SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, (THEWILL) – Just when it was thought that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, might have recovered from the trauma of the defeat it suffered at the 2015 general elections, developments in the party in the last few months have proved otherwise.
The multi-dimensional travails of the party appear to be defiling workable solution. This can be deduced from its endless leadership crises and the allegations of corruption currently facing its top leaders in the courts and at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Indications are that it may not yet be Uhuru for the one-time largest party in Africa, which, like a colossus dominated Nigeria’s political landscape for 16 years.
While the party battles to shed itself of the corruption toga, the current leadership crisis has continued to clog its path of becoming a viable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
With similar leadership crisis playing out in most states, as shown in its last ward congresses, the greatest threat to unity of the PDP manifested itself at the botched national convention, held penultimate Saturday in Port Harcourt, the River State capital. It was clearly a divided house that held parallel congresses, which degenerated into the ouster of the PDP National Chairman, Ali-Modu Sheriff, alongside other members of the National Working Committee (NEC).
While Sheriff dismissed his removal as illegal and a charade, he based his claim to power on a subsisting court order, which had restrained the party’s NEC from filling some leadership positions at the convention. Nonetheless, governors elected under the platform of the party teamed up with aggrieved leaders to sweep the carpet off Sheriff’s feat.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had justified the sacking of the embattled former National Chairman on a court action allegedly instituted by him, which held that there would be no election into offices of the Chairman, Secretary and Auditor.
This he said was contrary to an earlier order by the Abuja High Court that there should be no election into the offices of 16 national working committee members’ offices, except that of the national chairmanship. While the court orders subsist, former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, has been chosen to head a National Caretaker Committee with a mandate to conduct a fresh convention in 90 days.
However, it is worrisome that the once biggest party in Africa has degenerated to this abysmal level where there doesn’t seem to be a reprieve. THEWILL is concerned that unless this leadership tussle is harmonized very quickly, there is the likelihood that it would re-enact the party’s ugly past, whereby there was mass defection, which strengthened the formation of the now ruling APC.
It is unfortunate that the party appears not to have learnt enough lessons that would make it stand firm against all odds, as individual ambition is fast becoming the overriding interest of its leaders rather than the passion to serve the nation.
At a time like this when the party has been demonized, following its alleged role in the looting of the nation’s treasury, its inability to maintain a united house would be its albatross. No one can pretend that only a united party can stand against the ruling party.
Regrettably, the crisis in the main opposition party has robbed Nigerians the opportunity of hearing alternative views and having government being put on its toes. Not a few Nigerians were disappointed that the party couldn’t project any official position when electricity tariff was increased as well as when the pump price of petrol was jerked up to N145 per litre from N86.50. The party could not even join in appraising the one-year-old administration of President Buhari, which should be the least to be expected from an opposition party.
Nevertheless, THEWILL is encouraged that the leaders who revolted against Sheriff have again pledged that they would work with the interim national leadership. This was revealed by the arrowhead of the faction, Professor Jerry Gana, who expressed delight that their mission of installing a credible leadership has been achieved.
But we make bold to state that Sheriff’s faction cannot be ignored in the task of uniting the party, as anything short of that would have disastrous consequences for the PDP since he still enjoys large following.
THEWILL however warns the party to beware of the activities of moles and fifth columnists in its folds, whose interest may just be to fan the embers of relentless feud for the APC to reap from and continue in power beyond 2019.
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