The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee (NCC), led by Senator Makarfi, has handed the baton of leadership to Chief Uche Secondus at its national convention held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), at the weekend. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights the challenges that will confront the new leadership.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship poll has been won and lost. The party is now battling with post-convention crisis. Can its new leadership restore unity and harmony?
Before the convention, the main opposition party was just recovering from a major leadership crisis foisted on it by the rift between its displaced chairman, Senator Alli Modu Sheriff and the governors under the opposition party’s platform. During the exercise at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the cracks widened. At the end of the national congress, the platform became more divided than it was a year ago. It was meant to be a unifying meeting. But, the PDP was further torn apart by its convention. The so-called unifying and reconciliatory convention sowed a new seed of discord. It heralded more acrimonies, bickering, intrigues, antagonism, bitterness and confusion.
Uche Secondus, the anointed candidate of the governors, became the chairman as projected. Those who lost out said he assumed the reins in an atmosphere of strife and rancour. There was jubilation in his camp as the electoral officer declared him winner. Secondus’ supporters said the intra-party poll was peaceful during voting. The transparency was attested to by a team of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Prof. A.T Okosun. There was also no security breach. Delegates to the elective convention shunned unruly behaviour, although the directive that the venue should not be turned into a 2019 campaign ground was flouted. Throughout the exercise, there was no skirmish. To ensure a free and fair exercise, delegates on the Convention Electoral Committee were asked to step down.
According to poll results announced by the Electoral Sub-Committee Chairman and former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam, Secondus scored 2,000 votes of the 2,396 votes cast; Chief Raymond Dokpesi got 66, and Prof. Tunde Adeniran 230. Prof. Taoheed Adedoja did not get any vote.
But, Adeniran, Dokpesi and Adedoja did not concede defeat. Their supporters alleged pre-election manipulation and impunity. They queried the distribution of what they described as the “unity list” to delegates, which made them to vote along pre-determined patterns. Although the governors had their way, fresh problems of disunity, distrust, polarisation and ruptured confidence may have been created.
Adeniran, political scientist and former Education Minister, expressed bitterness. Rejecting the outcome of the polls, when collation was still on, his media aide, Taiwo Akeju, alleged that the process lacked credibility. It was compromised and it is travesty of democracy, he said. To save PDP from disaster, he called for a fresh election, advising that the party should be handed over to the Board of Trustees (BoT), which should conduct a fresh poll. Also, Dokpesi alleged that the exercise was marred by irregularities and malpractices.
Former National Planning Minister Prof. Olanrewaju Sulaimon, who contested for the National Publicity Secretary, rejected the results, saying that he was excluded from the race because one of his names was omitted from the ballot box. A reporter, Kola Ologbondiyan, from Kogi State, was declared winner. Sulaimon claimed that the omission created confusion for delegates. Urging the electoral committee to cancel the polls, he forwarded a letter of protest to the panel and threatened to go to court.
He said: “To my chagrin and utter constellation, I was informed that my name was conspicuously missing from the list of candidates vying for the post of National Publicity Secretary, which lists were pasted in booths earmarked for voting into the office of National Publicity Secretary. I therefore, pray that the august body would do the right by me by cancelling the purported election,” he said.
Indeed, a commotion was averted at the venue when an aspirant for Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Demola Kehinde, protested the alleged distribution of what he described as “unity list” to delegates.
“What kind of party is this? What is the list meant for? What is it meant to achieve? Look at delegates with the sheets. They are telling them to vote in a particular way,” he alleged. However, his protest was ignored by the electoral committee.
The former National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, had anticipated the brewing tension in his opening and farewell address. The former governor of Kaduna State acknowledged the clash of divergent views and interests.
In a breath, he said the apprehension of the aggrieved aspirants was misplaced, stressing that the convention will be transparent. Makarfi recalled that a culture of preference for litigation as against conflict resolution was costly to the party. In another dimension, he urged the incoming leadership to brace for the odds, advising winners to carry along the losers.
The convention reinforced the supremacy of the PDP Governors’ Forum as the most potent and influential bloc in the main opposition party. The governors have become the major financiers of the party since 2015 when it was dislodged from power by the All Progressives Party (APC). He who pays the piper dictates the tune. Despite their intellectual arsenal, experience and robust ideas, all the aspirants combined could not withstand the financial war chest of governors who queued behind Secondus, the former acting chairman. There was naira and dollar war and the highest bidder got the crown.
As it was in the beginning….
Observers had predicted that the PDP may not be able to rise against its past impunity. To aggrieved aspirants, the impunity has returned in disguise. The seed of acrimony was sowed as the party prepared for the Abuja conference. At the botched Port-Harcourt convention, the party had resolved to zone the chairmanship to the Southwest. But, a year after, top leaders began to sing a different tune. Micro-zoning to the Southwest was set aside and the slot was zoned to the larger South, comprising Southwest, Southeast and Southsouth. Southwest stakeholders cried foul, saying that it smacked of inequality and justice because the region has not produced a chairman before. However, Makarfi and the BoT Chairman, Walim Jibril, insisted that micro-zoning lacked justification. Some Northern elders, especially founding chieftains, including, Col. Ahmed Ali, Prof. Jerry Gana and Senator Ibrahim Mantu, however, rooted for candidates from the Southwest.
However, the Southwest also failed to put its house in order. The region went into the convention as a divided house. There was no rallying point and the sheep were scattered in the absence of a shepherd. Instead of producing a consensus candidate, seven aspirants from the zone threw their hats into the ring. Senator Ningi was irked by the lack of strategy by Southwest stakeholders. While receiving Chief Bode George’s nomination form, he said it was unthinkable that the younger aspirants from a race that value age, experience and the concept of Omoluabi, could not step down for their elders.
Battle not yet over
On the eve of the exercise, George pulled out in protest. Although he had traversed the six zones during the campaign, the tours ended on a sad note. He doubted the capacity of the NCC to provide a level playing ground at the convention. In particular, George had an axe to grind with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who he chided for what he described as an unguarded statement against Yoruba. He said the ticket has been auctioned, lamenting that the party has departed from the path charted by its founding fathers. Brimming with anger, he predicted that the PDP was on the way to perdition.
“I cannot be part of this screaming aberration. I hereby withdraw from this brazen fraud and absolutely preconceived, monetised, mercantilist convention,” said the former deputy national chairman, who shunned the convention.
To avoid a looming disgrace, three Southwest aspirants -former Lagos State governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje, former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja and Aderemi Olusegun-also withdrew from the chairmanship race. Applauding them, the Convention Planning Committee Chairman and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, said they stepped down “in the interest of the unity of the party.”
It was an after-thought. All entreaties by party chieftains to step down for a consensus candidate from their zone had fallen on deaf ears. A deputy national chairmanship aspirant, Alhaji Sarafa Ishola, a former Steel Development Minister, also opted out of the race. Apart from Ekiti, the mood of other Southwest states of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Oyo, suggested a feeling of exclusion.
The place of the Southwest
Reflecting on the plight of his zone, shortly before delegates filed out to vote, Agbaje said it was unfortunate. The convention, he said, has implications for unity, cohesion and future political permutations. “The presidential ticket has gone to the North. The chairman will come from the Southsouth. The Southeast wants to produce the vice presidential aspirant later. What will be the Southwest do? Won’t the Southwest compete with the Southeast for the presidential running mate? If the Southwest and Southeast compete for the vice presidency, which zone will win?” he asked.
But, a PDP senator from the Southeast, disagreed, saying: “It is a sealed agreement that the vice presidency should come to us, subject to the wish of the presidential candidate. On this, Southeast, Southsouth and North are on the same page.”
The fate of the aspirants have been determined and sealed before the convention. While the governors dictated the tune, some concessions were given to ex-governors, ministers and some members of the NCC. At the zonal level, some candidates had emerged and they ran unopposed at the convention. Among them were: the Deputy National Legal Adviser, the National Auditor and the Treasurer.
According to observers, PDP governors may also seize the moment during the party’s presidential primaries next year, using the same predictable strategies, including incumbency factor, team spirit, group solidarity and enormous financial resources. But, the senator said this also is debatable because “the only factor that will count then is how to win the presidential election.”
Between party interest and personal ambition
The convention was conducted on the altar of personal interest. Sources close to the dissolved NCC said Makarfi objected to the micro-zoning of the chairmanship to prevent micro-zoning of the presidency. “If the chairman was micro-zoned to the Southwest, Atiku may push for micro-zoning to the Northeast and as you know, Makarfi, who is from Northwest, has a presidential ambition,” a source said.
Another source also gave an insight into the rejection of the Southwest aspirants. He said: “Agbaje was turned down because of his disposition to the struggle to rescue the party from Sheriff. He was the anointed candidate of the governors in Port-Harcourt. However, after the botched convention, he distanced himself from his sponsors. He never showed up in court during the battle against Sheriff. After the party was rescued from Sheriff, he showed up again. That time, there were other considerations. Politics is dynamic.”
The odds against Southwest aspirants
According to the source, George, Agbaje, Daniel, Adeniran and Adedoja were also put on the weighing scale and it was discovered that they may not be able to deliver their states during elections. It was noted that George and Agbaje have never delivered Lagos and Daniel’s relevance in Ogun had waned. Also, Adeniran was not considered as an electoral asset in Ekiti.
“In fact, when the Northern elders insisted that Adeniran should be adopted as candidate, Fayose threatened to leave the PDP and the matter was dropped,” he added.
A source close to Wike said he insisted on Secondus’ candidature because he considered it as a payback time. “Secondus supported Wike to be governor, despite Amaechi’s stiff opposition and despite the fact that the deputy governor who was also interested hails from Secondus’ town,” he added.
The leadership’s burden
Between now and the presidential nomination, many challenges will confront the party under the new leadership. The first critical task is the post-convention reconciliation, which is inevitable for the resolution of pre-convention and post-convention crises. “The Southwest is aggrieved. It should be pacified,” said Agbaje.
Echoing him, a chieftain from Osun State, Chief Tunde Odanye, said reconciliation with the Southwest will restore its lost sense of belonging and erase a feeling of marginalisation.
Secondus have four important issues to tackle in the Southwest. Around 3am on Saturday, Senator Buruji Kashamu from Ogun West, a loyalist of Senator Modu Sheriff, was suspended, following his resort to litigation at the expense of the party.
Secundus will get his baptism when he leads his party next year at governorship elections in Ekiti and Oyo states. Can the PDP retain power in Ekiti? Can it build on its success in the senatorial bye election in Osun State?
A party source said, if the Kashamu issue is not properly handled, he may play a spoiler’s role in future elections. “Kashamu is popular in his district and he has money to deploy to fight a battle,” a source, who feared that the suspended chieftain may become a willing tool in the hand of the ruling party, said.
Reconciliation with aggrieved aspirants, especially George and Adeniran, may be difficult at the initial stage, but it is not impossible. The onus is on the chairman and the reconciliation committee to reach out to the chieftains, their associates and supporters to bury the hatchet and put the past behind them.
However, a National Assembly member said if they chose to be passive henceforth, or leave the party, they may not be missed. “How relevant are they as leaders in their states? They are big names. But, do they have the winning formula?” he asked.
There are litigations hanging on the neck of the Southwest zonal leadership. The factional executive committee, led by Makanjuola Ogundipe, is still at loggerheads with Eddy Olafeso’s executive committee. How to broker peace through political solution is a challenge.
The fourth assignment in the zone relates to the Osun PDP debacle. It is polarised into two factions, making it impossible for the troubled chapter to harmonise its delegates. The crisis affected the compilation of the list of delegates from the state. Less than 15 delegates from the state voted at the convention. As pointed out by Makarfi, the new leadership will have to attend to the unfinished business of restoring normalcy and peace to the chapter. Other polarised state chapters that require urgent reconciliation include Anambra, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Kwara and Nasarawa.
More importantly, the PDP has to tackle the challenge of perception arising from the way it conducted its convention. A picture of acrimony painted by the exercise may be discouraging to would-be returnees, who may not want to retrace their steps to a crisis-ridden party.
Defections also have implications. As new members arrive, there will be need for the harmonisation of party structures to accommodate their interests and ambitions. Thus, Makarfi urged Secondus and his executive committee to open the doors of the party to the returnees and ensure that they do not suffer from any disadvantage.
Ahead of 1999 presidential election
How will the party also handle its presidential primary without risking another post-primary crisis? No fewer than six gladiators are struggling for the ticket. They include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former NCC Chairman Makarfi, former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, former Kano State Governor Sule Lamido, and Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.
More aspirants may still join the fray. A section of the party is even thinking that a reputable and competent northerner from the business world who is acceptable to the North and the country can be drafted into the race, if that will make the PDP triumph over the APC in 2019 general elections.
The governors have been accused of imposing a chairman. Will the presidential primary be hitch-free, transparent and credible? Will the same allegation trail the shadow poll?
For PDP, hope has become the elixir of life. Its target is to bounce back to power? But, can it realise the dream? Makarfi said the NCC has laid a solid foundation for Secondus to build upon. On the podium, he looked vibrant; exuding the agility and strength of a potential presidential contender. “We have laid a good foundation for the repositioning of the PDP,” he said, advising the new leadership to consolidate on the gains.
Acknowledging the division in the party, which has not faded, owing to the competition for party tickets in 2015, rancorous party congresses at the state level and the scramble for party offices, he said members should not close the door of dialogue. He said for conflict resolution to replace the culture of litigation in the party, party stalwarts should resolve to make sacrifices and work for harmony.
Makarfi said the onus is on the Post-Convention Reconciliation Panel chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, to listen to the grievances of the aggrieved, ventilate them and reconcile them with the party. He also urged the new executive committee to always ensure a level playing ground for contestants in the future to avoid a situation whereby fresh problems are created while trying to resolve new existing challenges.
The former Kaduna State governor urged the new leadership to broaden the horizon of participation in party affairs by giving room for participation in the affairs of the party to women and youths.
He suggested the establishment of a Students Loans’ Scheme in future by the PDP government to encourage students and stem the prevalent drop out in the tertiary institution by indigent students.
Jonathan’s wish
Former President Goodluck Jonathan also reflected on the 2015 electoral tragedy that hit the party, saying the platform can still bounce back in 2019 poll, if it puts its house in order.
Urging party faithful not to despair, Dr. Jonathan, who alleged that the APC was persecuting top PDP chieftains, advised them to endure the pains and resolve to forge ahead with determination. He said the winners must promote a culture of inclusiveness by carrying along those who lost at the convention.
The former president advised the party to put its house in order, maintaining that it can only regain power as a united family. “PDP should remain at the forefront of leadership by example. I urge members to continue to support the party. PDP has become a strong voice, a reference point as the nation moves closer to another election season. It is growing from strength to strength. Defectors are coming back. There is a reunion.
“PDP is the only stable party that has not changed its name and identity. It continues to make promise and fulfil its promises. Those who will win the election today must carry the losers along,” he stressed.
For Atiku, it is another home-coming. He said for PDP to survive, it must cultivate Nigerians and convince them that past mistakes will not be repeated.
The former vice president said: “We must work to earn the trust of Nigerians. If we get power, we should use it to work for Nigerians.”
Atiku said the poor performance of the APC will make Nigerians vote for the opposition party in 2019.
“Under the APC, Nigeria is not working and our workers are not working. APC promised three million jobs. Under APC, Nigeria lost three million jobs. Under the PDP, Nigeria was united. Under the APC, Nigeria is disunited, more than it was during the civil war. APC promised restructuring, it has denied promising restructuring. PDP waged war against corruption; APC is waging war against the opposition,” he added.
Atiku lamented that, despite its achievements in 16 years, PDP lost power because it made mistakes. He said: “We made mistakes, but we put our nation first. APC is blaming previous government, instead of solving problems. Let the PDP get winning again so that it can get working for Nigerians again.”
The BoT Chairman, Jibril said the convention meant that PDP was on the move again, ready to take power in 2019.
As if he was reading his lips, Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose said: “PDP is well positioned to take over the affairs of the country. There is nothing wrong in falling; not rising again is the problem. PDP will rise again. The convention shows that PDP is well organised and ready to bounce back.”
To the aspirants, he said: “We are voting for the PDP. In any contest, one will win, another will lose. PDP will be the ultimate winner. When PDP returns to power, a bag of rice will come down from N20, 000 to N5, 000.”
Senate Deputy President Dr. Ike Ekweremadu said: “Our religious and traditional leaders are worried about the suffering of the people, the jobless, the victims of Boko Haram attack and youths trapped in Libya. The former president and vice president are bothered by the disunity in Nigeria.
“I am proud of the 16 year of PDP, and what it brought; the telecommunication, justice to the Southwest through the election of Chief Obasanjo as president, justice to the minority ethnic group through the election of Dr. Jonathan, amnesty to the people in the creeks, debt forgiveness. But, today, we are in debt. It was 16 years of light. Now, it has been two years of darkness.”
Former Special Duties Minister Kaiti Turaki said: “Today, PDP is more united and prepared to salvage Nigeria. We have learnt our lessons. We have appreciated our mistakes. Nigerians have had an opportunity to make comparison. They are now wiser.”
