By Emma Agu
The occasion could not have been more auspicious. On a day that the weather seemed to recognise that an illustrious son of Abia State was being honoured, the elements rested their fury as the rain withdrew into the clouds, remaining there till late evening.
The occasion was the grand civic reception for His Excellency, Senator Adolf Wabara, GCON, to mark his confirmation as chairman of the board of trustees (BOT) of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and his 76th birthday.
At a time of growing national uncertainty, the reception rewrote stereotypes and renewed hopes that, with sincerity and purpose on the path of the political elite, the country’s fledgling democracy would emerge from its current travails. The forebodings were many, for both the PDP and the country.
For the PDP, the event was aptly described by someone as a show of force. When such events hold outside Abuja, the Federal capital Territory (FCT), you are only likely to see a sprinkling of dignitaries. Let alone when it coincides with a high decibel security crisis. Add to that the revelation by some attendees that they had received notices, warning them to stay away from the event, purportedly for their lives, an allegation confirmed by the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti whose arrival at the event marked the second significant take away.
Otti, lived up to his positively disruptive mantra when he arrived the venue of the event to a deafening applause. His dignified presence rewrote nuanced behaviour of many a political leader who would have deafeningly shunned such an event on the premise that it was the internal affair of another party. Not Otti. And he told the crowd that the period of politics was over and had given way to governance which ought to be the preoccupation of government.
Otti’s gesture perfectly complimented an earlier move by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State and his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, both of the PDP whom, upon getting into Abia state, first visited him at home before proceeding to the venue of the event. It was brotherhood per excellence, understandably by political leaders who are very sure of themselves, some of the country’s finest, measured by the democracy dividends that they are delivering to their peoples.
For the PDP, it was indeed a fine moment. To have four governors of the party at the event was a huge success, particularly considering that it took place outside Abuja. Those in attendance were Peter Mbah (Enugu State-South East) Godwin Obaseki (Edo State-South South), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State-South West) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State-North East). Besides, an earlier postponement implied that Governors and other dignitaries who had rescheduled their participation could not attend. For instance, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang was said to have shifted his thanksgiving to the same weekend based on the initial date for the Wabara reception. He would have represented the North Central Zone leaving out only the North West.
Two former governors on the platform of the PDP were also present: Dr. Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo of Enugu State. Nwodo, at various times, had served as national secretary and national chairman of the party. As members of the national working committee of the PDP were gathering in Jos, Plateau State, for their meeting, the acting national chairman, Ambassador Damagun led a strong team of other PDP leaders that included the national woman leader, Hon. Mrs. Amina Darasimi Bryhm to the event.
Other prominent PDP members present were former deputy governor of Abia State who was chairman of the planning committee Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, Senator Stella Omu, Senator Abdul Ningi, Senator Austine Akobundu, Senator John Mbata, the Director General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo and foremost journalist and the first chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Chief Onyema Ugochukwu. Also present was Senator Bello from Kano and the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI), Dr. Edward Adie, who was secretary of the organising committee of the event.
The Wabara reception presented a good public forum for the PDP to re-state its readiness to reclaim the grounds it has lost in the South East in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
If the sure-footed steps of the only PDP governor in the South East, Enugu State’s Peter Mbah as he walked to the microphone to deliver his speech is anything to go by, then it can be said that the PDP may be on its way to re-establishing itself as a formidable vehicle in the zone. Luckily, it goes beyond body language. Mbah, a lawyer and entrepreneur, is orchestrating a revival in education, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure decidedly targeted at restoring the glory years of Michael Okpara as premier of the defunct Eastern Region.
Describing Wabara as an icon of democracy, Governor Mbah expressed the hope that the former Senate President would deploy his experience to inspire the renaissance of the party.
But it was Damagun and Makinde who unequivocally gave notice that the PDP was poised to regain control of the country. If their confidence stemmed from the sorry state of affairs in the country under the APC, what is not in doubt is that they all place great premium on the role of Wabara as chairman of the party’s board of trustees.
Speaker after speaker heaped encomiums of Wabara whose towering credentials as academic, administrator, former ambassador, one time Senate President and a foremost statesman, present the hope that before long, the party would bounce back as one strong united family, ready to provide a way out of the multi-faceted existential crisis bedevilling the country.
Chairman on the occasion, Governor Makinde, who spoke on behalf of the PDP Governors, described Wabara as a true democrat who had already restored hope in the BOT as the conscience of the party, pinning hopes for the party’s return to power in 2027 on the ongoing repositioning orchestrated by the Wabara leadership.
Damagun applauded Wabara as a trailblazer whose experience had rubbed off positively on the leadership of the party. Waxing nostalgic, he recalled the erstwhile dominance of the PDP in the South East with the reassurance that those who had decamped would soon retrace their steps so that the party could regain control of the zone.
But it was Otti that had the last say. His emphatic statement “Senator Wabara is a good man”, dropped on the crowd like a soothing balm from an opponent. He did not stop there. Waxing even more emphatically, Otti, known for shooting from the hips, told the PDP: “You did not make a mistake for choosing him. He is a good man and not tribalistic. He knows the difference between good and evil.”
When he rose to speak, Wabara, already drenched in praises which he soaked in with smiles dancing on his lips, said that he did not believe that he would live to see that day. Expressing deep gratitude for the reception and accolades, he thanked the party for the honour done to him and pledged to uphold the values and principles that the party stood for.
Wabara’s speech was at once introspective, anticipatory, declaratory and promissory. Introspective because it candidly dissected the present state of the party. Hear him: “As we gather here today, it is imperative that we reflect on the journey that has brought us to this moment and the path that lies ahead. The South East has been a bastion of support for the PDP, and it is incumbent on us to ensure that we continue to build upon this strong foundation for the progress and prosperity of our people…
Still on the path of introspection, the former Senate President, known for his brute candour said: …”I am acutely aware that our party is not without its internal challenges” but on an anticipatory and positive note, promptly added “We must strive for reconciliation and unity among all warring parties at every level of the party. Division, he noted, only weakened the party while unity would empower it to achieve its common goals and aspirations.
Admonishing the party faithful on the promise of a new era devoid of rancour and disunity, Wabara declared: “At this period where the APC government has caused untold hardship to the citizenry, our party remains the only institution with the structure, resources and capacity to return this country to its glory days…”
Wabara who, at 76, has traversed the broad spectra of national politics, a veteran endowed with an institutional memory of the country’s history, left the mammoth crowd with this quotable quote: “My dear friends, I stand before you today to make a solemn pledge. I pledge to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the success and advancement of the PDP. I will work tirelessly to ensure that our party remains strong, vibrant, and responsive to the needs of our people…Together, let us write a new chapter in the history of the Peoples Democratic Party”.
You would not be wrong if you said that the resurgence of the PDP has just begun.
•Agu, is CEO of Gavinta & Associates Ltd and media adviser to the PDP Governors’ Forum