AFTERMATH
OF THE PDP ELECTIVE CONVENTION
Years back, I was painstakingly taught
by my mentor that politics – though interesting – was a game of warriors. In a
bid to throw more light on the vague political theory, he said “Fred, politics
is only meant for those who can compete vehemently with all their muscles just
as in the case of a warfront or battlefield”. In order to round off the
exegesis, he succinctly stated “above all, politics requires skills and
intelligence”.
Since I received that out-of-class
lecture, I’ve been rigorously making frantic effort to marry the aforementioned
clauses. One; politics is like a warfront. Two; it requires intelligence and
skills. I kept pondering over the connection between the three key factors – warriors,
skills and intelligence – not until lately when I eventually fathomed the
candid analysis to the fullness.
Lest I digress; it’s noteworthy that
this critique is mainly dedicated to the Nigeria’s current main opposition
platform in the country’s political terrain, the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP). It’s not anymore news that the party had its national elective convention
on Saturday, 9th December 2017 at Eagle Square, Abuja after its protracted
impasse was judiciously settled by the Supreme Court.
Prior to the eventual end of the
internal crisis that ravaged the party’s progress, several concerned Nigerians
both home and in the Diaspora – mainly political analysts – opined that the
acclaimed Africa’s largest political group was liable to go into extinction. It
suffices to assert that the apex court’s judgement was not unlike a messiah.
Before the convention, a series of
allegations cum mixed feelings was trending among the members, particularly most
of the chairmanship aspirants. According to the aggrieved persons, there was an
underground mechanism by some of the party stalwarts, such as Governors Nyesom
Wike of Rivers and Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, to impose a particular candidate –
precisely Uche Secondus, the former acting National Chairman of the party – on
the party delegates.
Barely a few hours to the election,
many of the chairmanship aspirants, including Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Rashed
Ladoja, Bode George and Jimi Agbaje, unceremoniously pulled out of the race,
citing the alleged circulation of ‘unity list’ as their reason for the action.
Hence, the contest was left with only four aspirants namely Prof. Tahoed
Adedoja, Raymond Dokpesi, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and Uche Secondus.
After the voting by the delegates, Mr.
Secondus polled 2,000 votes out of the overall 2,296 votes, to emerge the
winner of the race. It’s worth noting that the controversial emergence of Mr. Secondus
as the new substantive National Chairman of the PDP outrightly divided the
party members, although most of the aggrieved individuals including the
defeated aspirants had reportedly congratulated the said victor.
It’s really intriguing despite all the
promises made to Nigerians by the convention’s Organizing Committee led by Gov.
Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as well as the Electoral Committee headed by
Gabriel Suswan that the party would have a convention devoid of pranks, the
election was still characterized by anomalies as was alleged by some of the
members. How then do we reconcile these?
If
suchlike allegations hold water, it implies that the assertion by the officials
of the PDP about restoration of internal democracy ahead of the awaited 2019
general elections could be interpreted to be misleading. It’s indeed hard to
believe that the party, having gone through those odd times, could still lapsed
into its old method of forging a consensus candidate in the enthronement of its
leadership. Little wonder my mentor unequivocally opined that ‘politics is a
game of warriors’.
It’s
imperative to acknowledge that I’m not here to analyze or narrate the story of
how the PDP apparently disappointed the expectations of the teeming Nigerians
as regards the just concluded elective convention. My concern is solely
informed by the need to let the members whom are still aggrieved to comprehend
that ‘two wrongs do not make a right’. So, for the sake of way forward, they
must sheath their swords and concentrate on how to take the party to the next
level.
Similarly,
the victorious members need to close ranks and extend an olive branch to the
‘defeated’ ones with a view to making the party become a formidable opposition,
which every sane and rational citizen of the country yearns for. Nigeria and
Nigerians need a party that could serve as a reliable opposition to the ruling
All Progressives Congress (APC); a party that can compete favourably; most
importantly, a party that would place the country’s interest ahead of any other
one.
The members must note that whatever
affects the PDP does not only destabilize the party’s wellbeing but that of the
country as well. Needless to assert that, an injury to any major opposition in
any nation across the globe stands the chance of negatively affecting the
nation’s polity in general. In view of this, the PDP must henceforth wake up as
a people and reconsider how to do only the needful for the good of all.
The newly inaugurated National
Chairman, Mr. Secondus has in his acceptance speech pledged to move the party
forward, hence the need for him alongside the entire leadership of the party to
endeavour to consult the cognoscenti and strategists towards making amends
where need be.
Summarily, the new leadership must take
into cognizance that the party can’t afford to be in court again. Think about
it!
Comrade FDN Nwaozor
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri
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Follow me: @mediambassador
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