The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is distressed. Its leadership on the brink. Its two factions were locked in a protracted battle for supremacy. The bond of unity for 16 years was federal power. Without it, the now opposition party has paled into a carcass, unable to adjust to its new reality.
For the first time in its beleaguered history, the hitherto acclaimed largest party in Africa could not conduct a successful national convention. The election of new party officers was put on hold. Instead, a disputed caretaker committee was foisted on the feuding political family by a faction.
Delegates at the national congress were confused...
The journey to Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was in vain. The next challenge is crisis-resolution. But, how will the PDP go about it?
The reality dawned on the two groups struggling for the soul of the party that they had a common obstacle. To salvage the torn umbrella, the ebullient acting chairman, Senator Modu Sheriff, must go. Ordinarily, the former Borno State governor is a tough guy. He will have none of that. Therefore, he momentarily resisted the demeaning option. The embattled politician plunged into intense lobbying and maneuvering, putting up reasons why he was still the suitable candidate for the chairmanship. But, his strength failed him at that critical time in Port-Harcourt, following a split in his camp.
The crisis finally drew the curtains on his brief, but controversial tenure when his major backers-the 11 PDP governors-resolved to set up a caretaker committee. The committee is headed by former Governor Ahmed Makarfi. For the governors, the decision was a face-saving measure. There was no rallying point in the PDP to bring the warring party lords to a roundtable. Some of the founding fathers are taking the back seat. But, it was evident that the two groups cannot survive, if they went their separate ways. The lesson of the defunct ‘new PDP’ was instructive. The best option was to sacrifice Sheriff, the man at the centre of the imbroglio.
For the two-time senator and governor, it was a big blow. Yet, the fall from grace could have been averted, if Sheriff had voluntarily withdrawn to save his energy for a future battle. He had stormed the convention with confidence. The handwriting was bold on the wall, but he chose to ignore it. By daring the old timers in the PDP, he ran into a tragedy. The power broker from the Northeast was suddenly deserted. His major backer, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, made a u-turn, saying Sheriff has become a destabilising factor.
Observers contend that the turn of events has implications for his career. Sheriff may go down in the history of party politics in Nigeria as the most unwanted chieftain for party chairmanship. Not only was he rejected by the All Progressives Congress (APC) during its inaugural convention in Abuja almost two years ago, he was also rejected by the PDP at the weekend.
The matter may not end there. The setting up of an interim leadership has put an end to Sheriff’s tenure. But, the embattled politician has disagreed, saying that he is still in charge. The only option open to him is litigation so that the court can determine the legality of his position.
But, can Makarfi proceed without making peace with Sheriff, who has his supporters, and Mantu, who is the Coordinator of Gana/Mantu group?
The group is still silent on the composition of the caretaker committee. Will they endorse the composition and the three-month duration? Will they agree that the committee should hold a new convention? Will the committee be dissolve to allow a broader committee that can accommodate all interests to spring up?
Former Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State hinted that the chairmanship will now be zoned to the South. Will the slot go to the Southwest, Southeast or Southsouth?
The party has more lessons to learn. The aborted convention underscored the limitation to the powers of the PDP Governors’ Forum. It has been projected as the most powerful bloc. But, its powers will now have to be moderated by the influence of other blocs, particularly the league of aggrieved former governors, ministers, National Assembly members and other vocal chieftains.
Besides, PDP leaders should now embrace the fact that any attempt to murder zoning, which is its main strength, will always backfire.
The PDP has hurdles to cross. To overcome its challenge of reconciliation, it needs are crisis resolution mechanism, which appears to be absent. The lack of a rallying point is burdensome. But, if its leaders are less inflexible and more condescending, the party may bounce back on the altar of extreme sacrifice and self-abnegation. The snag is that pompous politicians are disposed to avoiding a moral path to quick recovery. If the ruling party regresses to the old trick fueling crisis in the opposition party, just as the PDP had done to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeriaa Peoples Party (ANPP) and the APC, the crisis rocking the PDP may linger.
The fate of the PDP has implications for popular rule. With the party in disarray, the role of opposition in democracy may not be effective.
Since its inception, the PDP has been addicted to leadership crisis. Except the pioneer chairman, the late Chief Solomon Lar and Senator Ahmadu Ali, other chairmen-Chief Barnabas Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, Tukur, Muazu and now, Sheriff-left office unceremoniously.
In 2001, Gemade, placed a curse on the party. When he was shoved aside, he said in anger: “The fate that will befall my successors will be worse than mine.” The curse is still raging.
According to The Nation, things have fallen apart in the PDP and the centre cannot hold. Unless the party puts its house in order, it faces a perilous future.
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