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As Atiku, Bala Mohammed, Wike, Makinde eye presidential ticket
By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
The last general election in the country took place in the year 2023, while the next one comes up in 2027. The three leading parties in the 2023 election were the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP.
The 2023 election was won by the APC, whose presidential candidate in the election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the current President of the country. The APC also won a majority seats in the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives), which therefore put the party at the driver’s seat, thus controlling the affairs of the nation. Also, the party fared well in the States as it won more governorship seats than PDP, LP and APGA.
The 2027 general election may seem ‘very far’, yet it also appears to be ‘so near’. As the election however draws nearer, day by day, one of the few parties that Nigerians would, logically, have expected to give the ruling APC a run for its money is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Of course, if people think so, they will not be far from being right, judging from the political history or antecedent of the party since it’s formation in 1998
The PDP had held sway at country’s political space/helm of affairs for good sixteen years (from 1999 to 2015) before the APC dislodged it (PDP) from the Aso Rock presidential Villa through its candidate and former Military Head of State between December 31st 1983 and August 27, 1985, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd.
The PDP, however, looks like a party that is not yet ready to wrest power from the APC come 2027 general election in the country. This is because the party, as it stands now, is embroiled in a series of avoidable and self-inflicted crises, which center, largely, around leadership tussle, in addition to clash of ambitions among most of its leaders.
The development has led to the bifurcation of the party into different camps, groups and divisions. For instance, it is a common thing to hear things like ‘Atiku faction’ and ‘Wike faction’ in PDP these days.
For example, only recently, the divisions within the PDP played out glaringly as the National Working Committee (NWC) members of the party became sharply divided into two, culminating in a gale of suspension and counter suspension.
The said leadership crisis took a turn for the worse, as a faction of the National Working Committee, NWC, suspended the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Ilya Damagum and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu over anti party activities.
The suspension of Damagum and Anyanwu came shortly after the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Barrister Kamaldeen Ajibade were suspended by the other faction of the party.
A statement announcing the suspension of the party’s National Publicity Secretary and the National Legal Adviser was signed by the Director of Publicity of the party, Chinwe Nnorom.
Another statement issued by the deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga as acting NPS of the party, accused Ologunagba and Ajibade of disloyalty and insubordination.
Both Ologunagba and Ajibade’s deputies were directed to take over the two offices in acting capacity.
However, Ologunagba, in a counter statement in the early hours of the next day, accused the acting National Chairman and Secretary of anti party activities, declaring them suspended.
The statement by Ologunagba entitled
“Press Release on the Decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on the Reported Anti-Party Activity by the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu”, condemned the said anti party activities on the part of Damagum and Anyanwu.
The statement reads, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No:CA/PH/307/2024 against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.
“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party respectively and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.
“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee”, it said.
The quick intervention of some organs of the party like the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the PDP Governors’ Forum, headed by Senator Bala Mohammed, later helped to resolve the matter.
Some political pundits are however quick to point out that the seeming resolution of the issues between the NWC was a temporary one.
At the centre of the various crises and wranglings within the PDP, without any iota of doubt, is who controls the soul of the party as well as gets its presidential ticket for the 2027 election.
Former Vice President and two time presidential flag bearer of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is known to be interested in the ticket, again. Same thing with Senator Bala Mohammed, who is the current Governor of Bauchi. Also rumoured to be eyeing the ticket are Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Barrister Nyeson Wike, the incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The wranglings within the party have similarly permeated some of its State chapters as many of them could no longer not speak with one voice. There is also the claim, in some quarters, that the ruling APC has its hands in the crisis within the PDP and the Labour Party. The reason adduced by those making such a claim is that a strong and cohesive opposition party or parties will be a big threat to the continuation in office of the APC beyond 2027. The truth of this claim is however left to be seen in days ahead.
The national reconciliation committee (NRC) of the party, headed by former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is, certainly, not unmindful of the fact that cohesion, peace and unity among members of the party are not just key, but imperative, pertinent and germane for the success of the party in future elections in the country.
Few days ago, the reconciliation committee brokered a truce between the NWC members at marathon meeting it held with them at the PDP’s Wadata House national headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking to Journalists at the end of the closed door meeting between reconciliation committee and the NWC members, Olagunsoye announced that his committee has resolved the differences between members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
According to Oyinlola, “we have been able to resolve the differences that have been causing our party some headaches within the National Working Committee.”
He pointed out that the party now has a united NWC.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, which was initially slated to hold last Thursday with a view to taking some very crucial decisions concerning the party, could sadly not take place. Rather, it was deferred till November 28, this year.
The decision to postpone the NEC meeting was taken at the end of the enlarged meeting of the various organs of the PDP, on Tuesday night in Abuja, which was coordinated by the PDP Governors’ Forum.
The postponement, according to the enlarged meeting, was to ensure that the party goes into the forthcoming Ondo gubernatorial elections of November 16, 2024 with the unity and strength demanded to unseat the floundering All Progressive Congress, APC government in the state.
According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Mohammed Bala, “The National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting originally slated for October 24, 2024, has been rescheduled to November 28, 2024.
“The postponement is to ensure that the party goes into the forthcoming Ondo gubernatorial elections of November 16, 2024 with the unity and strength demanded to unseat the floundering All Progressive Congress, APC government in the state.
“Reiterating the need for unity in the face of efforts by detractors to divide the party, the meeting called on all members to shun divisive utterances that could undermine ongoing efforts at strengthening the party to effectively play its role as the country’s main opposition, preparatory to taking over in 2027”, the communique said.
The communique listed the various organs of the party that attended the meeting to include; The PDP Governors’ Forum, The Board of Trustees; National Working Committee (NWC), National Assembly Leadership of the PDP Caucus and Forum of Former Governors of the party with the PDP.
With the various wranglings, clash of ambitions and pursuance of varying interests by different blocs withing the party vis-a-vis the efforts being made by some of its leaders, will the once vibrant, strong and cohesive PDP be able to make any positive impact in the next round of elections in 2027? Can PDP still wrestle power in 2027 amid internal disputes?
These and many others are some of the multi+million naira questions which have been begging for answers for quite some time now, for which answers have not been found.
How the PDP effectively manages its affairs, resolves its issues and differences, sorts out wranglings among its members, and collapses, curtails the inordinate ambitions of some of its members will ultimately go a long way in determining the future of the party and its performance in the coming elections.
