After its national convention last Saturday, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has started the process of reconciliation. Last Monday, ex President Goodluck Jonathan went to Professor Abubakar Olarenwaju Suleiman’s residence on a peace mission. Similarly, the New National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Governor Nyesom Wike, the power behind the throne, have reached out to Chief Olabode George, one of the aggrieved contestants, who withdrew from the race. In addition, the Governor Seriake Dickson -led Peace and Reconciliation Committee has already, started the healing process as ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU highlights in this report
Last Saturday, December 9, 2017, the largest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held its convention and chose its National Working Committee (NWC) members, who will pilot its affairs for the next four years. Prior to that, there were botched attempts to hold the convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on of August 17, 2017, where the party ended up with the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi. Among other things, the committee was mandated to conduct an elective convention.
However, Senator Ali Modu Sherrif claimed he was the authentic chairman. Thereafter, a legal long and winding tussle ensued, resulting to a Supreme Court judgment, which declared Makarfi as the authentic chairman of the party.
After the Supreme Court verdict, the caretaker committee quickly organized a non- elective convention which held August 12, 2017, at the Eagle Square in Abuja, where Makarfi’s tenure was extended. Thereafter, the NCC started putting structures for last Saturday’s elective convention, where Prince Uche Secondus was elected national chairman amidst protests and controversy.
Specifically, even before the votes were cast, former Deputy National Chairman and a candidate from Lagos state, who was vying for the national chairmanship, Chief Olabode George withdrew from the race, citing violation of zoning principle and the slandering of the Yoruba.
Chief George withdraws
Few hours to the convention, Chief George addressed a press conference, where he took exception to Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of River state’s swipe at the Yoruba, in an interview on Channels Television breakfast show Sunrise Daily, while trying to promote Secondus.
According to him, “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.’’
Similarly, the former deputy national chairman took exception to Wike’s insult on the Yoruba. ‘’As a Yoruba patriot, I will stand for our people. Governor Wike must tender an unreserved apology to the Yoruba people for his unguarded utterances against the Yoruba race. I listened to my younger brother and I see it as an insult. I consider it as an insult.’’
Categorically, the ex Naval officer said that he didn’t step down for anybody. According to him, ‘’what I am stepping down for is the process. The issue of micro zoning has been destroyed. Every position is micro zoned. I am withdrawing purely on principle. You can know the way the party use to bubble and we see it as a brotherly union. From what happened before I thought we could manage it but it is obvious that the system has been bastardized”.
Adeniran protests Unity List
Similarly, former Minister of Education and a candidate from the South-west, also protested the way and manner the voting was conducted. Adeniran, who hails from Ekiti state, polled 230 votes at the election and he came a distant second as Secondus who bagged 2000 votes. However, before the results were announced, Professor Adeniran had stormed out of Eagle Square, the venue of the convention.
Speaking through his Personal Assistant on Publicity, Mr Taiwo Akeju, Adeniran rejected the entire electoral process.
According to him, ‘’the election has been grossly compromised to achieve a predetermined end in line with the illegal Unity List prepared by Governor 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.’’ Adeniran called for the cancellation of the election ‘’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 course”.
Significantly, Professor Adeniran was the candidate of the founding fathers as represented by the former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, ex Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana. Adeniran, according to reports, lost out to the governors’ candidate, Prince Secondus.
Dokpesi also throws in the towel
Like Adeniran, the media Mogul, High Chief Rymond Dokpesi, also contested the election but disagreed with the process, alleging that the governors had hijacked PDP. “Since we started voting about three hours ago, every delegate that is available has been provided with copies of what you have here. They call it ‘Unity List’ and all the names on the list are number one in all the cubicles for voting and this is supposed to be a list prepared by the governors,’’ he alleged.
Before then, Dokpesi had approached Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue state, who was involved in the management of the electoral process.
According to him, Suswam told him that he was taking necessary steps. ‘’I also approached Governor Okowa of Delta state who is the chairman of the convention committee. He is also helpless.
The names you find here is not unlikely what would be announced at the end of the day. The chairman of the convention committee said he is aware of the whole thing but there is little he can do. He is overwhelmed… This election has been seriously marred,’’ Dokpesi had concluded.
However, after denouncing the process, the Edo Chief made turnabout and congratulated Secondus when he emerged the National Chairman of PDP. According to him, “you will recall that I said that the PDP must be the ultimate winner at the end of the contest. God bless the Peoples Democratic Party. Congratulations PDP as I wish all our members the best of luck”.
Cementing the cracks
Since the Makarfi – Sheriff leadership tussle, PDP had a standing reconciliation committee headed by Governor Seriake Dickson is on tour to the South-west on a peace mission. Already, the reconciliation committee had visited former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel in Lagos. Dickson, according to reports, said that PDP will need the wise counsel of Daniel and other leaders in the South West in order to succeed. Similarly, the leaders of the reconciliation committee pleaded with Daniel, especially to participate in all affairs of the party. According to Dickson, the ex Ogun governor is “still a pillar of our party in Ogun State, in the South West and across Nigeria”. Continuing, the peace committee said that PDP hold Daniel, Ogun State and South West zone in very high esteem.
Dickson is about undertaking another trouble shooting assignment. Before he set out for the job at hand, the Bayelsa state governor appealed to all members and leaders of the party to be careful about their utterances, especially on the last convention.
“Generally, we are pleased with the outcome of the exercise (convention) but we have established contact already with those who are dissatisfied and who have concerns, issues and grievances which is normal in an exercise such as this,’’ he said. According to Dickson, ‘’our contact with all the chairmanship candidates was very positive. Our overtures were well received and in the next couple of days and weeks, you are going to see a lot of activities in that regard undertaken by this committee.’’ He revealed that the committee will visit the aggrieved but it is not its business to apportion blames. ‘’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”, Dickson promised.
Jonathan takes the lead
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, immediately after the convention, had began a peace and reconciliation mission, in spite of the fact that he was also a victim of the governors’ gang-up. Nonetheless, he rose to the occasion as a statesman in order to assuage the aggrieved.
As a result, he visited his former Minister of National Planning, Professor Abubakar Olarenwaju Suleiman’s who contested and lost the post of National Publicity Secretary (NPS). Like Adeniran and Dokpesi, the university don turned politician also denounced the election results, arguing that his surname was deliberately left out of the ballot papers to confuse his supporters. The former president pleaded with Suleiman and other aggrieved candidates to give the new party executive a chance and see how things work out. ‘’If we fail to support them, we are not helping the party, ‘’ the former president advised.
In addition, Jonathan thanked the former minister for his doggedness and passion for PDP. According to him, ‘’you did well and members of our party know you are the best among the competitors. Put the events of last Saturday night behind you and move on. Accept the outcome of the election as the wish of God. You should not allow yourself to be stampeded into any untoward action. I know better things await you. We cannot afford to lose you”. Significantly, Jonathan will continue ‘’with his mission of peace next week, ‘’ a party insider told our correspondent yesterday on phone.
Wike, Secondus wave olive branch
Last week, Governor Wike, and Chairman Secondus, on Sunday December 10, 2017, met with George to sue for peace. According to reports, George told them that unless Wike apologises to the Yoruba, it will be very difficult for them to campaign in Yorubaland in 2019.
Significantly, Secondus confirmed the meeting with the former chairmanship candidate . According to him, ‘’Chief Bode George remains my boss and I will always cherish him. I have tremendous respect for him and I will need him in the task ahead”.
Secondus reaches out
Apart from George, Prince Secondus has also extended an olive branch to party members and candidates that contested with him. He reminded them that PDP was founded on ideals which are in tandem with those of the nation’s founding fathers. According to him, even when the party was defeated in 2015, ‘’we chose to abide by our strong faith in democracy, willingly conceding power to opposition, thereby elevating the democratic status of Nigeria.’’
The chairman pointed out that PDP’s contributions to the growth and sustenance of democracy in this country in the last 18 years remain unequalled. Consequently, ‘’the best way to celebrate the memories of these founding fathers is to ensure that the ideals are continuously engaged.
Earlier, Secondus had promised that ‘’under my watch, internal democracy will be strictly adhered to with a deliberate policy to return ‘real’ power to the people. No more imposition, no more impunity. Every member of this party can, from this moment, consider him or herself, an equal shareholder in our common destiny.’’ Similarly, the PDP helmsman had called on all Nigerians to embrace this new PDP and join in this quest for a new Nigeria.
Threats of parallel executive
In spite of assurances from the Dickson reconciliation committee, former president Jonathan’s peace mission and Secondus and Wike’s olive branch to Chief George, the threats to PDP’s cohesion is real. Last Wednesday, some aggrieved members under the aegis of PDP Candidates and Stakeholders Forum, threatened to form a parallel executive.
Addressing a press conference, the forum had rejected the results of the last convention. Specifically, text of the press conference was signed by Comrade Franklyne Edede, who contested for the office of national youth leader and Chief Godwin Chinedu Duru, who wanted to be National Organising Secretary as well as Prince Obi-Nwosu Emmanuel, Hassan Adamu and Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar.
In particular, they called on the Chairman of BOT to cancel the results and convene an emergency NEC meeting within seven days from the date of this notice. ‘’ Failure to address the items above, we would have no option but to announce the correct results and inaugurate the authentic NWC of the PDP”, the forum threatened.
Although the storm seems to be over, they is still an uneasy calm within PDP, the largest opposition party in the country. How it papers over these cracks will determine whether or not it is prepared to re-claim the presidency in 2019, a refrsin that most of its chieftains keep mouthing.
