After PDP convention, what next?

August 12, 2017 will remain indelible in the minds of members and supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

It was a day the main opposition party held its Special Non-Elective National Convention at the Eagle Square, Abuja, where the party made a statement of intent concerning the 2019 general election, its readiness to take over the reins of power from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as well as subtle campaign for the next general election by showcasing its achievements during the 16 years it dominated the nation’s political space as a ruling party.

Since the formation of the party in 1998, there had never been any party leadership that enjoys this form of goodwill like the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC). Political commentators have attributed this to the prolonged national leadership tussle and his resilience to rescue the party from the Ali Modu-Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC).

Observers say that the umbrella party has a history of coming out stronger after major conflicts.

For instance, in 2001, the party survived a major crisis, which saw the expulsion of some founding fathers including Sunday Awoniyi, Don Etiebet, Asheik Jarma, Bamanga Tukur, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke. All members of the party’s Board of Trustees had battled with the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for the soul of the party.

In 2006, it survived another crisis instigated by its pioneer National Chairman, Solomon Lar, and a former Deputy National Chairman, Shuaibu Oyedokun, both of whom floated a parallel NWC.

In 2013, the PDP again was thrown into crisis when some of its prominent members including ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kwara State Governor and current Senate President Bukola Saraki alongside five former PDP governors: namely Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) revolted and floated a new faction of the party, named nPDP. They later defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On July 12, 2017, the Supreme Court declared Makarfi as the authentic leader of party, after a 14-month leadership crisis that almost tore its foundation.

Total reconciliation of aggrieved members is urgently needed ahead of the 2019 general election, which is exactly 544 days away.

Also, there are four polls in quick succession in the next few months, which the party should take advantage of. They include: Dukku North State Constituency bye-election in Gombe State, bye-election in  Eti Osa I State Constituency in Lagos State; Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency in Sokoto State and the end of off season gubernatorial election in Anambra State scheduled for November 18.

With the extension of the tenure of the caretaker committee by four months, the first major task before it is the conduct of an elective national convention, where party members will be elected to fill various elective positions in the party.

Already, the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), the second highest decision making organ of the party, had adopted the report of the Post-Election Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, which zoned the position of National Chairman of the party to the South.

As controversy mounts over the micro-zoning of the position to the South-West geopolitical zone, thereby shutting out other aspirants from the South-East and South-South, analysts say the Makarfi-led committee must distance itself from the issue, avoid imposition of candidates by giving all aspirants contesting various party offices a level-playing field.

“The party must now move on from the euphoria that greeted the non-elective convention to face the challenges ahead. The task ahead is bigger than the challenges they just surmounted. The party must learn from the past by leaving behind the toga of imposition of candidates,” an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Donald Ibeh, told BDSUNDAY.

Ahead of the National Convention slated for the end of the year, another issue the Makarfi-led NCC must not handle with kid’s glove is the reconciliation of the party’s feuding members. The 14-month old legal tussle resulted in bad blood between factions loyal to Sheriff and Makarfi. With the inauguration of reconciliation committee co-chaired by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his Gombe State counterpart, Ibrahim Dankwambo, the task before the committee is to unite all members under one umbrella. In his famous speech on June 16, 1858 at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, after he accepted the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination as the state’s senator, former US President Abraham Lincoln noted that “A house divided against itself cannot stand”.

The party must also handle carefully the inauguration of caretaker committees in some state chapters to reflect the wishes of its members in the affected states.

Recall that the leadership crisis had resulted in the inauguration of parallel executives and inconclusive congresses in Lagos, Adamawa, Borno, Osun, Ogun, Kebbi, Anambra and Kwara States. However, as a first step towards resolving the impasse, the Convention dissolved all executive committees at all levels in the affected states and mandated the NCC to constitute caretaker committees in their stead, pending the conduct of proper state congresses.

Of the eight affected states, only that of Anambra State had been constituted so far, apparently because of the coming election in the state.

As the euphoria over the party’s victory in Osun West Senatorial District Bye-Election dies down, observers say the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State will provide a litmus test for the party’s readiness for the 2019 general election.

The issue of imposition of candidates, which had been the bane of major conflict in the state, may rear its ugly head in Anambra State if not properly handled by the national leadership of the party. Last week, a group of protesters thronged the national secretariat of the party, alleging attempts by a former governor of the state to impose one of the seven gubernatorial aspirants on the party. To this end, the conduct of the August 26Anambra PDP governorship primary must not only be fair, but must be seen to be fair.

‘Democracy’ they say, ‘is a game of numbers’. In this part of the world, one of the best ways to attract influx of supporters to a political party is the number of prominent individuals who have endorsed the party.

This is why the party is making frantic efforts to ensure the return of all former high ranking government officials who held top political office under the party as well as founding fathers of the party under the aegis of Group of 34 members.

In the build-up to 2015 general election, former Olusegun Obasanjo had monitored the shredding of his PDP membership card and much later declared his resignation from partisan politics.

Also, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kwara State Governor and Senate President Bukola Saraki alongside five former PDP governors: namely Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), even as former Speaker of the House of Representatives and now governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, led members from the lower chamber into the APC.

While high profile political office holders are asking for automatic return tickets as a condition for defecting to the party, PDP members who weathered the storm throughout the 14-month old crisis are insisting that the new members should queue.

Herein lies the challenge for the party: rewarding loyalty or granting automatic tickets to political heavyweights. Its loss at the 2015 general election was attributed to impunity when it imposed former President Goodluck Jonathan against the wishes of some members.

It must also seek aggressive revenue drive by exploring other sources of funding as enshrined in the party’s Constitution. These include subscription fees, membership fees as well as proceeds from investments. This will make it financially independent rather than rely on handouts from governors.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja