BEVERLY HILLS, December 7, (THEWILL) – As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares to hold its National Convention to elect its principal officers this weekend, there are indications that it may not be a smooth sail.
In the elective convention, which is slated to hold between December 9 – 10, 2017, several maneuverings have emerged to suggest that the outcome of the exercise would determine whether the party can improve its fortunes in the next general elections and reclaim the presidency which it lost to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015.
Among the positions in contention, the national chairmanship seat is the most coveted, as it has once again polarized the party along individual and group interests. In the race for the chairmanship position are two frontline candidates — former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and former Acting Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondus. Others are a former governorship candidate of the party in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bode George, founder of African Independent Television (AIT), Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, and a former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel amongst others.
Since the party micro-zoned the seat the Southwest and then later opened it up to the entire South-South zone, leaders have pitched tents amongst the aspirants amidst bickerings that have refused to go away with accusations and counter accusations threatening to undo the fragile peace that the party presently enjoys.
While it is settled that the position was zoned to the south, the party’s leaders have pitched their tents accordingly to candidates from the zone. Of great interest is the decision of the PDP governors to support Secondus, while the traditional block made up of mostly founders have lined up behind Adeniran, whom they argue will give the party a brand new identity.
However, if the party must be in the right standing to face the ruling APC in the elections, it must wake up from its current undercover scheming, which are calculated to once again, bring the party to fragmented bits and make it be unable to challenge the APC.
THEWILL warns that if the PDP fails to get it right at the convention, the only message it would be sending to its supporters is that it has lost the bite to be a formidable opposition, let alone take power from the ruling party.
As a party that was almost completely disintegrated by leadership crisis, it is inconceivable that it could allow another strife based on individual and group interests to divide it ahead of the next elections. If the PDP’s interest is to regain power to provide better governance than the present government, it must prove so by allowing the decisions of the delegates to determine who becomes its chairman.
THEWILL also cautions the APC to stay out of the PDP’s business to allow it put its house together for the betterment and deepening of our democratic process. Nigeria cannot afford to have a one party state as our current political class has shown that they lack the capacity and discipline to lead and govern with bold ideas that could easily transform the nation. Competition they say brings out the best in people.
Nigeria needs a strong opposition party and THEWILL is hooting for the PDP to emerge stronger and better from the convention to challenge the APC in the next polls. This is the only way the people can really enjoy the dividends of democratic rule.
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