The story of how the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continues to act against its own rules and the price it is paying
The fate of those who would come after me would be worse than what the party is putting me through”. That was the curse placed on the Office of the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. It was Barnabas Gemade who placed it.
In 2001, after the shambles that attended the party’s move to dump Gemade as Chairman, the latter wanted a competitive election. Gemade sought to engender an electoral process that would produce the new Chairman. He wanted to re-contest, having failed to benefit from the additional one-year for the tenure of members of the PDP National Executive Committee, NEC. And because the maximum party leader of the time, President Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, no longer wanted to suffer Gemade, the latter “just had to go”. For the PDP, it sometimes obeys its own rules in the breach. It was in bitterness that Gemade made what has now turned out to be negatively prophetic.
Therefore, when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, came up with its report that the conduct of March 2012 national convention of the PDP was not thorough, it became the most trying period for the Bamanga Tukur-led NWC – Tukur is PDP’s National Chairman.
It was first the case of INEC, the electoral umpire that conducts all elections and in some cases supervises or monitors, as the case may be, congresses, conventions and primaries of political parties, should go to hell as it had no such powers.
The players in the PDP, the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa, following the report by INEC, heated the polity as there were series of press releases and press conferences from and at Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat of the party. It was the case of buying time against the backdrop that failure to adhere to the report was a time-bomb for the party ready to blow off any time.
The implementation of the INEC report became imperative for the PDP because it was geared towards regularizing the membership of the NWC as well as giving the leadership credibility and, failure to do this, subsequent elections or congresses conducted by the NWC may be questioned in court and, as the party prepares for the 2015 presidential primaries, the opposition may not only pick holes in it but also use it to its advantage.
From Right, Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck
Jonathan, Chairman Of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Deputy National Chairman, Sam Jaja and Chairman Board Of Trustees Of The Party, Chief Tony Anenih at the PDP’s 61 National Executive Committee recently
Time-bomb
The leadership of the party knew the implication of the report by the electoral body, but pretended as if it didn’t matter.
A PDP governor captured the situation succintly when he said: “When the foundation is faulty, it will produce a weak super structure. A faulty NWC cannot produce acceptable candidates in the primary elections of the PDP in 2015. INEC has done its report and there is nothing else for the Commission to do. Let’s wait and see what the PDP will do with the report. This is a time-bomb”.
According to the INEC report on the PDP 2012 national convention, “The mode of election adopted for single candidates was not in accordance with the mode of election stipulated in paragraph 6.5 (i) of the guidelines for the conduct of the year 2012 congresses and national convention and therefore not acceptable to the Commission”. In the report, INEC stated that election of single candidates whose process of coming in was through affirmation was not acceptable to it.
Those affected by the report in this regard were the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; National Organizing Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha; National Youth Leader, Alhaji Garba Chiza; Deputy National Youth Leader, Dennis Alonge Niyi; Deputy National Auditor, Senator Umar Ibrahim; Deputy National Woman, Hannatu Ulam; and National Woman Leader, Kema Chikwe.
Also affected were Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Okechukwu Nnadozie; Deputy National Treasurer, Claudus Inengas; National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Binta Goje.
INEC declared that only four NWC members were duly elected while the listed eight members were elected outside the guidelines set for the convention. Those whose election met the guidelines were the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; former National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former National Auditor, Bode Mustapha; and National Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani.
Mustapha has since been replaced by Adewale Adeyanju as National Auditor.
The matter became dramatic and a case of PDP members fighting fellow members when three members of the party: Hon. Abba Yale from Borno State; Hon. Yahaya Aruwa Sule from Taraba and Barrister Bashir Maidugu from Borno, in suit no M/67290/13 and originating summons by Joni Icheka, sought the implementation of the INEC report and the sack of the NWC members concerned because, according to him, they never had the requisite constitutional requirements to occupy their offices.
‘Abnormal and sinister’
The party, while reacting to the INEC report in April through the then National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, took a swipe at INEC, describing its action as abnormal and sinister. Metuh, however, asked why the electoral body must wait for a year after the national convention before it came out with its report. The former ruling party spokesman, who noted that the action of INEC was a conspiracy and unacceptable, boasted that INEC was incapable of removing the leadership of the PDP, adding, ‘’Is INEC a supervisory body? Why would INEC wait until after a year? Why did it not say it after a week? They are incapable of removing any NWC member. There is nothing unconstitutional that we have done.
NWC is not in conflict with the Presidency, with the PDP governors, also not in conflict with the leaders of the party in the Presidency and the National Assembly. We are confident that nothing will happen; we are focused in delivering good governance.” He continued: ‘’The report is sinister, abnormal. There is conspiracy. Why is it coming now? What is the motive? Why now? Whose interest is INEC protecting? Who commissioned them? PDP is not INEC. Why the special interest in PDP? Those are the question Nigerians should be asking INEC.
‘’Consequent upon our uncovering of plans by undemocratic elements to discredit and destabilize the leadership of our great party, National Working Committee (NWC) wishes to assure all our members that it remains committed and focused and will continue to provide the necessary political direction so that the policy frameworks contained in our manifesto are fully realized for the benefit of all Nigerians. ‘’The NWC will never allow reactionary elements to distract it from carrying out its constitutionally guaranteed duties.” The Pius Anyim-led Committee, set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to look into the lingering crisis rocking the PDP, recommended that the Tukur-led NWC should resign.
As the crisis in the PDP deepened with the suspension of Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and his Sokoto State counterpart, Aliyu Wamakko, it became clear that all was not well in the ruling party, coming against the backdrop of the opposition political parties coming together to wrestle power from the PDP at the 2015 presidential poll. For this reason and among others, President Goodluck Jonathan, on June 8, set up the committee with Anyim as Chairman, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe; Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Theodore Orji of Abia, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Gabriel Suswam of Benue and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; and the Political Adviser to the President, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, as members to recommend ways of arresting the crisis. Armed with the INEC report, the Anyim Committee recommended that the PDP must put things right and, therefore, said that the NWC members whose election was faulted by INEC must resign to give way for a proper convention. With pressure on Tukur, a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, held last on July 19, 2012, was then fixed for Thursday, June 20, 2013. Prior to the meeting, tension was high at the secretariat and the nation. Many asked if the National Chairman of the ruling party will quit.
At the end of the day, Tukur got a soft landing because the matter had been sealed at the National Caucus and Board of Trustees, BoT, meeting where it was concluded that the National Chairman must stay, but others must go for ‘peace’ to return to the party. At the NEC meeting, soon after the Chairman, Delta State PDP chapter, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi, moved a motion for the affected members of the NWC to submit their letters of resignation, members immediately endorsed it and the NWC members were asked to leave the meeting.
The affected NWC members resigned and new ones, in acting capacity, were immediately put in place with former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, heading the Special National Convention Planning Committee; Governor Akpabio appointed his deputy while Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu will serve as Secretary to bring in fresh members of the NWC on July 20. Zonal Congress for the South-west was fixed for July 11.
The new PDP NWC members appointed to serve in interim capacity are; former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and loyalist of Minister of State, Education, Nyeson Wike, Chibudom Nwuche who replaced the Deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja, Amaechi’s ally; Remi Akintoye, Acting National Secretary; Senator Emma Agboti, Acting Deputy National Secretary; Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar, Acting National Organising Secretary; Tony Ceaser Okeke, Metuh’s associate, Acting National Publicity Secretary; Simon Jok, Acting National Legal Adviser; Barrister Tanko Beji, Acting National Youth Leader; Oyibo Nwaneri, Acting National Woman Leader; Yau Kwadon, Acting Deputy National Legal Adviser; Peter Adefunmilayo, Acting Deputy National Youth Leader; Nasiru Ibrahim Birchi, Acting Deputy National Auditor; Mrs Torkwase Ajoh, Acting Deputy National Women Leader; Mohammed Dandari, Acting National Treasurer and Deputy National Financial Secretary, Awwalu Gwadabe. Others are Onyemaechi Ikechukwu Jideofor, Acting Deputy National Organising Secretary; Augustine Lugbenwei, Acting Deputy National Treasurer; Calib Yahaya, Acting Deputy National Treasurer; Chief Akin Taiwo, Acting Ex-officio; Tope Ademiluyi, Acting Ex-officio; Chief Mike Akinfenwa and Gbenga Oduwaiye, Ex-officio.
Intriques
With the date for the convention fixed, another round of scheming, intrigues, and backstabbing is bound to commence in the zones against the backdrop that zonal elections and vicariously membership of the NWC are open to all and not only the NWC members removed from Wadata Plaza. Ex-NWC officers like the National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha, a retired Head of Service from Kaduna State, is said to be sure of coming back to Wadata Plaza because of his closeness to Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor Ramallan Yero. Metuh, as gathered, still has with him Anambra politicians who facilitated his election in 2012 as well as other politicians from the zone, though some persons are alleged to be showing interest in the job of the PDP National Publicity Secretary. Others like the ex-National Youth Leader, Garba Chiza; National Woman Leader, Kema Chikwe; Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon; Treasurer, Bala Kaoje; Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja have all gone back to their zones. Jaja will need for fight very hard to come back considering the political battle in Rivers State, just as, in 2012, he was picked by Amaechi who worked to ensure then National Organising Secretary, Prince Uche Secondus, was dropped for him.
Now, the question is, with Tukur escaping the hammer, is it Uhuru for him and the party? There appears to be more challenges ahead of him as the NEC solution only scratched the surface of the PDP crisis in order not to embarrass Mr. President, Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Tony Anenih and others who played prominent roles in the survival of the ruling party National Chairman in the plot to remove him.
Tukur will have a new set of people to work with from now till July 20 when new NWC members will be elected. Many PDP stakeholders are hoping that all will be carried along and lessons would have been learnt especially from what he(Tukur) went through prior to the 61st NEC; many party members also hope that there will be no more pressure on the National Chairman to call for a NEC meeting after almost a year.
Reconciliation
Hopes are also high in the party that Tukur will use the political baptizing he had during this period to reconcile with those he fell out with like his home state Governor Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); improve on his relationship with party members, stakeholders, elders like former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; and call for a meeting with all those who were forced to step down for him at Eagle Square, March last year. It may have also dawned on him that there was the need for healing of wounds, using what happened before the NEC meeting and the push for his removal as starting point.
Tukur must have realized that the need to implement the INEC report was not primarily targeted at others, but him; he was lucky to have escaped, but in politics, it is not over until it is over. His major challenge now will be the recalling of Governor Amaechi who was suspended before Governor Wamakko; he must learn to allow some things go by, using his own as a case study where the President, Vice President, Senate President David Mark, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Anenih (BoT chairman); the governors, others, recognizing the fact that the interest of the party must be above personal one, allowed him to stay. Ahead of the July 20 special convention, the PDP leader must not relax his political machinery as the evil day may just have been shifted to the convention ground. It is gratifying that after so much overheating of the polity, the PDP, through the governors, are working towards out-of-court settlement with Amaechi as a way of ending the crisis where the governor will be reconciled with Jonathan and other feuding party members
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