The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has elected a former President of the Senate, Senator Iyorchia Ayu as its next National Chairman. In this report, Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, examines the expectations of the party’s chieftains and members from the new leadership as well as how the incoming party boss plans to tackle the tasks ahead.
Following months of uncertainties and tension, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s leading opposition party, finally held its much awaited national convention last weekend, precisely on October 30 and 31 as earlier scheduled by the party’s National Convention Organising Committee, chaired by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State.
To pave the way for the eventual holding of the convention amidst controversies, the Court of Appeal, barely twenty four hours to its commencement, dismissed a suit filed by the embattled immediate past National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, seeking to stop the convention and challenging his suspension from office. The court refused to halt the conduct of the convention.
Arguing that Section 59 (3) of the PDP Constitution stated that the ward or the state executive committee of any state has no power to suspend any national officer of the party, the former party boss wanted the court to nullify his suspension, noting and urge the party to allow him conclude his tenure on December 9, having been elected for a four-year term.
But Justice Haruna Tsammani-led three-member panel of judges of the appeal court held that it found no merit in Secondus’ appeal, saying he voluntarily relinquished his position since he did not challenge his removal at ward and local government levels. Consequently, the court declined to halt the national convention of the leading opposition party. “By the result of this decision, the 6th Respondent (PDP) is empowered on the authority of this court’s decision to convene and to hold its National Convention without let or hindrance,” the court held, ending the anxiety over the future of the party.
Thus, a former President of the Senate, Senator Iyorcha Ayu was elected the National Chairman of the party while Senator Samuel Anyanwu emerged as National Secretary. The party achieved consensus candidates for 18 out of the 21 elective national offices of the party while agreement could not be reached for three offices. The three offices were the Deputy National Chairman (South) and Deputy National Chairman (North), as well as the National Youth Leader of the party.
While Taofeek Arapaja, ex-deputy governor of Oyo State, eventually emerged as National Deputy Chairman (South), beating former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Umar Damagum was elected Deputy National Chairman (North) ahead of Hajia Inna Ciroma. Elected as National Youth Leader is Mohammed Suleiman at the expense of Usman Elkudan. All other officers of the new NWC were returned unopposed. The new members of the National Working Committee are expected to assume offices after the tenure of the incumbent members expires on Dec. 9.
Starting afresh?
Many people, within and outside the PDP are hoping that the outcome of the convention will mark a turning point for the party which has been enmeshed in a series of internal crisis since it lost the 2015 presidential election to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Efforts to strengthen the party ahead of the 2019 general election in order to return it to winning ways failed and the PDP was once again floored by the APC at the last presidential election.
It appears the National Chairman-elect understand the yearning of the majority of party chieftains and members. In his appreciation remarks, Ayu said that the PDP was back to take over Nigeria and develop it. According to him, the major task ahead is to win elections. “Many people imagine that this convention will lead to the breakup of PDP. Those people who are dreaming like that, their dreams were misplaced. PDP will come back to unite our people, put them together, north and south, east and west. We will move ahead to win elections and develop this country. We did it before. We are going to do it again. I want to thank the governors,” Ayu said.
Ayu spoke well in the opinions of many observers of the fortunes of the troubled PDP. The party lost a lot to the internal crises that ravaged it in the last six years as well as to the rampaging APC. The gale of defections from the PDP was one of the reasons Secondus came under criticism and was forced out before the end of his term. Three PDP governors, namely Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Ben Ayade of Cross River and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara states, defected to the ruling APC while the wrangling last.
Several legislators, elected on the platform of the party also dumped the PDP. Senators, members of the House of Representatives, members of state Houses of Assembly as well as other chieftains also left the party. And almost all of the defectors listed the leadership crisis rocking the party as one of their reasons for jumping ship and berthing in the ruling party. There is no gainsaying the fact that concerned leaders and chieftains of the PDP were displeased by the development.
Read Also: PDP’s loss in 2015 a blessing, says Ayu
At the height of the defection galore, several chieftains of the party heaped the blame on Secondus and some actually called for his resignation as National Chairman. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, former Kano Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, Hon. Rimamnde Kwewum, a member of the House of Representatives, who represents Donga/Takum/Wusa federal constituency of Taraba State, former national publicity secretary of People Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Emmanuel Ibeshi, as well as some members of the NWC under his chairmanship, among numerous others, all blamed Secondus for the defections and urged the party to bring in a leaders that can halt the gale.
If he must achieve his desire to get the party back on the path of winning elections, some observers say that Ayu’s immediate tasks will include rebuilding the party and reconciling aggrieved members across the country who are currently dissatisfied with the state of things within the party. “Many party chieftains, including governors and national assembly members, are hoping that the new leadership will not treat them the same way the Secondus leadership treated them.
“Senator Ayu must identify these people and address their various concerns. There is no hiding the fact that in the last couple of months, our dear party had been greatly troubled. Many of our leaders, chieftains and members had become increasingly dissatisfied with the leadership of the PDP, especially with Secondus and his handling of party affairs. The party had been divided and weakened to say the least. This is where the healings should start from,” a party leader enthused.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who described the convention as an opportunity to make decisions that would shape the future of the party for the benefit of all Nigerians, said with Nigeria passing through the most difficult period of its existence, the situation of the country was an opportunity for the PDP to carry out its responsibility and save the country. “We have a chance now to set the ship on the right course; we have a chance to atone for our collective mistakes and those of past leadership. We have a chance to unite the country as we march towards achieving the dreams of our founding fathers at independence so many years ago. We have a chance to set our country on an enviable position in the comity of nations; we can save ourselves, we can save the party, we can save Nigeria together,” he said.
Expectations
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is not hiding his expectations as the new leadership prepares to mount the saddle next month. Specifically, he has asked the new PDP NWC members to immediately begin the work of taking over power from the incumbent APC administration in the country. “You should begin to work in earnest to ensure overall victory for the party at the 2023 general elections. As soon as we leave this venue, work should begin. The peaceful conduct of this convention has confirmed to me that we are indeed ready to take back power,” he said.
Also, former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said the emergence of Ayu and other national officers should give the PDP the much-needed renewed vigour and focus required to rescue Nigeria. He said: “Given the pedigree and antecedents of our National Chairman-elect and his team, I have no doubt that we got it right. Nigeria is in dire need of rescue from the clutches of divisiveness, criminal cartels, vaunting bandits and insurgents, collapsing economy and secessionist agitations occasioned by injustice and marginalisation.
“There is no doubt that we have in place a highly promising team led by a widely-accepted, disciplined, experienced and pan-Nigerian politician in the person of distinguished Senator Iyorchia Ayu, that will help mobilise party faithful and Nigerians at home and the Diaspora for the success of this mission.”
“The first task before the elected national officers even before their inauguration is to work with the incumbent party leadership and elders to extend hands of fellowship and assuage party members, who are aggrieved for one reason or the other. We are one big family and the larger national and party interest should always prevail, especially at a time like this when the nation is seriously threatened.”
But it was Don Ubani, Deputy Chief of Staff in the office of the Deputy Governor of Abia State and former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, who best captured the task ahead of the new team. In a letter dated November 1st, 2021, addressed to Senator Iyorchia Ayu, and made available to The Nation, iUbani, regretted the challenges that led to the loss of the former ruling party during the 2015 presidential election, reminded Ayu that the challenge before him is enormous.
“By God’s grace, being assiduous, visionary, proactive, and applying the principle of inclusiveness and collective responsibility would make you repeat what your late elder kinsman and Statesman, Chief Solomon Lar did for Nigeria in 1998/99 as National Chairman of PDP. The ball is in your court and, by God’s grace, there must be light at the end of the tunnel. Your emergence as National Chairman of PDP at this crucial moment in the history of Nigeria has naturally conferred on you the onerous task of rescuing the PDP,” he said.
To the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives, the successful conduct of the political party’s 2021 National Convention showed that it was ready to take over power in 2023. The caucus in a statement by the minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said: “Indeed, the unity of purpose and the spirit of sportsmanship witnessed at the event, despite all the challenges, further underscore the democratic credentials of our party as the platform for all Nigerians in the collective determination to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and return her to the part of good governance, national cohesion and economic prosperity.
“The PDP national convention further highlights the readiness, capability and willpower of the PDP to regain power in 2023. The widespread interest by Nigerians and the nationwide applause that trailed the successful conduct of the convention confirm the resolve of our citizens to march with the PDP to take back our country from the suppressive grip of APC, come 2023. We must continue to foster an all-inclusive platform which provides a level playground for all. We must bear in mind that the task before us is an enormous one, given the immensity of the confidence Nigerians repose on our party as their only hope.
Assurances
Like a man prepared to meet his destiny at the appointed time, Senator Ayo has been expressing his readiness for the tasks ahead and assuring members of the party of his preparedness to turn its fortunes around. Among other issues, the former Senate President has identified defection of PDP chieftains into the APC as a major problem needing attention and he has been speaking on how he intends to stem the tide once he takes office in December. According to him, he will emphasise internal democracy in running the affairs of the party.
“Once we start promoting internal democracy in the party, those defections will stop. They can’t stop totally but they will be minimized and I believe that there are so many who left that will come back to PDP. Many of them are already calling me that they left in error. If you check the top list of APC members, most of them are former PDP elected governors, senators etc. I believe they will all come back. I believe PDP will get stronger and will be in very good shape in a few months. We’ll mobilize ourselves, mobilize the country and fight for the election as a democratic party,’ he assured.
Speaking on ongoing fears that the PDP may delve into another crisis over who the presidential candidate of the party should be in 2023, the new party boss said he does not see any crisis over the PDP presidential ticket in future. He expressed his ability to steer the party away from crisis by ensuring a free, fair and credible process of selecting the party’s candidates at all levels. “I was not produced in the North by Atiku Abubakar. The whole of the North backed me and everybody in the North supported me and I believe that when I go to the convention, there is still going to be an election and I believe the whole country will elect me.
“So, I will represent the interest of the whole of Nigeria. As a party Chairman, you are a father to all. There are so many others who are my friends that will still express interest. Yes, Atiku Abubakar is my long-standing friend because we have been in politics for a long time together, so is Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor Tambuwal who ran before and several others that may come up. So, there’s no fear, I alone cannot stop anybody,” he said.
He added that “I told you that there’s going to be a National Working Committee made up of so many people, almost 30 people and, ultimately, we are going to have a convention committee just like the one that is going to handle this convention. The subsequent ones that will produce the President will still be there, therefore, there will be a level-playing ground just like we did in Port Harcourt and whoever emerges as the presidential candidate of the PDP, Nigerians will support that candidate.”
Explaining that beyond the presidential candidacy, the PDP must work hard to get right the process of choosing its flag bearers for future elections if it is serious about returning to winning ways, Senator Ayu reiterated his determination to take a closer look at the process of conducting primary elections within the party. “This is what PDP is known for. We are not like the other party that imposes candidates on the people. I have done it in the past and I will continue to uphold democratic principles,” he promised.