It was founded in 1998 when the then Military government lifted its
ban on partisan politics. And for 14 years, it has controlled the
nation’s political landscape. But issues in the party in recent times
have caused apprehension over its chances to cross 2015.
Has the end come for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?
Saturday Vanguard’s LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU,in this Special Piece, x-rays
events that may make or mar the party’s chances in the 2015 general
elections.
Has the end of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) come? This
is one question the bigwigs of the party including President Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan would not dare give vent to.
From Right, Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck
Jonathan,
Chairman Of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Deputy National Chairman, Sam
Jaja and Chairman Board Of Trustees Of The Party, Chief Tony Anenih at
the PDP’s 61 National Executive Committee recently
The least they can admit is that the party is going through some
crucibles that will make it stronger ahead of the 2015 general
elections. But in the reckoning of the opposition, PDP might just be on
the verge of collapse. Why? The party in recent times has been so
enmeshed in a series of crises that agitate the minds of many.
First, it was the issue of automatic tickets for President Goodluck
Jonathan, some performing governors and members of the National Assembly
for another term in office as being championed by the party’s Board of
Trustees Chairman, Chief Anthony Anenih. But even before Anenih shook
the nation with the suggestion which many people had described as
bizarre, there had been an all-time tsunami of disintegration which
vehemently threatened the unity of the 36 governors of the Nigerian
states under the umbrella of the Nigerian overnors Forum (NGF). Yet
again, the problem sprawled, prompting the suspension of two governors:
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko of
Sokoto from the party owing to alleged anti-party activities. But while
Wamako has been recalled, Amaechi’s fate is still hanging.
Meanwhile, the matter later continued, this time causing a mass sack
of officials working at the national secretariat of the party with the
National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. To this end, 16 officials
including the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh,
were affected. Tukur only escaped removal by a whisker.
Indeed, before the meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC,
of the Party that held in Abuja on Thursday, Tukur’s continued stay as
the National Chairman of the Party was almost doomed. But with the
influence and insistence of President Jonathan, Tukur bounced back.
The gale of resignations of the PDP officials in Abuja had a root. It
was occasioned by the reports of a Committee chaired by the Secretary
to the Government of the Federation; Senator Puis Anyim Pius, who was
asked to review the imports of the report of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC on the PDP officials. According to the INEC,
the elections that brought them to office were not properly conducted
and so, they had to go.
Be that as it may, while the issues abound, keen analysts express real
fears that the PDP might be heading for the rocks which may affect its
chances of retaining its hold in the forthcoming 2015 elections, citing
various ill events bedeviling the party as reasons.
Fallout of NGF Elections
The outcome of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, from which two
parallel leaderships emerged, to some people, is an eloquent testimony
that all is not well with the PDP. No one had envisaged that Rivers
State Governor, Amaechi, would have won the election after so much
hysteria, horse-trading and intrigues that played out against his
candidacy.
But against all the apparent impediments wheeled on his way by the
Presidency, the governors, especially the opposition governors,
re-elected him for a second term. But that was not to be as
Pro-Presidency Governors led by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr.
Goodswill Akpabio, swiftly regrouped and queued behind the Plateau State
Governor, Mr. David Jonah Jang as their Chairman, not minding the 19/16
votes which gave Amaechi victory over Jang. At the moment, PDP
controls more states than the opposition parties put together.
The reasoning was that if all the PDP governors had obeyed the
directives of the Presidency and voted for the President’s candidate,
Amaechi would have lost in the election. But they rebuffed and voted for
Amaechi. What this meant was that there were some PDP governors who
were obviously not at home with the role played by the Presidency in the
election. Meanwhile, to say that the problem in the NGF is over would
be far from true.
Jonathan’s second term bid
If President Jonathan is contesting in 2015, he is obviously doing
that against some powerful interests in the North as was the case in
2011.
The PDP controlled states cut across the federation. To this end,
some states in the North, according to analysts, would want to favour a
Northern candidate who would make up the lost time of the North’s
Presidency slot which was started by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Already, speculation has been rife that former President Olusegun
Obasanjo had suggested the pair of Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule
Lamido and his Rivers counter-part; Amaechi in the 2015 election, a
development which many said has been the sole reason for Amaechi’s
victimization.
But according to sources, President Jonathanneeds more than a passing
dependence on some northern elements who they said are merely playing
to the gallery if he must win the support of the north for his
reelection. This, they predicated on an emerging collective resolve of
the northern elements in the PDP to field a
northern candidate as against the candidacy of Jonathan.
His Performance
Throughout the world political history, the performance of elected
officers while in their first missionary journey has always formed the
foremost indices for their reelections. According to feelers, in the
case of President Jonathan, his performance in the last two years has
been a subject of debate.
Odumakin
This has caused a virulent division among many Nigerians across the
length and breadth of the country who voted massively for him in 2011.
While some may have scored him high, many said that Nigeria has
completely whittled down on his watch.
But recently, the President gave himself a pass mark, saying his
government has done creditably well in the last two years. Some
Nigerians reacted to this.
Jonathan should quit self-deceit —Yinka Odumakin, Social analyst
If he had done well, it would have been well with Nigeria. The
President should quit self-deceit and face the reality on the ground.
The country is haemorrhaging and Nigerians are groaning. A
Presidentwho is doing chest thumbing in the midst of all that is going
on may not be abreast of the situation.”
We can’t be fooled again —Alhaji Yerima Shettima, President, Arewa Consultative Forum
You see, Nigerians have come of age that never again will we just sit
and fold arms and have people talk about policies and those polices do
not have any impact on the people in the society.
Never shall we fold our arms and allow people to be just lying,
organizing the media, standing on the podium and looking at the face of
over 150 Nigerians, talking about policies as regards their so called
Transformation agenda that the common man on the street cannot feel the
impact of that transformation. So, to that extent, they have failed.
Mallam Yerima Shettima
Two years is a long time to address out of 7, 5, 2 point agenda or
whatever they call it. But we have not seen even a quarter of it.
Both roads, light, dividends of democracy, stability of the country,
issues of insecurity; those things have marred the country completely.
The economy is nothing to write home about. And very unfortunately,
we brought a woman, I mean the Minister of Finance who regales us with
statistics but physically you cannot feel the impact on the economy.
So, we are no longer fools and we cannot be fooled by anybody. I see
that gathering of yesterday as a gathering of friends, colleagues and
those who wait for appointments from the government and are willing to
give standing ovation and clap.
In a developed nation, you dare not face the public and say such a
thing he has said. It is an insult on the sensibilities of the people of
the country and we sit down and clap hands. It’s very unfortunate that
we were not there. If we were there, we wouldn’t have clapped hands
because Jonathan has not done anything. All they are busy doing is to
squash tax-payers’ money and deceive Nigerians with statistics. What
kind of reservation when Nigerians are dying of hunger? There are
accidents on our roads.”
Lending a voice also, a legal practitioner, Mr. Osa Director, said
the President’s action amounted to “unnecessary self glorification and
adulation which does not match the reality on ground.”
PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, recently stirred the hornet’s
nest, calling for automatic ticket for Jonathan, PDP Governors and
members of the National Assembly with an elevated caveat “who have
performed well”.
His words: “I do not see anything wrong if the PDP considers
automatic tickets for the president and its governors who have performed
well and are seeking for a second term. It is my view that with the
outstanding performance of President Jonathan in the areas of power,
rail and water transportation, road construction, aviation reforms,
education, agriculture, job creation, etc., the party should not find it
difficult in granting him the opportunity to serve a second term, if he
so desires.
“Over the years, our primaries have been the most serious sources of
rancour and disunity in our ranks, and, that we usually invest so much
resources and energy fighting ourselves in the primaries that should
have gone into the larger battle against our political rivals.
“I had admonished that we could not continue this tradition of
internal warfare and hope that we would have enough energy left to win
elections.”
Anenih’s idea, many believe, angered many a PDP member who saw that
as being undemocratic. It means that those who have ambitions in 2015
wouldn’t get a chance to gun for the tickets of the party. This, many
now see as a challenge that might greet the party.
APC Fever
Then enter the gathering of the major opposition parties under the
name All Progressive Congress, APC. For the first time in the history of
Nigerian politics, three different opposition parties; The All
Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the
Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, are coming together with the sole
aim of dislodging the ruling PDP from power in 2015.
Though, it has its own challenges, many are of the view that with the
“many sins” of the PDP government in the last 14 years of democratic
rule in the Nigeria and the present crises in the party, the APC might
just be waiting to form a new government in 2015.
But when Saturday Vanguard sought the view of Comrade Yinka Odumakin,
he said “anybody who is banking his political fortunes on the PDP
crises is wasting his time. PDP is like a mafia, as far as they are in
charge of political appointments, etc, they will still rally themselves
together and continue their agenda.
Some people will leave and some people will sit back. Some of those
people who will leave can also come back. Atiku left before and came
back. Anybody waiting for the PDP to collapse before he can do anything
is not serious. They should do their home work.”
Crises before
Crises are evitable in human circles. And so, PDP being a human
creation would from time to time encounter challenges. According to most
analysts, the party had encountered similar problems in the past but
surmounted them. Such times included the days of Chief Audu Ogbeh,
Ahamdu Ali, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor who had rough
times during their tenures as Chairmen of the party. And so, the recent
shake-up in the party should cause a stir.
Bottomline:
Whether PDP, which claims to be the largest political party in the
African Continent, tears itself apart or mends fences with its members,
the concern of the people however is largely on the need to better the
lot of the masses who have had to suffer so much in the midst of plenty
consequent upon bad political leadership in the country.
To them, it does not matter if the salvation later comes from the
ruling party, the emerging APC or from any other political party. But
only time will tell.
