The much anticipated National Elective Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has come and gone. In this report PATRICK ANDREW and TOPE SUNDAY examine likely implications of the fallout of the convention.
After ruling for 16 years both at the federal and in most states of the federation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) eventually met its waterloo in 2015 when the All Progressives Congress (APC)-an amalgamation of small political parties- pulled the rug off its feet.
Until then, the PDP had thriven on the crest of impunity, imposition and arrogance and had driven roughshod the political space unmindful of whatever repercussions there could be. It sat like a beautiful bride never in want of suitors.
However, the amalgamated parties capitalised on the yearnings for freshness on the political scene and pushed the change mantra which struck a chord in the hearts and minds of Nigerians who, bored stiff by the indifference and arrogance of the ruling PDP, lapped on whatever the fledgling opposition thrust against the PDP ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The result was expected, the PDP lost more than its footing but like a pariah, was held in disdain by even hitherto key actors and average supporters who subsequently defected in drove to the new rave of the moment on the Nigeria political scene- the APC.
The defeat coupled with the mass exodus from the party brought the PDP to its knees. It became embroiled in one crisis or the other. Aside from a marred integrity and loss of face and reckoning, perhaps the greatest albatross was the leadership tussle that almost sounded a dead knell: the struggle between te Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction and Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction.
Some had alleged that the former was a mole implanted by the APC to disintegrate the party that had produced three democratically elected presidents in Nigeria, had more than two-third of federal lawmakers and governors in the country for 16 years.
However, Modu Sheriff had the Appeal Court but Makarfi headed to the Supreme Court for solace. It found it thus terminating the manipulations of the other faction. The apex court pronounced the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee the authentic leadership of the party.
The apex court verdict opened vista for the PDP to re-organise, reposition itself and return to the consciousness of Nigerians. Therefore, the planned elective convention of the party attracted not just the interest of the PDP itself, the opposition but the larger society as a whole as the survival of the nation’s nascent democracy could in some way depend on the resurrection of the PDP because of its capability and capacity to strengthen democracy and enshrines democratic practice on the polity.
The expectation of much-anticipated PDP convention
Before the last Saturday’s national elective convention of the party, some Nigerians were eager to witness the rebirth of a more vibrant, and all inclusive and battle-ready PDP that will send the APC parking in the 2019 general elections.
Nigerians had expected a drastic departure from the tendencies which had befouled its integrity and engendered defeat in 2015. It was expected to undertake instant self-revival unprecedented in party politics in Nigeria, ensuring that impunity, imposition and extraneous influences in the selection processes of its delegates and leaders at the three tier levels: from ward and local government to states and national.
Political watchers and indeed the larger society had expected that all zones and regions would have been allowed and given equal opportunity as directed by the headship of the party to contest all the positions in the party, including the position of national chairman which was zoned between the North and the South.
However, before the convention, a former Military Leader, Ibrahim Babangida, warned against imposition, impunity and money politics. IBB observed the return of over monetization by selling vote to the highest bidders and advised members of the party to see the convention as a way of correcting the flaws of the past.
“Following the defeat of the party in the 2015 election, it is incumbent upon us as leaders and stakeholders to use the opportunity of the convention to sober reflect on the challenges confronting us, identify our flaws and seek plausible ways to correct them in order to come out stronger in subsequent elections.
“An elective convention presents as it were, a rare opportunity and veritable platform to elect in a holistic manner a credible, tested, down-to-earth and truly urbane candidate with enough stamina, distinguished character and national acceptability who is driven by incurable optimism and passion for a united Nigeria,” the former president said in a statement on Sunday.
Sadly, though the ex-Military President noted that: “The monetisation of our electoral process is disturbingly eroding that power which should ordinarily reside in the people. In the last few days, I get frightened by the monetary consideration that is likely to dictate who emerges as the National Chairman of our great party rather than what the people truly want.
“The discussion is more on the side of heavy monetisation of the process and ultimate “procurement” of the position of the chairman by the highest bidder. “This approach, in my humble view, defeats the whole essence of participation, free choice and voting which are the essential attributes of any democracy without inducement and outright manipulation. I wish to plead that we tread on the path of caution and common sense, conscious of our recent history of avoidable political crisis,’’ IBB, as he is fondly called, said.
The zoning brouhaha
The issue that dominated the political landscape before the convention was the argument over where the national chairmanship of the party was zoned or not. It was claimed that some party elders had before the Port-Harcourt convention in May 2016 agreed to micro-zone the position of national chairman to the South West.
At various fora and press conferences of the party, the former National Caretaker Committee (NCC) led by Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi made it a point of duty to throw more light on the zoning arrangement reached by the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
While noting that micro-zoning was not contemplated at the Port-Harcourt convention, Makarfi regularly insisted that the leadership of the party would recognise a consensus arrangement reached by stakeholders of particular zones on any elective position and argued that some forces wanted the committee to wield the powers not vested on it by the constitution of the party.
In other word, Makarfi committee would rather the position of the party- zoning the position of national Chairman to the South as was the case with the President to the North to remain as a status quo, than burnt its fingers in unnecessary micro-zoning saga. However, within political ambit should there be a consensus amongst the zones and contestants it would be embraced provided it was not done by the national leadership.
Albeit some analysts had favoured the South West to produce the chairman on the strength of the fact that the South-West had never occupied the office in acting or substantive capacity since the inception of the party in 1998, but it seems even among the seven contestants for the post from the zone, consensus was never a unanimous position.
Whereas some canvassed for consensus such as Chief Bode George, Prof. Taheed Adedoja, while likes of Jimi Agbaje, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Chief Rasheed Ladoja, Segun Aderemi, were neither here nor there in the vexed issue of micro-zoning.
The issue remained unresolved uptil the eleventh hour.
A day to the convention, Chief George withdrew alleging that the micro zoning arrangement was thrashed and sold to those he called: “the highest bidders”.
“I entered the contest on the micro-zoning principle, which has been thrashed by little men who have compromised. It appears the PDP is bent on self-destruction. I can’t be part of this. The chairmanship position has been sold to the highest bidder.
“I entered the race due to the micro zoning arrangement. This micro zoning has been trashed, dumped on the dust bin for personal reason. It appears that PDP is bent on self destruction. It has lost its soul.
“I cannot be part of this criminal allegation. The PDP is now mangled. I hereby withdraw from the fraud. As a Yoruba patriot, I will stand for our people.
Although Prof. Adeniran was later presented at the convention as the region’s consensus candidate few hours before the exercise, it is clear the matter was never really resolved by the South West themselves going by what the National Caretaker Committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi said during Channel Television programme on Monday. Makarfi said the region never had a true consensus candidate for the chairmanship position.
For the South-west, it was at the convention venue that they resolved on a consensus candidate. And even then, another candidate came to the state box and met the leaders and said, look, they never resolved, that he was still in the race. So, it was a total confusion.
“Somebody signed on behalf of other candidates and said ‘we now have a consensus candidate and please support him’ and another going round and saying ‘no, we don’t have a consensus candidate.’
“The whole issue of the south-west was its inability to put itself in order in good time, and then allowing some characters that cannot stand up in terms of credibility to occupy the political and media landscape; all kinds of abuses.
“And we cautioned them that that negative campaign by one individual was damaging them as people and members of the PDP, and they needed to call that person to order. Still, they never called him to order. And as far as I know, ninety-percent of PDP members that person comes to, will run away.”
In other word, the lack of consensus was the real problem because had the seven contestants adopted a uniform position and conceded for a candidate to represent the zone it would had been difficult for the candidacy of Prince Uche Secondus, though heavily supported by the governors, to sail through.
Chief Uche Secondus, emerged the new PDP national Chairman, though all aspirants from the South West except Adedoja either withdrew from the election or stepped down for Professor Adeniran, who came a distance third with 230 votes.
‘Unity List’
Despite the inability of the South West candidates to put their house in order, Professor Adeniran, was at the 11th honour paraded as the sole candidate of the party. But he (Adeniran) and other candidates that stood in for election at the convention rejected the election process.
Adeniran had after casting his vote, staged a walk out from the venue, alongside his supporters, alleging that the exercise was grossly compromised to achieve a predetermined end.
A statement signed by the Director, Media and Publicity, Tunde Adeniran Campaign Organisation, Taiwo Akeju, claimed the use of Unity List amounted to an imposition of preferred candidates on the delegates, stressing that it cast an aspersion on the exercise’s integrity. “We reject the entire electoral process of December 9, 2017.
“The election has been grossly compromised to achieve a predetermined end in line with the illegal Unity List prepared by Governors Wike and Ayodele Fayose and foisted on the entire delegates. “Consequently, we submit that this election is a sham and the result there from is unacceptable. We reject it in its entirety.
“We consider this so-called election as a travesty of democracy and due process, which further entrenches the culture of impunity that has done a great damage to the party in the past.
“Our position is also that this election should be cancelled and the entire leadership of the party should be handed over to the Board of Trustees which we regard as the conscience of the party, to organise a credible election for the party in due cause,” the statement said in a veiled threat to the feeble peace in the party.
Also, former Minister of National Planning, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, who contested for the position of National Publicity Secretary, said his surname was omitted in the ballot papers, making it difficult for his supporters to identify him.
Sulaiman stated that this had narrowed his chances at the election, noting that if his surname with which many of his party faithful had known him was not omitted, he would have defeated his opponent. He subsequently petitioned the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led convention committee as well as the INEC.
An aspirant to the position of National Youth leader, Franklyn Edede, alleged of disenfranchisement and prevention by certain influential officers in the party from exercising their fundamental rights, saying that some of the elected officials of the party, including the governors and some key lawmakers, merely shared the positions without due regard to other party members.
Aside all these, it was alleged that each delegates from the North was reportedly ‘bribed’ $10,000 to vote for the candidates on the Unity list, while their counterparts from the South West received $5,000 each.
What did and did not change
Money politics can never be ruled out and no shrewd politician would expect any less. IBB’s observation was correct except unlike in the past display of money politics was brazen, there was some semblance of sanity in the manner delegates were courted.
Nonetheless: “The monetisation of our electoral process is disturbingly eroding that power which should ordinarily reside in the people. In the last few days, I get frightened by the monetary consideration that is likely to dictate who emerges as the National Chairman of our great party rather than what the people truly want.”
True, Governors exerted considerable influence as Governors Nyesom Wike, Ayo Fayose and Udom Emmanuel clearly put their feet down for what came to be known as ‘Unity List’ which was not different the other list paraded by the elders of the party who had insisted on Prof. Adeniran being chairman. All the same, many would agree politics is a game where money and horse-trading are inevitable paraphernalia. Again, negotiation and consultations are indices crucial to score political points.
A new lease of the rebirth PDP perhaps is the despatch that the key actors of the party have risen to assuage frayed nerves reconcile aggrieved contestants. First, former President Goodluck Jonathan hit the road to persuade losers to take it in good faith as part of the PDP family.
“Let us all give the new exco some benefit of doubt and see how things work out. If we fail to support them, then we are not helping the party. Don’t allow yourself to be stampeded, better things await you, we cannot afford to lose you,” he told Prof Abubakar Sulaiman.
Before then, Atiku Abubakar had preached reconciliation urging all to agree to work together in the interest of the party whether they emerged winners or losers because in the PDP family there is neither winners nor losers.
The party has constituted a Reconciliation Committee, Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa states. The swift with which the team was constituted seems to paint a picture of a changed PDP. Even so Dickson has warned members and leaders of the party to desist from making provocative utterances capable of derailing the reconciliation process.
“It is not our business in this committee to apportion blame. Our focus is to promote reconciliation because all party leaders are important. Their concerns are also very important. Where there are grievances it is the view of this committee that those grievances be looked into and addressed where possible.
“So our appeal to all party members and leaders is to exercise caution and show restraint. And above all, to also show respect one to the other because in the end, we are all members of the same family and citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
In the words of Dr. Rueben Abati, ‘if the PDP does not quickly put its fallen house in order, it will fall into its own grave. Since it lost power at the centre, Nigerians had looked up to the PDP to provide a robust opposition to the new ruling party.
“Bode George dismissed the PDP Convention as “brazen fraud and absolutely preconceived, monetized, mercantilist Convention”. If the PDP must survive, new Chairman Uche Secundus and his Unity team must address the crisis of legitimacy of their own becoming. They must ensure that the PDP does not go into the 2019 elections as a divided and incapacitated party.
“Secundus, now Nulli Secundus, should adopt a total approach by reaching out immediately to all aggrieved parties, and show that he is an independent umpire as the PDP begins the search for a Presidential standard bearer. He must disown the ethnic umbrella of his chairmanship and project himself as an unbiased, open-minded party leader and as his own man.
“Whatever may have happened at the Convention, he can still keep the party whole and together, since in any case, Nigerian politicians are always ever so circumspect and cowardly in a situation like this – nobody may take the principled position of going to court to challenge the irregularities at the Convention’’.
Failure of the party’s leadership to do all these above suggestions may make the party a regional party as said by the APC. Also, people of the South West who are still aggrieved some be pacified before the 2019 general elections.
