PDP Crisis: Baraje Urges Reconciliation

Former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Kawu Baraje, has urged the party’s new leadership to extend the olive branch to members of the party who are aggrieved.

Baraje, who stated this in an interview with ARISE NEWS, called for reconciliation, rebuilding and restructuring within the party following.

He spoke against the backdrop of the recent national convention and the rift in the party that preceded the Abuja gathering.

He said, “In any family, in any setup, in any system, there are bound to be differences of opinions, differences in views, differences in approach, which culminates and leads to mild misunderstandings. And the way the misunderstanding comes depends on the way it is handled. Nowadays, situations that develop or snowball into misunderstanding in any family or a group like the PDP—as large as the PDP—if it ends up in court, one should not be surprised because we are looking for neutral grounds.

“It is the responsibility of the leadership of the party this time around to now extend the olive branch to sort of people to come together. And that’s why we call this post-election period—the time we are now—the period of reconciliation, rebuilding, and restructuring,” he urged.

Responding to concerns about the convention’s theme, “Convention of Inclusiveness, Unity, and Renewal”, Baraje said efforts are underway to reconcile aggrieved members within the PDP.

“Let me start from the inclusiveness. I’ve just told you about reconciliation. If you don’t want to include, why do you have to reconcile? That’s why we are now going after our brothers and sisters to explain to them that, okay, now this is where we are; they have to come together as one as it used to be. So, reconciling means bringing everybody on board. That’s the inclusiveness.

“And then coming to talk about unity, of course, reconciliation encompasses unity. Reconciliation encompasses other people who don’t see our own point of view or who don’t see the other people’s point of view must be brought on a peaceful table to see the point they have been trying to make them see so that they too can also come on board, so that everybody will be on the same page. That is the essence of the unity and all-inclusiveness. And I believe, God sparing our lives, coming back here in the next three months, it will be a different,” he assured.

Responding to questions about Nyesom Wike’s support for the incumbent president, Baraje described the stance as a personal opinion.

“Wike was one of the people who rooted and begged and went round for some of us to come back to the party where we are today. If he now has a standout opinion which is personal, he is entitled to it.”

Adding, he noted that while Wike remains a key figure in the PDP, any allegations of anti-party activities must be addressed through the party’s constitutional procedures.

“Our constitution does not allow what we call anti-party. And as far as we are concerned, what Wike has done so far has not got to a level of anti-party. Even if there’s an accusation that an individual in a party of Wike’s caliber has done anti-party, there are procedures for dealing with such cases. The PDP has a constitution, and that constitution has to be followed by the people—by the operators,” he explained.

Responding to claims that the party leaders are subservient to Wike, Baraje said PDP leaders are chosen by zonal consensus.

“To the eyes of the public, that is what they are presenting. But those of us who are operators in the party, even to the members who are very active, they know that our procedure in PDP of electing and bringing our leaders on board in the National Working Committee is by throwing all the positions open and zoning some to the various six zones of the federation.

“The choices of people that will now come to occupy such positions zoned to such zones now come from the free, elected, and choices—free choices—from the zones by consensus. Consensus. And so, when they come to the center, the center also looks at a situation that comes from such a zone. If it is consensus, free and fair, after being tested to be free and fair from the zones, the center has a choice to also follow the consensus.”

On concerns about money in politics, the Former Acting National Chairman of the PDP stressed that the problem predates Wike, describing it as a widespread issue in Nigerian politics that extends beyond any single individual or party.

“That didn’t start today. And it didn’t start with Wike. The issue of money in politics in Nigeria, it doesn’t relate only with Wike. Well, the elections of APC have come and gone in several states. We saw the reports of some media about vote buying. So, is Wike a member of APC? You see, the issue of money politics is a very wide, hydra-headed devil in Nigerian politics.”