The suspension of former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) just on the heels of his reinstatement as the party’s National Secretary via a court ruling appears not to have gone down well with certain forces in the Presidency and the party’s hierarchy, reports Remi Adelowo
It was a golden opportunity for the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to put its lingering crisis to bed once and for all or at best in abeyance.
For most members of the ruling party, the recent ruling of a Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division which nullified the January 11, 2013 judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja removing the former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the party’s scribe, if properly handled, could have been exploited to create a division among the seemingly united G7 governors who are the major promoters of the nPDP.
The Nation gathered that despite the overtures by leaders of the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to the G7 group and their supporters, not a few leaders of the nPDP had refused to foreclose reconciliation with the party’s mainstream and the Presidency.
But members of the group were jolted when the party leadership, rather than extend an olive branch by recalling Oyinlola, decided to suspend the latter and four other leaders of the nPDP namely Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Ibrahim Kazaure and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja for allegedly engaging in anti-party activities.
In quick succession, the party swiftly issued a statement, which was signed by the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, claiming that it has informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its decision.
In another statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, to justify the suspension reads, “The decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) was in exercise of its powers under Section 57 (3) of the PDP constitution, 2012 (as amended) and in the overall interest of the Party and its members.”
Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako and Senator Bukola Saraki, who are prominent members of the nPDP in their reactions, viewed the latest development as a setback for the party in its quest for peace.
For Nyako, the suspension of Oyinlola is a further confirmation that the peace process in the party has finally reached a dead end. “We always knew that there was no peace process,” Nyako declared and added, “The court had given them (PDP leadership) a soft landing but instead of obeying the court order, look at the step they have taken.”
On his part, Saraki said, “It (suspension) is a means of circumventing the ruling of the court. These are some of the issues that some of us are angry about. By doing this now, how are we going to help the reconciliation? It will surely not help reconciliation. Some of us had thought it was a golden opportunity for the party to begin to reconcile with aggrieved members.”
Sources told The Nation that a few members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s kitchen cabinet are angry that the party leadership failed to make use of the court ruling to make peace with some aggrieved members of the nPDP and bring them back on board.
This strategy, the President’s close aides reckon, would have polarised the nPDP with the likelihood of some of its members abandoning the group.
It was also gathered that the latest development has created a sharp division among the PDP hierarchy and close advisers of the President.
While some are rooting for reconciliation with the nPDP no matter what it takes, the hawks, it was learnt, are calling for a total showdown with the ‘rebel’ group.
The pro-reconciliation group, The Nation gathered, contend that since the G7 group had already written a letter indicating its readiness to meet the President in continuation of the peace process, the PDP leadership should have obeyed the court ruling which reinstated Oyinlola just like it did when the man was removed from the exalted seat through a court ruling early this year.
With Oyinlola back on seat, the President could have used this as a bargaining tool in his negotiation with the G7 and in the process extract some concessions from the aggrieved group.
But the hawks, which appear to be in the majority, are alleged to have convinced the President to shun further talks with the G7 over what they termed “the G7’s undisguised romance with the opposition.”
An indication that the Presidency has foreclosed any rapprochement with the G7 was given further fillip following unconfirmed reports that new appointees to fill vacant ministerial positions are presently undergoing screening with relevant security agencies.
Once the nominees’ names are made public and subsequently cleared by the Senate, their major brief, according to sources, is to seize the PDP structures in states whose governors are considered hostile to the Presidency and smoothen the ground for the President’s much speculated re-election bid in 2015.
In Kano State, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, is being tipped to fill the state’s slot formerly occupied by the former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsideen Usman.
The alleged nominee for Sokoto State is Senator Abubakar Gada, a known political foe of the state governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako. He is to replace Inuwa Abdulkadir, the former Minister for Youth Development.
In the case of Kwara State, three names are being bandied as ministerial nominees with the most surprising being that of Ms. Gbemi Saraki, the younger sister of Senator Bukola Saraki. The other two people being considered are Professor Abdulrahman Oba, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and currently the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and former Minister of Transport, Ibrahim Isa Biu.
Former Governor of Niger State, Abdulkadir Kure, who is alleged not to be in good terms with his successor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, is alleged to be the anointed ministerial nominee for the North Central state.
In the estimation of hawks in the PDP, these individuals can be relied upon to give the ‘rebel’ governors a run for their money, an optimism that is allegedly shared by the President.
The Presidency, The Nation gathered, is also buoyed by security reports that majority of the G7 governors are having serious challenges in convincing their supporters, particularly a large number of their states and the National Assembly to dump the PDP for another party.
This reason, more than any other factor, is allegedly responsible for why a few of the G7 governors including Niger’s Babangida Aliyu and Jigawa’s Sule Lamido have refused to give up in finding a lasting peace in the PDP.
With the seemingly intractable crisis in the ruling party still raging like wild fire, Senator Bukola Saraki’s comment a few days ago that, “activities within the PDP in the next one week or two will determine the direction of the party” cannot be more apt.
