AS PDP’s INTERNAL CRISIS DEEPENS, ELECTORATES HOLD THEIR BREATH

By Theophilus Keme:

Like a professional football club with a large fan base, it is expected that players and management share a united front, projecting future wins rather than defeats. In politics, this translates to party members, and it’s supporters  wanting proper communication channels with their leadership to build trust and understanding, boosting morale and showcasing their party in a promising light.

However, this has been a challenge for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) since the loss of the 2023 general elections and the start of 2024. Party agents and chieftains have been seen playing intolerable roles, embarrassing the PDP in the eyes of electorates. Unlike other political parties that accepted their losses and made projections for future elections, as they beacon on the light that the future of their party to be bright. 

This was the ideal truth that was imagined In the heart of electorates, but the opposite seem what is rather witnessed in the case of the PDP. As the current headlines has rather forced electorates to raise eyebrow concerning the Peopleʼs Democratic Party (PDP) and its national leaderships.

It is no longer rumor when one asserts that the Peoples Democratic Party and its members are yet to find a strong footing in the national level. The questionable contrary roles that were played by some of its chieftains, in the likes of former Gov Nyesom Ezenwo Wike - CON, GSSRS, who was alleged to operate against party principle in Rivers state and others in the past general elections are speculations that deserves to be penalize if found guilty.

This, however, has Nyesom Wike, who is now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), despite allegations against him has said he has been faithful to the party and he is not leavening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite the ongoing internal crisis. This perhaps only shows that he (Wike) is a devoted party stewards after-all and wish to see to the success of the party regardless. 

Wikes statement, perhaps is an hint that he is willing to make amends and most willing to accept whatever sanctions given to him by the party leadership if found guilty, in order for the party to be united in spite of the remark by Elder Clark, who claimed Wikeʼs actions have been detrimental to the party.

In further confirming the current disunity in the party, some of the members of the Peopleʼs Democratic Party have publicly fumed and stated their displeasure of the National leaderships. These they allege to the claim of the party not currently been what it used to be known for.

Chief Olabode George, member of the Board of Trustee (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appointed into the newly inaugurated Disciplinary committee by the leadership of the party declined to serve, saying the committees were not what the party needs at this time to reconcile its members. These was in furtherance to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP led by acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who on Tuesday, 20th August, inaugurated two committees, the reconciliation and disciplinary committees as part of moves to solve the crisis rocking the party.

Whilst itʼs is evident that the purpose for the two sub committees is so defaulters can be sanctioned, but this gives electorates more concerns of worries, on the disciplinary measures of the party. As early on in the beginning of the year, the acting National Chairman, Damagun and members of board of sub committees had promised of sanctioning those who are labeled to had caused to the present quagmire of the party. 

This which was the ideal expectation of electorates is still held on promise, as no proper disciplinary actions and directives are yet taken against the defaulters since the statement was made early this year.

Chief Bode George who appeared on Arise TV Morning show on Friday declared that he could not serve as a member of a Disciplinary committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Tom Ikimi. He alleged that the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential Candidate of the party in 2023 was responsible for the ongoing crisis, advising leaders of the party to meet and resolve the lingering crisis before putting together the committees.

Also; in furtherance to this claim of lingering crisis of the Peopleʼs Democratic Party (PDP,) the former Kogi West Senator asserted In a post via his X handle on Saturday, that the PDP has lost its relevance in the countryʼs political space. Melaye accused the acting PDP national chairman, Iliya Damagum, the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and the national organising secretary, Umar Bature, of destroying the party. He wrote, “End of the road for PDP as Damagum, Bature and Anyanwu irredeemably destroyed the party. We will talk about the commercialisation and privatisation of PDP. PDP is now once upon a time.”

This statement by Melaye, however didnʼt settle quite well with some Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the aegis of PDP Frontliners, as they berated the partyʼs former Kogi State Governorship candidate, Dino Melaye, for allegedly bringing the party into disrepute with unjustifiable verbal attacks on its leadership. They described Melayeʼs assertions that the party under Amb. Umar Damagumʼs leadership has become “commercialised and privatised” as discourteous.

In defense of the party and allegations leveled against AlhahJi Atiku Abubakar by Party Chieftains, in the likes of Chief Bode George and others, Dr Emeka Kalu, the Director-General, Global Initiatives for Good Governance (GIGG), in a statement released in Lagos; said those attacking Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria are political detractors.

“The failure of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to win presidential elections in recent times is not caused by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar being the presidential candidate.” He says.

Whilst it is totally understandable that there is no house without its conflict and fights, it is but totally unacceptable that such conflict would be permitted to continue in the public without proper scrutiny by the agents, and bodies in charge to caution these inappropriate behaviors. The strength of every football club is measured by its supporters regardless of how better such team operates on the field, this is so for political party, as its strength are its electorates, and foot soldiers. 

The Peoples Democratic Party should be reverend by its members being one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with its main rival, the All Progressive Congress.

The Peopleʼs Democratic Party in both the National and regional level should call his aides and chieftains to order and guide them than rather come out publicly to embarrass PDP in the eyes of the electorates. The organs of the party, such as the Board of Trustees, the National Executive Committee, the Governorsʼ Forum, and the National Working Committee all need come out with a workable structure for the unity of the party and members who are hesitant and continue to put the party in bad light be sued by legal departments on personality assassination, misrepresentation of facts and defamation of character.

Like the saying goes, 'when elephants fight, the grass suffers.' The PDP must quickly resolve its disputes to avoid harming its electorates.

Despite challenges, it is however applaudable that the PDP party have been resilience in the regional level, having a number of 13 governors and defectors from the All Progressive Congress (APC) is evidence of the partyʼs strength. There is definitely a need for the party to come together and work towards a common goal to overcome its difficulties and emerge stronger in the future.