2023: PDP swimming in troubled waters

As the 2023 general elections draws closer the rancour in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to taking a turn for the worse as stakeholders battle over the party’s structure. ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU examines the situation and its impact on the party’s chances.

Barely two years to the next general elections the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been hit by a gale of defection, even as seven national officers have quit their positions in what appears to be the effect of the gale of defections.

They include: Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Bello; Deputy National Women Leader, Umoru Hadizat; Deputy National Auditor, Divine Amina Arong; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Hassan Yakubu; and Deputy National Financial Secretary, Irona Alphonsus.

However, going by the party’s constitution, deputy national officers are not NWC members but members of the National Executive Council (NEC).

Earlier, three governors: Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state; Ben Ayade of Cross River state; and Mohammed Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state; dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

In the same vein, some lawmakers at the state and national levels have also moved to the APC, thus lending credence to the speculation that more governors would still dump the PDP for the ruling APC.

At various times, the Kano state Governor, Umar Ganduje; his counterparts in Ebony and Cross River states have declared that more governors were on their way out of the PDP.

The contention

Blueprint Weekend checks indicated that huge amount of money had been in circulation within the party to induce some members of the resign.

A source within the party, who spoke with our correspondent in confidence, disclosed that the party’s National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri, and Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Suleiman Nazif, have also threatened to resign in few days.

Effort to reach the two NWC members was not successful, as their phone lines were unavailable at the time of filing this report.

Speaking to Blueprint Weekend, one of the national officers who resigned his position said, “My brother, since our election in 2017, we have only met with our Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, thrice. It is not as if he called us; on these three occasions we sought audience with him.”

The erstwhile stalwart of the PDP, who spoke under anonymity further stated, “The most annoying part is that during Christmas and Sallah festivities the NWC would visit our governors. They would collect money and other items but I can tell you that they don’t share anything with the deputies.

“To him, we are just a necessary evil to be tolerated but never to be catered for. We all have our constituencies and our followers but from the way we are being treated, it appears they see us as nothing but appendages forced on them by the party’s constitution.”

Youth leader threatens resignation

Addressing journalists, Tuesday, after the NWC closed-door meeting, PDP youth leader, Mr Udeh Okoye, who confirmed the resignation of the national officers, called for Secondu’s resignation.

“Mr Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the party, is incompetent of managing the affairs of this party; he lacks the managerial capacity to manage PDP. He had made sure that many departments of the party did not function as effectively as they ought to function. Mr Chairman has nothing to offer to the party only to come here and deceive us.

“There is a sharp division in our NWC right now, not only me, many more NWC members are more aggrieved than myself. Today I have asked him in our NWC meeting to resign his position as the chairman of this party because he cannot lead this party to victory.

“I am also asking the leaders, the governors, the founding fathers, the youth, the women to rise to rescue our party from the hand of an incompetent leader like Secondus because he is not willing to take us anywhere. He is just there to make sure that he enriches himself.

“I am here to make it very clear to all Nigerians that if Secondus does not resign from the party, I am going to leave the party for him to eat the party and own the party. The governors, if they don’t wade into this matter right now, I assure Nigerians that within the next three, four days, my letter will be public,” Okoye said.

Asked how many NWC members were asking Secondus to resign, he said: “Seven deputies have already resigned their positions today because of Secondus, many more people are also going to resign in the NWC because of Secondus.

“Right now, I can tell you that not less than eight to 10 persons within the NWC members are very aggrieved with Secondus. But I have taken my stand because I cannot sit here and one man who ought to respect his age and respect the oath of the party that he has sworn to protect, to defend, to work for the interest of the party, will keep making sure that the party does not go anywhere.”

Chieftains bent on hijacking party structure for destruction – Secondus

However, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, has described the situation as unfortunate, warning that any NWC member who resigned would be replaced the next day.

Speaking, Tuesday, through his Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi, the party chairman said: “The youth leader who is realising after three and half years that Secondus is incompetent, that Secondus is enriching himself, it took him three and a half years and four, five months to the convention, it is very unfortunate.

“I want to assure members of the party that the structure of the party is intact and Prince Secondus is the national chairman and anybody who resigns his or her position will be replaced the next day and this party will work to victory in 2023. There is no going back about it”.

In a recent statement, Abonyi added that “answers to the above posers will help members of the public to decipher the recent disquiet in the PDP and why few months to national convention of the party, somebody is routing for a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party.

The statement partly read, “The media office of the National Chairman is privy to intelligence that the strong party chieftain bent on hijacking the party structure for destruction is still on the loose with the main agenda of denting the image of Prince Uche Secondus the National Chairman.

“Reports reaching this office shows clearly that this character is deploying all devious means to try and diminish the person and character of the National Chairman with a view to having his way of ultimately hijacking the structure for his disproportionately large ambition.

“We, therefore, wish to alert the general public particularly media houses and party stakeholders to look out for strange deployment of luring gifts from this destructive ‘Father Christmas’ all aimed at having a grip on the soul of our party by having a caretaker Committee.

“What continues to shock many party observers is the real reason behind the desperation of this man to get at the National Chairman and the quantum of public funds being expended to achieve this illicit goal a few months to the National Convention.

“Few months to National Convention anybody who means well for this party and who is a true democrat should respect the constitution of the party and approach issues dispassionately”.

Conflict resolution mechanism activated – Ologbondiyan

On his part, the PDP Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, has said the party had activated its internal conflict resolution mechanism to address issues raised.

“The NWC of our great party at its meeting today received the notice of the resignation from deputies who are elected members of the NEC.

“The meeting of the NWC and the deputies immediately took place to dialogue on the issues that were raised. The party will look into the grievances raised by members of NEC as well as members of the NWC.

“The internal conflict resolution mechanism of our party has also been immediately activated to put these issues behind us. We call on all the leaders, stakeholders and members of our great party to remain calm as we collectively resolve these issues,” he said.

Govs urge calm

Meanwhile, the PDP Governors’ Forum has expressed regrets over the recent rumblings within the party.

Chairman of the forum and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said this in a statement Tuesday.

“The governors hereby call on all members of the party and indeed all stakeholders to remain calm in the face of the developments.

“We plead with all aggrieved persons and those with the interest of the PDP at heart to keep their gunpowder dry, as efforts are being made in consultation with members of the PDP Board of Trustees and other stakeholders to resolve all contending issues.

“To this end, the PDP governors’ forum has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the affairs of the Party and the way forward.

“The PDP as the only remaining hope of the nation for good governance must show an example to Nigerians and also take advantage of the current disarray in the APC and its rudderless government.”

Battle for party structure

Investigation by Blueprint Weekend revealed that the 13 PDP governors, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and other party structures have been split into groups that will protect their interest at the next party convention and the 2023 general elections.

A source within the party told our correspondent that “What is playing out in the PDP today is not new. Is all about the battle for the party structure ahead of 2023. “The governors are divided, one group is that of the Rivers state Governor, Nyesome Wike, rocking the boat to produce presidential candidate and running mate, while some governors are in the camp of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar who want to re-produce Atiku has the party flag bearer. The other group are out for vengeance.

“The truth is that Secondus time is over. He has done well in some aspects but they are doing all these for 2023. Various have been strategizing and meeting on how to take over the party structure.

“There was a meeting in Abuja, Tuesday night and others are meeting this weekend. So negotiations are ongoing. It may also interest you that money is exchanging hands as expected. From the number of those in support of Secondus, the party Chairman will not resign, but he will certainly not come back”.

‘Attempt to hijack party’ll lead to implosion’

A former Bayelsa state Governor, and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson, has cautioned that an attempt by a few to hijack the party by a few will lead to implosion.

Dickson in a press statement, Wednesday, said: “We have observed for some time the growing tension, recriminations and outright attack on the national chairman and members of the NWC by some leaders of the party.

“One has refrained from making statements because we believe that the party has internal mechanisms and levels of leadership that will handle it and I was in fact aware that BOT members, governors and other elders, reconciliation committee, collectively and individually, have been making efforts to resolve some of these disputes and challenges affecting the stability of the party.”

Continuing he said, “As we are all aware, some officers of our party resigned yesterday and we should thank them for their services but If their resignation is aimed at causing the crisis in the party then we should all condemn it and those behind it.

“By the party’s constitution the appropriate authority, the NWC is empowered to make replacements. I, therefore, call on the National Chairman and other members of the NWC in accordance with the constitution of the party to immediately make appropriate consultations from the states and zones from which these officers have resigned and forthwith, make those replacements subject to ratification by the NEC.

“An emergency NEC meeting should be convened which should take appropriate decisions to stabilize the party. And if there is any member of the working committee who wants to resign, such a person should consider the overall interest of the party and have a rethink. If, however, any NWC members goes ahead to resign, the resignation should be accepted and consultations be made by the Chairman and NWC to fill those positions as temporary vacancies subject to ratification.

“The national chairman and NWC members should utilize their powers under the constitution to discipline erring members involved in the nefarious plot to destroy the party.

“PDP is bigger than any individual and should no longer tolerate people with inordinate ambitions to destroy the party which belongs to all Nigerians. People with ambition must know that unless the party is stabilised and strengthened, their ambition will be of no consequence even if they pocket it.

“If the PDP shrinks from a party for all to a party for a few, it would lose its selling point and many members and leaders will have no option than to review their membership.

“We are not a ruling party at the centre. We don’t have the time, resources and mechanisms to resolve problems that will arise from a caretaker committee which will throw up more problems before the party convention and primaries at the centre and across the states.

“We should all learn from the challenge the APC has found itself with the appointment of a caretaker committee which is still unfolding. With only four months to the end of the tenure of the current working committee, it does not make sense to either push for and force a resignation, or to force the appointment of a caretaker committee on a party with officers who have a constitutionally guaranteed tenure.

“Our window of opportunity to take over power in 2023 is fast receding as a result of these self-inflicted challenges and the hope that Nigerians have in us as an alternative is fast dimming too unless we pull back from the brinks and do so quickly.”

Crisis not peculiar to PDP – Ojo

A political analyst Jide Ojo has said internal crisis was not peculiar to the leading opposition party.

In a phone chat with Blueprint Weekend Ojo said “Of course it doesn’t augur well for them that is normal and natural; it is a bad omen for PDP. I have no sympathy for the party because there is a popular saying that you are going to reap what you sow. In the 16years of PDP when they were ruling with impunity.

“It you take a historic look at PDP, it is not new to leadership crisis; even parties not as big as PDP goes through this kind of crisis.

“So, all of these are thrown up ahead of 2023. It is not peculiar to PDP, even APC has had its own and it is yet to even overcome its own leadership. We need to situate what is happening in PDP against the background that party politics is all about conflict management. There are bound to be conflicts in every gathering. Like someone said in every gathering of twelve, there will always be a Judas.

“If it cannot be resolved amicably then the necessary action should be taken legally as prescribed by the constitution of the PDP. Anything extralegal done can lead to a protracted crisis in the party.

“If it cannot be resolved, then let the BoT comes in, if the BoT cannot resolve it then they have to call an emergency convention; convention is not only called when there is an election, there is also a non-election convention and they can quickly call and decide, let the convention of the party decide, determine what will be the next line of action. But, if care is not taken, PDP will further hemorrhage, PDP will become a shell if it does not quickly resolve its issue.