Except the reasons prevail, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is at the verge of total collapse following internal crisis that has engulfed the party which is taking a dangerous dimension.
The National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party are already not taking anything for granted as it has commenced serious investigations into the bugging issues. But unfortunately, all efforts to resolve the crisis are yet to yield any positive result.
This is not the first time the party would be thrown into such crisis. The party faced leadership storm during the Ali Modu Sherrif era, as national chairman of the party. Everybody thought the wrangling would submerge the party but eventually, it came out better and strong, and was able to contest against the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The NWC and BoT’s investigation of the crisis is to evolve proactive measures and proffer workable solutions to the teething disagreeable issues so that the ugly situation will not degenerate.
At the moment, serious confusion has set in and division is another cankerworm the party is battling to eradicate so as to prevent any further influence of the crisis by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Apart from mass defection that appears obvious, some financial members, who verily are in control of states that the party largely depends on to fare, it was learnt, have resorted to drastic tactics to starve the party of funds.
BDSUNDAY gathered that a very serious expanded meeting of the party may soon be called to determine how best the crisis can be quickly resolved.
Besides some governors, particularly Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State whose body language and utterances at the moment is tilting towards dumping the party, some other stakeholders have started defecting. Wike recently descended hard, verbally, and lambasted the entire leadership of the party.
As it stands, many senators and members of the House of Representatives are seemingly planning to defect to other political parties.
The protest that heralded the recently held governorship party primary in Kogi State is another thorn in the flesh of the party. Senator Dino Melaye and Abubakar Idris, who petitioned the party over the exercise, have appeared not ready for any truce, especially that the APC is reportedly wooing them into its fold.
Recently, Governor Wike had alleged that the Senator Iyorchia Ayu, chairman of the committee that investigated the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu and other minority principal officers of the House of Representatives, was excessively corrupt.
The indicted committee has former Senate Presidents, Adolphus Wabara, David Mark, and former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, as well as a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara who was the committee secretary. Somehow, Opara pulled a big surprise and exited. It is said he was sidelined.
Sources however, said the exit of Opara was a protest, owing to the fact that he was sidelined by the other members of the committee.
However, in reply to Wike, the BoT said it was premature to join issues with the governor and asked him to be cautious and not vent unguarded vituperations. The PDP BoT chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin in a statement, however, did not give reasons to why Opara left the committee. He said “The BoT will meet next week on the recommendations of the committee.”
By the workings of the PDP hierarchy, both BoT and NWC will meet at separate instances and discuss the issues surrounding any crisis.
It was gathered that the BoT and NWC have not established why Governor Wike accused the committee of being corrupt, why Opara the secretary of the committee exited, and whether he was sidelined truly and above all, to ascertain if any money exchanged hands with the committee in the course of the assignment.
A member of the committee was quoted as saying, “I did not benefit from the investigation of Elumelu in cash or kind. I do not know why the crisis is raging and why Opara left the committee. Some of us can beat our chest that we’re not corrupt and if any money was involved to frustrate the investigation, I do not know.”
Apart from the aforementioned, the crisis in the party has spread to Kogi PDP governorship primary. While about 10 aspirants in the election have taken their fate, and unanimously thrown their support to the emerged winner, Musa Wada, two aspirants, Dino Melaye and Abubakar Idris have petitioned the party, resolving not to succumb to any ‘kangaroo’ negotiation.
Melaye and Idris are alleging that their votes were not counted. According to them, they would have emerged victorious if their votes were counted.
In a move to broker peace, the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus has visited Melaye, Idris and Timi Alaibe (Bayelsa) to urge them to withdraw their petitions. The PDP Kogi governorship candidate, Musa Wada, it was gathered, also paid unscheduled visits to his opponents – Melaye and Idris – to beg them to support him.
The 10 aspirants under the auspices of Kogi PDP 2019 G-12, led by former governor Capt. Idris Wada, has Emmanuel Omejibe, AVM Salifu Atawodi (rtd), Grace Iyeh Adejoh, Joseph Ameh Erico, and Kabiru Haruna. Others are Adebayo Adobayin Averehi, Aminu Abubakar Sulaiman, Victor Alewo Adoji and Mohammed Adah Shaibu Tettes. They stormed the national secretariat on Friday and spoke to newsmen. According to them, their teaming up to support Wada is to make sure that PDP unseats Governor Yahaya Bello.
In Bayelsa State, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Timi Alaibe, has challenged the emergence of Senator Douye Diri as candidate of the PDP. He alleged that the PDP’s primary in the state was manipulated and held through a flawed process. His plan to defect cannot be taken for granted.
A staunch member of the party who was met at the Wadata Plaza told BDSUNDAY in confidence that “there is serious crisis over the Kogi and Bayelsa primary elections. Melaye, Idris and Alaibe are already on their way to APC. That is why our National Chairman visited Melaye and it is because of that he (Melaye) was offered the Director-General of the campaign. If this crisis is not managed well, I am sorry that the unexpected may happen soon.”
Recall that Melaye rejected the appointment after it was announced. He tweeted through dino_melaye: “Let me state categorically that I have turned down the position of Director-General of the PDP Kogi State Governorship Campaign Council. I wish PDP all the best. When truth is a casualty, there is chaos.”
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan has denied that PDP is disunited and there are defections. He said the party will surely win Kogi hence, the coming together of the aspirants. He said there are no issues that can hamper the party’s unity. He said efforts to reconcile aggrieved aspirants in Kogi and Bayelsa States have yielded positive results.
However, commenting on the crisis and perceived collapse of the party, Uche Thomas, a PDP youth leader, said: “PDP is a big party and a very viable opposition for that matter. From the way things are going, I suspect danger; I suspect that some governors are planning defection especially the way one of them, Governor Wike is misbehaving. Some senators may likely defect and you can see the way Dino acted by rejecting appointment by the party.
“I think, it is high time the matter is taken seriously so that the crisis will not escalate and lead to collapse of the party. After all, the APC is eagerly waiting to receive them.”
