From Ismail Omipidan

The crisis of confidence rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be far from over.  The cracks in the party have widened, threatening the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, earlier slated for next month.

The party had after the 2023 presidential election ran into crisis following the removal of its National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, through the court.

During its 98th NEC meeting held on April 18, 2024, party leaders approved the formation of a reconciliation and disciplinary committee, as well as the conduct of Ward and State Congresses. The North-Central Caucus of the party was also tasked to consult on the issue of replacing the acting national chairman with a permanent one.

However, the 99th NEC meeting originally set for August 15, 2024, where some of the issues were expected to be looked into, was suddenly postponed to October 24, 2024. It was further rescheduled for November 28, 2024 and later postponed indefinitely. But the PDP governors are now proposing that the meeting takes place next month.

Daily Sun, however, gathered that even the proposed February meeting may not hold following another round of hostility between the camps of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Over the past weeks, both men have been engaged in a battle for supremacy which has culminated in a war of words.

Mohammed fired a salvo at Wike, describing him as a liability to the party and Wike responded by telling him to stop making excuses for not having the capacity “to provide leadership as chairman of the party’s Governors’ Forum.”

Investigations by Daily Sun reveal that the closeness between the FCT minister and some PDP governors is also one of the factors threatening the proposed NEC meeting. For instance, North Central, from where a replacement for Ayu is to come from has not been able to meet to take a decision on whom to nominate. Party sources are pointing fingers at the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, alleging that despite the fact that he is supposed to provide leadership in the zone to enable stakeholders pick a replacement for onward submission to NEC for ratification, he has not been forthcoming. Besides, former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who is also an ally of Wike, has been nominated as a Board of Trustee (BoT) member from the North Central, thereby strengthening Wike’s grip on the party.

Historically, no national chairman of the PDP ever served out his four-year tenure. The only two that came close to concluding their tenures were Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Uche Secondus. Dr. Ali came in 2005, first in an acting capacity to replace Audu Ogbeh, in January 2005 and by March of the same year, he was elected substantive chairman. He left office in 2008, whereas his tenure ought to have lasted till 2009. Ironically too, no chairman has ever challenged the party’s authority to remove him, the way Senator Ali Modu Sheriff did, until the Supreme Court sacked him.

Interestingly, in the 26 years existence of the party, it has produced about 18 chairmen, both acting and substantive ones.