The long awaited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention has come and gone. However, BEN OGBEMUDIA, who monitored the convention, examines the intrigues ahead of the party’s presidential primary election.
Though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention had been successfully held, it was not without a lot of intrigues and power play behind the scenes. An August 10 emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party had triggered the beginning of an epic political battle as to who was really in charge of the PDP; the governors, National Assembly members; the likes of Atiku Abubakar, Senators Bukola Saraki and David Mark, or other stakeholders in the party?
The NEC had resolved, among other issues, that the convention would be held by the end of October, one month and a week earlier than the expiration of the tenure of the Secondus-led national executives of the party.
It was supposed to be a soft-landing for Secondus, following an unrelenting campaign by those demanding his immediate resignation. But not many members of the opposition PDP also anticipated that the party would be holding a national convention to change the leadership of the party, and the journey to this point didn’t come easy.
It all started with a clash between two estranged political allies – Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the suspended PDP national chairman, Secondus. Many Atiku Abubakar supporters also accused Wike of fighting Secondus because of his loyalty to the former vice president The Rivers State governor was also said to be seriously rumoured of nursing the ambition of either becoming the president or vice president to Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
A Governor Wike-inspired vote-of-no-confidence against Secondus led to a chain of events that culminated in Secondus’ suspension by his ward over alleged anti-party activities, a decision that was upheld by a high court. Interestingly, the moves by the embattled Secondus to reverse some of the agreements reached at the August 10 expanded NEC meeting of the party may have provoked fresh pressures on him to quit immediately.
There was a court injunction the second one in a week stopping Secondus from parading himself as PDP national chairman. It also led the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party to call for an emergency meeting where Governor Wike was summoned.
The injunction prevented him from presiding at a crucial meeting of the NEC on Saturday, where Abuja was chosen as the venue for the October 30th-31st convention. It was supposed to be a soft-landing for Secondus, following an unrelenting campaign by those demanding immediate resignation.
Secondus went to the Appeal Court to overturn the court ruling. He also asked the appellate court to suspend the PDP convention, pending the hearing of his case. Meanwhile, Secondus had authorised his deputy, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, to oversee affairs of the party. Akinwonmi eventually presided over the NEC which convened the national convention.
With this process set in motion, a fresh round of intrigues began with debates over where party offices should be zoned to, in light of where the 2023 presidential ticket of the party should go.
The Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led committee on zoning however zoned the positions, swapping party offices held by the South with those held by the North. This situation resulted in a scramble for party offices as the North got the national chairman previously held by the South.
Soon, party leaders resorted to intra-zonal meetings in a bid to get consensus candidates to avoid rancour. While the North settled for former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu, it was not so smooth for some other positions like Deputy National Chairman (North) and Deputy National Chairman (South). The contest for national auditor was also contentious.
As the party prepared for the convention, there was a shadow of doubt over whether or not the convention would hold as legal fireworks continued. The party continued with its activities amid a feeling of anxiety among its leaders.
However, the uncertainty over the convention came to an end when the Appeal Court in its ruling yesterday dismissed Secondus’ request to suspend the convention.
With the case resolved, no less than 3,600 delegates came from all over the country and assemble in Eagle Square in Abuja, which wore a new look with the PDP logo.
The PDP now has elected officials in 35 states. The one in Lagos was disrupted and therefore postponed. Only in Oyo State was there a parallel congress as a result of the disagreement between Governor Seyi Makinde and some of the leaders of the party in the state.
The convention is designed to be a political show to concretise the breakthrough, or to celebrate that the party has pulled through some of its problems. But the current state of affairs wouldn’t have been possible some months ago as the party was in dire straits.
The committee led by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, comprises two former senate presidents, three former governors, and a former leader of the House of Representatives, and the membership spread across the six zones.
The first task the committee took on was to reassure party members that the solution is not to leave but to stay and resolve all lingering issues as well as build a cohesive, united, focused, and strong opposition party.
They held a series of meetings, spoke to many stakeholders, consulted with many people, and travelled across the various states to resolve differences, disputes and defray frayed nerves and appease people who nurse grievances over certain issues. As they held these meetings across the country, they made suggestions and recommendations to the NWC from time to time.
The committee had successfully resolved the crisis in Ogun, Borno, Lagos, Cross River, Nasarawa, Ekiti, and Plateau states. Although the committee might not have recorded resounding success in all the states due to motives and personal interests, the party also witnessed stability nonetheless due to its intervention.
Also, the committee’s meeting with the PDP youth leaders led to its recommendations to the NWC that the party constitution should be amended to reflect that only persons between the ages of 18 and 35 could be elected as youth leaders and people in this age bracket who aspired for public office should be excluded from paying the Expression of Interest fee, just as the party did for women. “I think we have done well in stopping the onslaught that is planned against our party. We are getting the party ready to return to power and solve all the problems confronting the country,” Saraki was quoted to have once said.
However, how the party manages this process will be indicative of its preparedness to make a strong showing in the 2023 presidential election.
Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said for the PDP to forge ahead and win the 2023 elections, the leadership must purge its ranks of impunity. “You see, it is more like a consensus adoption convention. So, we expect new leadership that will propel and reposition the party.
“I think the new leadership has a lot of work to do when they come in. I want to pray for them that they do what is right and hope that they become stronger. I feel strongly that the new leadership that is coming has a lot of work to do.
“They need to deal with impunity. This attitude has to stop. That is the only way we can rescue Nigeria. And they need to be born again and make sure that they are now new to the extent that old things have passed away and the new thing is how to rescue Nigeria, and do the right thing.
A former member of the Edo State House Assembly, Pascal Ugbomhe, said it is the legitimate right of any member of the party to continue to ventilate their grievances, but at the end of the day, as democrats, they came to the understanding that you cannot win all the time.
A former Senate chief whip, Senator Roland Owie, said since 1999 to date, the Northerners had been short-changed, and that there was the need to fill up the gap.
The convention ground at Eagles Square exposed a lot of the presidential hopeful as their supporters of the likes of former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar led the park with a few hundred loyalists carrying banners of several dimensions, marching round the different stands.
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The presence of supporters of Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, was also felt at the convention.
Apart from presidential hopefuls, gladiators from various states chose the event to register their governorship aspirations as supporters danced around with their banners.
Also, on the sideline at the convention venue, Senator Pius Anyim said he would contest the position whether his party, the PDP zoned the ticket to the South-East or not.
He noted that the conclusion of the party’s national convention would signal the commencement of political activities in the party, noting that time had come for him to indicate his interest.
In the end, the convention ended as Dr. Iyorchia Ayu from Benue State in North Central emerged as the PDP National Chairman. And with this, it seems that the battle for 2023 had just begun.
Ayu was declared the winner after 3, 426 delegates affirmed his unopposed position at the party’s convention.
Similarly, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, from the South-East, has emerged winner of the National Secretary of the party, unopposed.
However, for the position of Deputy National Chairman (South) that was keenly contested, Taofeek Arapaja, was declared the winner after polling 2,004 votes.
Meanwhile, Arapaja’s fellow contender, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, garnered 705 votes.
The new National Youth Leader, Mohammed Kadade Sulieman won with 3,072, against his closest rival, Usman ElKudan, who polled 219. Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Iliya Damagum, who polled 2,222, defeated former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Maryam Ina Ciroma, who scored 365.
Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee and Chairman Electoral Sub-Committee of the convention, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, who announced the results, commended party faithful for what he described as a successful National Convention.
Other elected officers through the party’s unopposed contest that scored 3,426 votes were Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, national treasurer, and Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, national legal adviser.
Umar Bature is the new national organising secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro emerged as national financial secretary, Stella Effah-Attoe, national woman leader, and Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel (national auditor)
Setonji Koshoede is the new deputy national secretary, Ndubisi Eneh David, deputy national treasurer.
Ibrahim Abdullahi secured the post of deputy national publicity secretary; Ighoyota Amori, deputy national organising secretary; Adamu Kamale, deputy national financial secretary; Hajaja Yakubu Wanka, deputy national woman leader; Timothy Osadolor, deputy national youth leader and Okechukwu Osuoha, deputy national legal adviser.
