PDP: Panic or power play?

There was perhaps no better place for President Goodluck Jonathan to add taste to the increasingly sour rapport in the party than Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, styled as the salt of the nation. Speaking at a campaign rally penultimate ——, the president had urged the very aggrieved governor of the state, Elder Martin Elechi, former minister of health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu among other aggrieved party stalwarts not to abandon the party.

“Don’t leave the party because you are aggrieved, No. we have to stay together. The tenure of any office, whether it is the state assembly, Senator, House of Representatives member lasts four years. After that four years if you feel your were not treated well, it may be your turn. Probably, we didn’t give you higher office to run, stay we can carry ourselves together,” the president had pleaded to Elechi and his supporters who were elbowed out of contention in the 2015 power game by the powerful Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and his local associates led by the deputy governor, Engr. Dave Umahi.

It is no secret that while Elechi has remained in the party his supporters have almost all moved over to Labour Party to pursue their political aspirations.

Political aspirations

Remarkably, the governor was not allowed to speak at the campaign rally, a further humiliation for arguably Nigeria’s oldest political office holder.

Worrisome for the president and his political associates is that the Southeast PDP which at one time presented the strongest backbone for his aspiration is almost in shreds on account of the diverse political aspirations of party chieftains. The only exception is Enugu where the once toxic political rancour between Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Governor Sullivan Chime seems to have now calmed.

In neighbouring Imo State when the president came for his rally last Friday notable party chieftains snubbed the rally apparently in protest in the way and manner the governorship primaries turned out or rather was conducted.

Among those who stayed away were former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Chris Anyanwu, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Prince Ken C. O. Njemanze, SAN.

Of all the gubernatorial aspirants, who contested the slot with the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, it was only Chief Charles Onyeagbako that graced the event.

In Anambra State the party is as usual entering the contest as a divided house with many party chieftains up in arms against one another. Though Chief Olisa Metuh the party’s national publicity secretary should be the leader of the party in the state, several party godfathers are alleged to be on the war path with him over sundry issues and it is no surprise that at least three lists of candidates are being bandied in the party.

In Akwa Ibom State, a one time impregnable fortress of the PDP, the party’s position became an issue after Obong Umana Umana, one of the most powerful political forces in the state exited to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC where he has emerged as the governorship flag bearer of the opposition party.

The fate of the party in Akwa Ibom State was further thrown into an issue last weekend after members of the G-22, consisting of 22 aggrieved governorship aspirants returned to the state to insist on their opposition to the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the candidate of the party for the governorship election.

“Let me assure Akwa Ibom people that the 22 members of G-22 are intact and are united in the struggle. The need to give our people a new political direction is imperative,” Nsima Ekire, a former deputy governor in the state and leader of the group said on arrival.

Apparently in an ominous indication of their possible exit from the party, he said:

“In the next few days, we will strategise with our supporters and community leaders to ensure that the group produces a responsible and responsive Pan- Akwa Ibom government sensitive to the needs and aspirations of the people.

“On December 9, 2014 we arrived Abuja in search of justice and preservation of the sanctity of democratic processes and after 40 days in the wilderness of injustice, it is time to move on to the next stage of restoring the dignity of Akwa Ibom State.”

Weak party structures

The situation is no different in many other states where many party chieftains have exited to other platforms on account of perceived injustice in the determination of party candidates for the forthcoming elections.

Perhaps the most conspicuous exits were those made by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives and erstwhile national chairman of the party, Senator Barnabas Gemade, and both to the APC.

While Tambuwal’s exit could not be traced to the schisms that characterised the primaries, Gemade’s exit followed the bitter struggle between him and the outgoing governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam for the Benue North East Senate seat presently occupied by Gemade.

Gemade’s exit was particularly apprehensive for many party stakeholders given his past position in the party as many thought that further efforts should have been made to hold him.

His exit means that the two men who have been national chairmen of the party from Benue State are both out. Chief Audu Ogbeh who succeeded Gemade as national chairman is now a top strategist in the Muhammadu Buhari campaign for president.

Former minister of state, trade and investments, Samuel Ortom and also a former national officer of the PDP also followed Gemade to the APC and is now the APC governorship candidate in Benue State. The exit of the two men to the APC has undoubtedly raised the profile of the opposition party in that state.

Antagonistic parties

Some other aggrieved party chieftains claim that they would only support the president and oppose the party in state level and National Assembly elections. Some in this category have moved to less antagonistic parties like Labour Party and Accord.

Among these are former minister of information, Mr. Labaran Maku who is now the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in Nasarawa State, Engr. Victor Ochei, a former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly who is now the Delta North Senate candidate for Accord, Mr. Ovie Omo-Agege a former governorship aspirant in the PDP who is now the Delta Central Senate candidate for Labour Party.

A prominent supporter of the president in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill has also ditched the party and moved into Labour.

In spite of the position of analysts that the foregoing portends the possible direction of political pendulum in the affected states, a former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, told Vanguard that the party is not jittery over the matter.

From the PDP chieftain, also came commendation of the President’s gesture towards the aggrieved members, describing it as deft.

Party not jittery

“The report that the PDP may suffer a reversal of fortune as a result of some defections, is not true. Those, who left felt they were wrong. The party as a truly democratic party accepted their decision and has moved ahead,’’ he noted.

The PDP, Babatope said, ‘’is a party that is so much focused on how to keep providing good governance to the nation.’’

On the President’s entreaty, he added thus:’’ We have made up our mind to remain focused. Defections are part of democratic process and has nothing to do with how we will perform. What the President has done by pleading that the aggrieve remain in the party is right.

And such is expected of the President as the constitutional leader of the party. If they want to remain they should remain but if they want to go, they are entitled to their decisions. The only thing is that we may loose their comradeship.”