Ahead of the meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) that took place in Abuja last week, the widely predicted implosion of the party was not to be, as the acting chairman of the PDP Governor Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, announced that the meeting had resolved to endorse the leadership acumen under the headship of Alhaji Umar Damagum.
Before then, the battleline had been drawn between the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, over the control of the party. The Atiku camp angling for the removal of the acting chairman of the party were relying on Section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution which provides that “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the Party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure”.
Cracks within
In the battle for the presidential ticket of the party, both Atiku and Wike were locked in a titanic contest. One of the bones of contention after the ‘Wakilin Adamawa’ picked the ticket was the insistence by then PDP Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to hold onto his position. The pro-Wike camp had insisted that, in accordance with the promise by Ayu to resign his position if Atiku picked the presidential ticket, it was only fair for the then PDP chairman to resign and allow for the emergence of a southerner as the new chairman.
The Ayu quagmire became so controversial as it bred bad blood among the top echelon of the party. Not willing to trust Wike, the Atiku camp PDP refused to budge, insisting that it would only support the resignation of Ayu, then known as Atiku’s boulder of loyalty, after the conduct of the 2023 presidential poll. The replacement of Wike with the former Delta state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as the presidential running mate for Atiku would set the stage for internal rebellion, headed by Wike with the active support of the G-5 governors he formed, headed and funded. The rest is history. The outcome of the Atiku-Wike imbroglio reveals the danger of going into a political battle with a divided house.
Damagum’s survival
The retention of Damagum as acting chairman, according to the PDP, is to create an opportunity to heal the wounds of division that have ripped across the party and render it incapable of playing the role of effective opposition. The tragedy of the party right now, according to insiders, is the presence of politicians playing both the roles of the hare and the hound. Less than 24 hours to penultimate
Thursday’s meeting, Senator Dino Melaye challenged the presence of former governor Samuel Ortom of Benue whom he accused of anti-party activities. Despite being a member of the PDP and member of the G-5 Governors’ Group, Ortom supported the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, for the 2023 presidential election.
As both camps retreated to their dwellings after the survival of Damagum, it was clear as to whose nose had been bruised. It is obvious that the momentary sheathing of swords may not last long, as major characters may return to the trenches to re-enact yet another anxious moment for the PDP. Sadly, the predicted fall of Damagum was opposed by seven governors, thus giving a breather for the anti-Damagum forces to plot on their next moves.
Ihedioha’s resignation
On Tuesday, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and stalwart of the PDP in Imo state, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, resigned his membership of the party, citing happenings in the PDP as his major reason. Ihedioha’s resignation seems prognostic of what is to befall the party. As it is now, all officials of the party at both the zonal and local government levels in Imo have resigned, thus leaving the PDP as an empty shell.
As it is, it’s practically impossible to resuscitate the PDP to wrest power from the APC in 2027 amidst moles that have invaded the inner workings of the opposition party. Since the option of rescuing the PDP from those who have vowed to weaken the party ahead of the next general elections is impossible, the best option now is to migrate from the PDP that has become the husk of its past. The truth still remains: Politics in Nigeria remains rental and premised on personal acquisition of power. It is not for the welfare of the people; it’s for power dealers who have appropriated the destinies of millions of their fellow citizens and create a power fiefdom for themselves, immediate families and cronies. What has happened is that Wike has shown himself as very influential. Allowing him to continue wielding his influence in the PDP amounts to destroying the party some believe can still upstage Tinubu’s APC in 2027.
For now, the PDP and Labour remain weak platforms that are still enmeshed in a crisis of crippling proportion. Politicians are only concerned in the protection of what they can get in politics. Wike has become the funeral song of a party that is about to implode. His soul may not be for PDP, but his presence in the party remains a threat against a party that has been unable to appease the ghost of the 2023 polls.
