will ingrain affirmative action in the party constitution. Damagum polled 2, 222 votes to beat Ciroma who garnered a paltry 365 votes.

 

Governors as power brokers 

Of all the party organs in the PDP, the Governors Forum occupied the most prominent position in the sustenance of the former ruling party. It was therefore not surprising that the state chief executives provided the leadership necessary to steer the national convention to a desirable outcome. However, many party members and observers find their position overbearing as it seems that no resolution is reached on party matters unless it tallies with their predisposition.

In the weeks and days before the national convention when the implementation of consensus arrangement became a knotty issue, the chairman of the forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, summoned meetings regularly where many decisive actions were agreed and subsequently imposed on the party to implement even though some of the decisions were brought before the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) to be ratified. Notwithstanding the murmurs about the governors taking over the running of the party, Tambuwal was positive that all they were interested in was to ensure the conduct of a national convention that would put the PDP in the shape to reclaim power.

 

Red card 

The PDP is basking in the glory of a successful exercise and its leading lights are even confident enough to enough to put the APC on notice that they are coming for their jobs. Its new helmsman, Prof. Ayu boasted that the former ruling party is back to rescue Nigeria from the mess he said the APC has plunged it into as he dared the ruling party to conduct a national convention, which he pointed out may never happen because the APC has 92 chairmen in 36 state chapters of the party.

The PDP national chairman-elect was of the view that those who imagined that the party would break up at the convention are dreamers, as he assured that the party is poised to reunite all parts of the country. His words: “When we started this party 23 years ago, we never in any way imagine that the journey will get us to this stage, a stage where we ruled for 16 years, we went into rough times, but for anybody who will bother to see, PDP is back. PDP is back to rescue Nigeria from the terrible mess we have been in in the last six years…Many people imagine that this convention will lead to the breakup for the PDP. Those people who are dreaming like that, they were dreaming in wonderland.

“We will move ahead to develop this country. We did it before. We are going to do it again. I believe the other party can never hold a convention because even state congress they cannot hold. They have produced 92 state chairmen for 36 states. How can they hold a convention? We are watching. This is a challenge to them. Let them come and hold a successful convention which the PDP has done. This is a quit notice. PDP is back and is taking back the country to develop it.”

 

Going forward 

Other party chieftains that spoke at the convention agreed with themselves that it is time for the APC to leave power for a more competent party to lead the country. The acting national chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi described the APC as clueless. Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar called on the PDP to ensure that it rescues the country from “mismanagement, bad governance, insecurity and disunity,” adding that the PDP must position itself to “rescue and restore the dignity, security and economic growth of Nigeria.”

The chairman of its organising committee of the convention and Governor of Adamawa State, Fintiri, told teeming delegates that the APC has brought the country to a level that has never been seen before, noting that the ruling party is hell bent on bringing the country to recession in all fronts. According to him, the performance of the APC has proved that Nigeria is far better with the PDP.

Tambuwal on his part, expressed optimism that the party is set to reclaim its glory, saying that despite the antics of detractors to roll back the 16 years impressive credentials of the party, the party is still in the forefront and endearing. He stated: “Analysts and observers agreed that there are attempts to scuttle our unity as a party and as a people. There are people working to present us as weak and in disarray. But I am happy to report that contrary to the naysayers the PDP is today the strongest and most cohesive party in Nigeria. I am happy to report that those who want to divide and weaken us are the ones failing and we are winning.”

Delegates left the Eagle Square after the two-day convention that was done in a carnival-like atmosphere hoping that the new-found harmony will lead to new acceptance by Nigerians and victory in the 2023 election.

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