From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
With three weeks to the commencement of campaigns by political parties, the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) is walking a familiar path. For those who have followed developments in the party of recent, all is not well with the PDP ahead of next year’s general election. Except a major success is recorded in reconciling the tendencies of the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and that of the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, the party is facing an imminent implosion before the flag off of campaigns.
But many analysts argue that this is not the first time the PDP would witness such a development ahead of a major election.
After its failure to win the 2015 general elections, the opposition party had had its gaze fixed on the 2023 polls. However, in the run-up to the poll, the 2013/2014 scenario seem to be playing out in the PDP; the only difference is that the dramatist personae are slightly different and there is a reversal of roles. Like in the past, the agitation for equitable zoning of offices is currently the bone of contention.
Regardless, in a twist of fate, Atiku, who had led some PDP governors and heavyweight in a rebellion against former President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP is at the receiving end this time. In the run-up to the 2023 polls, the Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, who incidentally is Jonathan’s man is the one holding Atiku’s feet and that of the PDP leadership to the fire.
In the aftermath of the May 28/29 national convention of the PDP, and the subsequent nomination of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, the PDP has been embroiled in a protracted crisis.
Like in the 2013/2014 crisis, which led to the exit of seven governors of the party, the bone of contention in the present PDP crisis is the equitable sharing of party and elective offices.
Since Okowa’s emergence, a group of five governors led by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike have been demanding for the replacement of the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, with someone from the South. The other governors in the group include Governors Okezie Ikpeazu, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Seyi Makinde of Abia, Benue, Enugu and Oyo states respectively. Wike had lost out in the PDP presidential primary which was won by Atiku. Similarly, hopes by his supporters that he would be chosen as the PDP vice presidential candidate was also dashed, as the former vice president chose Okowa as his running mate.
According to the Wike group, it is acceptable for the North to produce the PDP chairman and presidential candidate at the same time. The group, which enjoys the support of some party leaders like Chief Olabode George, are insistent on the replacement of Ayu before the next general elections.
However, on the flip-side, Ayu who is believed to enjoy the support of the PDP presidential candidate, as well as party leaders in the North, including former Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido, has continued to maintain that he would not resign as he was voted for a term of four years.
Tension escalated in the party last week after Ayu dismissed governors opposed to him as children who were not around when the PDP was founded. The PDP chairman in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service had noted that “When we started the PDP journey, we did not see these children. They are children who do not know why we established this party. We will not allow one person to come and destroy our party.”
But Wike quickly retorted, “as a chairman of a party who wants to win elections, your business is to bring peace to your party; your business is not to divide your party. Your business is not to show arrogance to your party. Now, we have seen that you don’t want the party to win the election. We will help you.”
With the unfolding scenario, it is not in doubt that there is palpable tension in the opposition party as stakeholders express concern on the likely effect the crisis which has polarized the various organs of the PDP, including the National Working Committee (NWC), Governors Forum, Board of Trustees (BoT), would have on the fortunes of the PDP in the 2023 polls.
In the last few weeks, the Wike camp has met with politicians in other political parties, including a team of All Progressives Congress ( APC) governors comprising of Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, who visited him in Port Harcourt. Also, the Rivers governor earlier met with the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi in Port Harcourt.
A fortnight ago, Wike and his men met with the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu; former president Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as Obi, in London. They also had a parley with Atiku, during which the group reiterated its demand for the ouster of Ayu as national chairman.
On their return from London, the Benue governor, while speaking with journalists, explained that “the consultation is going on and will continue to go on. We are still going to meet here. We are still going to meet some persons some other time and see how we can work to ensure that the project Nigeria works.”
Wike camp’s meeting has continued to fuel speculations about the real intentions of the five governors and their supporters. Regardless, sources close to the group have continued to maintain that they will not ditch the PDP.
Nevertheless, former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, who also is a member of the Wike group, said in the event that the crisis is not resolved, the group would tell their supporters which political party to support.
The former minister, while speaking at an event in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital recently had told party stalwarts, “We want to assure you that the problems with the PDP, we shall resolve them and if it doesn’t resolve, this leader, the governor here, together with all of us, we shall tell the people of Nigeria where to go. They are not babies.”
However, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba is optimistic that the party will resolve all its challenges and go on to win the 2023 polls. Ologunagba told journalists that all the leaders of the opposition party, including the Rivers governor, are firm in their resolve to rescue the country..
According to him, “We have differences. We don’t have crisis. We have disagreement of choice. There is no crisis in PDP. We have differences, which is in human nature. Issues are part of family. In a political party, we have different views. This party respects every member of the party. Everybody in the party, even Wike agrees that Nigeria is the issue.
“The party is solid and moving ahead with its programmes. To rescue the nation, bring every members on board.
All the leaders have agreed and we are on same mission. This party is on ground. Solid.”
No doubt, leaders of the PDP are making frantic efforts to resolve the crisis. How the questions are, can the PDP weather the storm or is the opposition party headed for the same path it trod in the 2015 polls.
Prior to the 2015 general elections, a major crisis hit the PDP. At the PDP national convention on August 31, 2013, held at the Eagle Square, aggrieved leaders, staged a walkout over a disagreement with the party leadership.
Among the leaders were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Babangida Aliyu, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Rivers, Kano, Niger and Kwara states respectively.
Others were Murtala Nyako, Adamawa State; Sule Lamido, Jigawa State and Aliyu Wamako, Sokoto state among others.
The walk-out was a climax to the crisis that had bedeviled the then ruling party in the run-up to the national convention.
The protesting party leaders then were to later announce the formation of a faction of the party, the New PDP( nPDP) under the leadership of Kawu Baraje. The faction was to join ranks with the defunct Congress for Progressive Change( CPC), defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following the development, several members of the PDP in the National Assembly, including then speaker Aminu Tambuwal and former Kwara governor, Bukola Saraki defected to the new party.
Also, five of the seven governors that were involved in the new PDP joined the APC, while Aliyu and Lamido remained in the mainstream.
Analysts say that the breakaway was the beginning of the fall of the PDP, which before then had boasted that it would rule the country for 60 unbroken years. The party was eventually upstaged by the newly formed APC in the 2015 general elections. Since then, the PDP has been struggling to regain its dominance in the politics of the country.
The question on the lips of many critical observers ahead of 2023 is: will the main opposition party walk a familiar path of crises again?