PDP’s Pursuit Of Unity As Campaign Begins

Just when many thought the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had overcome the hurdles of its primaries last May, it has since struggled to steady itself for the elections proper. The leading opposition party has grappled with one crisis after another.

From the running mate faceoff, to the demand for the national chairman Iyorchia Ayu’s sack, and now the “housing allowance” brouhaha, there is no telling what could come next for a party that says it wants to rescue the country from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Evidently, the aggrieved camp led by Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike seems bent on slowing the party’s stride unless their immediate demand is met: Ayu’s exit as chairman and his replacement with a southerner.

It would seem like they have situated their personal interests within a broader agitation for more southern representation within the party’s national leadership structure.

Despite pulling out of the party’s campaign council, the prospect of doing damage from within isn’t lost on many watchers of the events in the party, even though the Wike camp has repeatedly declared they would support the party in the forthcoming elections.

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With no less than five governors (others quietly supporting them) and some founding fathers of the party, it might be hard to dismiss this camp with the wave of the hand some pundits aver.

“It smacks of the 2015 experience, where some five governors dumped PDP and the party never recovered from it until it lost the presidency,” Mike Obiekwe, a public affairs analyst opined.

But for some PDP members the die is cast, that quotient of trust that drives a political alliance seems to have strained beyond repair. So the party and Atiku have to cut their losses and brace for the worst ahead of the polls.

What’s more, with Wike openly hobnobbing with All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and a debate over whether he was offered a position by them or not, it would seem like the direction of this crisis is clear, they argue.

Mindful of how delicate the situation is, the lead character in this unfolding political drama, PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has cautiously gone ahead with his campaign.

This much he stated during the inauguration of the party’s Presidential campaign council. He repeated his appeal to aggrieved members to work with the party to win the presidency.

But the challenge remains the Ayu question. Atiku has repeatedly noted that he would not by fiat ask the party chairman to resign, insisting that the national chairman’s removal must follow the due process. The tussle became more complicated with the vote of confidence passed on Ayu by the National Executive Committee (NEC), the second highest decision making body of the party after the national convention.

Party leaders who support Ayu’s continued chairmanship are mindful of legal implications that could ensue if he is forced to resign. The party’s recent history bears witness to this. The battle to remove Sen Ali Modu-Sheriff national chairman dragged on for over a year.

But for the peaceful disposition of the immediate past national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, the party would have been dragged into another round of legal drama.

However, with less than five months to the election, the party may not have the  luxury of time it had during the Sheriff crisis nor Secondus’ disposition considering that Ayu might assume a more combative posture.

Those insistent on Ayu’s removal would have none of that. They argue that Ayu’s removal would take the form of a political arrangement rather than a constitutional issue.

But with the unfolding issues surrounding the management of the party’s finances under Ayu’s watch, it remains to be seen what Atiku and the party would do.

Atiku, however, seems prepared not to be caught off guard. Some recent appointments into his campaign structure seem more strategic than compensatory, some pundits opine.

He recently appointed former Senate President Bukola Saraki and six others as special advisers to strengthen his campaign team.

Saraki was appointed as special envoy to the PDP presidential candidate, while Sen Anyim Pius Anyim was appointed as special adviser.

Other special advisers are Sen. Ibrahim Shekarau; former Gov. Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun and Sen. Ehigie Uzamere. Former PDP national chairman, Mr Uche Secondus was appointed as a technical adviser.

LEADERSHIP however gathered that the appointment of Saraki as special envoy was purposely designed as a unique post that will make him an interventionist with an open-ended assignment.

As special envoy, he is expected to bring on board his capacity, competence, and experience for devising a strategy that will keep the PDP candidate ahead of the opposition, especially as he had served as PDP’s presidential campaign director general in the 2019 election.

The former Senate president is expected to bring his skill in reconciliation and consensus building to bear just like he  did during his leadership of the 8th National Assembly.

Reflective of his mediatory role, Saraki’s appointment would, in some sense, see him continue his last assignment as chairman of the PDP National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee (NRSC) even though he has since finished that task.

Recall that the NRSC halted the crisis in most state chapters of PDP. The committee headed by Saraki measurably resolved the crisis in Osun, Ogun, Borno, Niger, Lagos, Nasarawa, Plateau, and other states, ahead of the national convention last October which produced the current National Working Committee (NWC).

Checks reveal that he has embarked on subtle, quiet engagement with stakeholders in the party on how to resolve the disagreements arising from the presidential primaries.

While he maintains a close relationship with Atiku and has given his words to the former Vice President on his readiness to support him, it was gathered that he is one of those insistent that all party members should be brought on board and make the party approach the next election as a united, indivisible and solid platform.Therefore, many see his role as special envoy as being Atiku’s emissary in addressing the issue of reconciliation at the national and state chapter of the party.

Part of Saraki’s brief is also to rally the private sector behind Atiku’s candidacy and also get them to support the campaigns with much-needed funds, ideas, and facilities.

It is also believed that Saraki will bring to the table his international connections and good relationship with the foreign diplomats here in Nigeria and their home governments.

But his task won’t be easy as bridging the gap at a time when trust is strained would require immense effort.

Evidently, the cards are now on the table for both camps as the pursuit of reconciliation continues. And Ayu sack remains the key bargaining chip. Whether or not the camps can reconnect at a much deeper level of trust if Ayu is eventually let go is another matter.

The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) is optimistic that it can resolve the issues in time before the elections. At a recent meeting with the vice presidential candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the BoT chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the body will meet with Atiku and Wike. But he was silent on when.

With the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party hoping to gain from PDP’s self-inflicted injury, the conflict resolution mechanism of the leading opposition party would be put to the test yet again.