THE Peoples Democratic Party, like it or leave it, remains the most structurally entrenched political party in Nigeria. Formed in 1998 by a broad-based alliance dominated by the G-18, G-34 and a coterie of political organisations, some of them strange bedfellows in the nation’s political history, PDP has blended into a most formidable political machine without any trace of the cleavages.
Since inception, its main objective was to end military rule; it promised no distinct ideology but to provide a national platform where all tribes and tongues would find relevance and expression for the desired national integration. Amongst the numerous political parties that birthed what is regarded as the Fourth Republic, it is the only surviving platform.
In spite of the haemorrhage suffered by defections, it is the only party which name, identity, logo even its national headquarters, have remained unchanged.
The PDP is so dominant of the Nigerian political firmament that other parties are virtually clones of the PDP, most of their gladiators being alumnus of the Wadata Plaza political campus.
Its electoral exploits in the nation’s democracy are too recent to beget recounting here, the same way its impact, as an agent of statecraft, is not a matter for this discourse, particularly so because, being partisan on its side as a member, I do not consider myself fairly qualified to sit in judgement over its development of the Nigerian State and people. Nonetheless, a political party which dominated the lives of Nigerians uninterruptedly for 16 years (1999-2005) will ever remain in the dock of public opinions.
The foundational covenant of the party is that the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be rotated on South/ North basis which, from 1999, commenced with Olusegun Obasanjo of the South, who handed over to Umar Yar’Adua of the North and from whom Goodluck Jonathan from the South took over.
That incumbent Goodluck Jonathan lost in 2015 to Muhammadu Buhari of the North was not so much of the prowess of the hurriedly packaged APC contraption but principally because its choice of presidential candidate from the North was in tandem with the emerging political culture. Significantly, most of today’s PDP gladiators, mostly from the Northern extraction, either broke rank with the party or remained fifth columnists to teach the party a bitter lesson for transgressing against the rotational covenant which is enshrined in Article 7 of the party’s constitution.
They were quick to say that the country would be ungovernable should Jonathan be re-elected. Buhari not only had its first term of four years on the national consensus that it was the turn of the North, the PDP ensured that no Southerner came up contesting for its Presidential ticket.
In a nutshell, the crises currently rocking the PDP is traceable to the unrighteous denigrating of the rotational principle when the party first agreed to the swapping of National Executive Committee positions between the north and south which logically was indicative of the rotation of the office of the President. The swapping, being the truth, was done espirit de corps.
On the contrary, all forms of shenanigans and indefensible theories trailed the steps leading to the decision on the presidential ticket which were unnecessary in view of the provisions of the constitution, convention and precedents.In spite of popular views to the contrary, the PDP spearheaded the nauseating theory that the ticket be thrown open so that the most competent candidate from any corner in search of the candidate who could make the party win.Some juvenile arguments surfaced that the consideration was how many times the party had presented candidates from a particular region and not necessarily when it reigned.
To douse the palpable tension, the National Chairman who emerged by consensus, pledged in honour that in the event of the presidential candidate emerging from his own North, which would be incongruous, he would relinquish his position for a new Chairman from the South. In an organisation with mutual respect among the members, this should be the most minimum concession.
The emergence of a Northern candidate in the PDP was the impetus needed to unravel the hidden agenda of a Northern candidate in the APC.Soon as he emerged as National Chairman by zoning consensus and at the sole dictate of the President, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, felt called upon to announce that the presidential ticket had not been zoned.
When they failed in the scheme to allow the President determine his successor as he unilaterally did in selecting the Chairman, they resorted to saturating the political climate with the notion that the President indeed had a candidate and that the Convention would only be a ruse to rubberstamp the anointed.
It took the deliberate declaration of ‘Emi lokan’ by the godfather strategically spiced with larger Yoruba interest as necessary reminder of the covenant at the genesis and to warn of indeterminable consequences which he no doubt has the capacity to bring to about.
Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, having fought for the PDP ticket and lost had returned to PortHacourt only ruminating and probably unsure of his next line of action. He was mute so as not to be called a bad loser until it was thought he could be placated with the position of the Vice President. They made a bad case of it and finally played into his hands.
The present configuration of the presidential candidate, National Chairman, BOT Chairman all from the North,is scandalous. Chairman Board of Trustees Senator Walid Jubrin said so much on Channels on Sunday.It underlines the equity in Wike’s case and struggle. Every honest party member knows the minimum solution.
It is not a job for a Reconciliation Committee, many of which members need to be reconciled with one another in their home states.It cannot be rationalised by television interviews. I queue behind Dr. Ohunabuwa who wondered how long a party would need to resolve the intractable problems confronting Nigeria if it is taking eternity to take a decision on simple internal conflicts.
Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, distinguished academic, former President of the Nigerian Senate and Minister of the Federation, was the Chairman of the Political and Electoral Committee of the 2014 National Conference in which I served as member.
The path of honour and peace is that the position of the National Chairman be yielded to the South in the tendency other than that which produces the presidential and vice presidential candidate for an all inclusive and smooth campaigns.
Nigeria, we hail thee.
Written By:Ebiseni,Secretary General, Afenifere.
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