Broken fences Atiku must mend

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is grappling with in-house disputes ahead the commencement of the 2023 presidential election campaigns, just three days away. Recall that the umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had set Wednesday, September 28 for the commencement of campaigns by all political parties participating in the general elections, and the PDP is apparently going into the presidential campaign surrounded by broken fences which have not been fully mended, or so it seems. All in all, the buck stops at the desk of the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who will be the ultimate beneficiary should the PDP emerge victorious in the presidential election. Conversely, Atiku will take most of the blame should he fail to get the feuding parties in his camp to sheathe swords to form a united and formidable front for the campaign. He ought to be able to douse this fire that is fast encroaching on his long-standing political ambition by actively addressing the grievances of the key stakeholders, who to my mind, are raising fundamental issues, some of them of moral character, that should not be ignored. Unfortunately, morality and politics are not best of friends.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state came across shortly after the last PDP presidential primary, late in May, as some Lone Ranger in his consistent clamour for justice, equity and fairness to the South. But lately, we have seen that he is not alone in the clamour for justice within the party.

Recall that Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday May 28, defeated 12 other candidates including Wike in a keenly contested presidential primary held in Abuja. Of the 767 accredited ballots at the election, he polled 371 votes while Wike, his closest challenger, came second with 237 votes.

Before voting started, another presidential contender, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, withdrew from the race and directed his supporters to vote for Atiku, a deft move which believably paved the way for Atiku’s victory. Otherwise, Tambuwal would have divided the votes of the north against Atiku.The Sokoto Governor acted based on the conviction that all politics is local, being a shrewd student of the game. Ever since then, Wike interpreted that as a sell out by Tambuwal, especially with the sentiments in some quarters that power ought to have shifted to the South, the North having held it for almost eight years by the current President Muhammadu Buhari. With Politics being essentially a game of numbers, the PDP decided to throw open the presidential contest to all regions to be able to get the candidate that can attract votes across the regions. That was how Atku emerged then, but now leaving in its trail protests which have refused to simmer down

A bigger picture emerged last few weeks showing that Wike was not alone in the protest when other big masquerades joined him to demand for unequivocal justice. They threatened to pull out of the PDP presidential campaign if the perceived injustice against the South is not reversed. Key names in this struggle included PDP Board of Trustees member, Chief Olabode George, former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, former Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, and former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana. The current Governor of Oyo State, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde has also consistently demanded for justice and equity in the PDP.

Chief Olabode George who spoke after the Port Harcourt meeting, said PDP’s cherished principles of equity, justice and fairness have been violated. He said the Port Harcourt meeting resolved that the National chairman of the party, Senator Iyochia Ayu must resign in fairness to the other regions of the Country. George was of the opinion that the party structure as it is today shows that the South does not matter, and indicated that if that was the way the party wanted to approach the campaigns and the elections, they are not part of it. Those are strong words that ought to be looked into. George also suggested that a leader must respect the desire of the people, and that it will be a wrong attitude not to do so. He gave indication that although the Wike camp to which he belongs resolved to remain in the PDP, they are however sending a signal to the party to exploit the ‘unifier’ slogan of Atiku which is not applied in the current circumstance. He said the protesters will not participate in the PDP presidential campaign council if their demands are not met. If the situation is not well managed, whatever happens at the election, posterity knows who to blame or to judge, George was noted to have said in an interview.

Also speaking, former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang specifically faulted Atiku for embracing Tambuwal after the presidential primary in Abuja and calling him the hero of democracy. That, he said, meant that prior arrangements were made behind the scene to shortchange other contestants in the race.

Former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana was of the opinion that If the PDP wants to restructure Nigeria as it said it will do, it should have the courage to first restructure the party.

Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom, was quoted as saying he was not happy with the leadership of the party in respect of the disputes, describing himself also as an aggrieved person. The party leadership should have deployed its conflict resolution mechanism long ago, he said.

For the PDP BoT Chairman, Sen Adolphus Wabara, all hope is not lost to resolve the crisis in the party.

For Atiku, the man whose moves are strategic for the resolution of the crisis, the decision for Ayu to resign is personal to him. Atiku, an advocate of due process and legality has been consistent in calls for adherence to the constitution of the PDP in the clamour for the removal of Ayu. It is on record that the National Executive Council, NEC, the body that should constitutionally remove Ayu, had early September passed a vote of confidence in him, suggesting that for NEC, Ayu’s removal was not an option. That confidence vote has not been vacated to the best of my knowledge.

That said, it will be unhealthy for PDP to lose Wike ahead of the campaigns because he is in a position to influence not only votes from Rivers state but even from neighbouring states in the South South who are sympathetic to his cause. It is even more unhealthy for Wike to remain in the PDP and continue to sustain his insistence on sweeping changes including the removal of party chairman, Senator Iyochia Ayu in protest against perceived injustice against the South, as he has already resolved to do. This is a catch 22 situation in which either of the options is dicey for the PDP seemingly plunged in a precarious situation between the devil and the deep blue sea.

The Ayu-must-go protest might be legitimate based on the fact that both Ayu, the National Chairman of the PDP, and Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate are from the North, contrary to the PDP tradition. However, removing Ayu just three days into the campaign might not be politically expedient. All the same, Atiku must find the best ways to navigate through the political turbulence unscathed.