It is a new era in the People’s Democratic Party PDP, but an era that is likely to carry with it a significant amount of its old baggage
Kabiru Turaki, a senior advocate of Nigeria, who was inaugurated with other newly elected NWC members in his acceptance speech early hours of Sunday, admitted that there are tough times ahead and that the turbulence is far from over
But will it end up sinking the party or will the PDP find a way as it has always done in the past to extricate itself from the self-inflicted chaos?
The People’s Democratic Party PDP, has faced serious crisis before, but not at the level it is currently experiencing
Its story since falling out of power at the federal level in 2015 has been characterized by long stretches of chaos, near collapse and then somehow, self redemption!
And that’s how that party went into last weekend’s national elective convention. Slammed by two Abuja court orders not to proceed, the party moved ahead, relying upon another court order from Ibadan mandating it proceed
But it was a matter of concern for the national convention planning committee chairman and governor of Adamawa State Ahmadu Fintiri
The delegates at the convention and other party leaders voted to proceed with the election
And so, the Umar Damagun NWC was dissolved, and a motion passed to elect new members
A motion was also passed to expel those the party describes as recalcitrant members, the headline being FCT minister Nyesom Wike and his allies and loyalists including ayo fayose, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and eight others
While the decision was celebrated on stage, it turned out to be another crisis point as the convention chairman, Governor Fintiri left the venue, followed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.
Both men later issued statements dissociating themselves from the decision, and saying the party should be seeking reconciliation rather than pouring more fuel into an already combustible situation
But the leaders of the party believe it was a necessary decision, at least that is what the chairman of the PDP governors forum and governor of Bauchi state Bala Mohammed told me in an interview shortly after the inauguration of the new NWC
The PDP has to brace up for more reactions from its convention. Apart from litigation, more members may leave its ranks. In the last one year, the party has lost 4 governors from the 12 it had – Akwa Ibom’s Umo Eno, Delta’s Oborevwori Sheriff, Bayelsa’s Douye Diri and enugu’s Peter Mbah who left his appointment as the convention secretary to join the APC
But going into last weekend’s convention, three out of the eight remaining governors were absent – Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Ademola Adeleke who was the vice chairman of the convention organizing committee. Governor Kefas is strongly linked to be finalizing his exit to the APC in the next few days, and the other two may follow
But even among the five that attended, two left the convention venue aggrieved. Would Governors Seyi Makinde, Bala Mohammed and Dauda Lawal be the last men standing for the PDP? And can they, along with other leaders muster the political sagacity to rebuild it?
(editor: nkoli omhoudu)
