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Conflicts and disagreements are part and parcel of any dynamic organisation and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is no exception.
The leadership crisis rocking the party has refused to abate. Despite several peace meetings and diplomatic shuttles, concerted efforts have been made by some party chieftains to enjoin the two gladiators: Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu-Sheriff to sheath their swords, ahead of the August 17, 2016 national convention in Port Harcourt, where new national officers of the party are expected to emerge.
Already, some PDP chieftains who have so far picked forms for the position of national chairman include: Jimi Agbaje, Bode George, Raymond Dokpesi, Tunde Adeniran and Taoheed Adedoja.
The party is now caught in a fresh tussle on leadership and zoning, even as some analysts believe the convention would polarise the party, as the new chairman would have enough problems on his table upon assumption of office.
Troubles started at the May 21 national convention, where the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee was appointed to pilot the affairs of the party and lead it to the next convention scheduled for this Wednesday. Since then, both parties have refused to shift ground. While Sheriff has insisted that he remains the authentic chairman of the party and that the National Caretaker Committee is alien to the PDP Constitution, Makarfi would have none of that, arguing that his committee was duly appointed by the highest decision-making organ of the party – the national convention.
While over 15 court cases linger over the leadership tussle, a pending case seeking to determine whether or not the convention can go on will come up tomorrow, Monday 15 August 2016 – 48 hours to the convention.
Some of the questions on the minds of political observers include: How soon will peace return to the party? Will the party’s zoning formula be adhered to? Will the two political bigwigs sheath their swords and allow the party take its position as a viable opposition party? Are there unseen hands of the APC in this crisis? Or is this an attempt to distract the main opposition party from being a viable opposition?
Various reasons have been adduced for why the party is in disarray, the principal reason being that PDP, which governed the nation for 16 uninterrupted years, currently has no central figure like a sitting President who would galvanise the party and call the warring factions to order. Even the open declaration by former President Goodluck Jonathan to the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) to personally intervene on the matter, has yielded no fruit, as he reportedly asked the BoT to settle with Sheriff at a closed door session.
However, indications that the crisis may linger emerged last week when the 18-man peace committee met with the former Borno State governor who listed conditions upon which the ongoing reconciliation process in the party could be fruitful.
At a meeting with the Jerry Gana-led reconciliatory panel on Tuesday night, Sheriff submitted that the proposed national convention scheduled for August 17 in Port Harcourt be put off and a new date fixed by party stakeholders.
A source at the meeting further revealed that Sheriff wanted the convention venue shifted, his nomination of the head of the National Convention Planning Committee, just as he objected to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State heading the National Convention Planning Committee.
The former chairman who stills claims to be the authentic national chairman of the party, was also said to have insisted that the ward, local government and state congresses already concluded and approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) must stand.
While pro-Makarfi supporters see the demands as too rigid and difficult to meet, pro-Sheriff loyalists believe the only way for peace to reign was to postpone the convention, on the grounds that it would be unhealthy to embark on the exercise with a divided house.
At the opening session of the meeting with the panel members, Sheriff accused party leaders, including some members of the panel for being of the problem.
According to him, the crisis would not have aggravated if leaders were alive to their responsibilities.
“If our leaders have taken their responsibilities, we would never have had most of the problems we are facing today. When a leader refused to stand up to his responsibilities, there will be problem.
“Some of our leaders are party to our problem. The moment we want to use one impunity to address another, it will not work,” he stated.
Other panel members present at the meeting were former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido; ex-PDP national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo; Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, Abiodun Olujimi; former Senate Chief Whip, Stella Omu; former Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze; former Minister of Woman Affairs, Inna Ciroma and a host of others.
Those with Sheriff at the peace meeting were former PDP Vice Chairman (South-South), Cairo Ojougboh; Chairman Senate Committee on Customs, Hope Uzodinma; former presidential Political Adviser Ahmed Gulak, among others.
At a joint press briefing with the committee chairman, Gana at the end of the meeting with Sheriff noted that the BoT was now better informed on the crisis.
Although he refused to disclose the outcome of the panel’s report, the former Information Minister said the committee had taken serious note of analysis of problems causing disaffection within the party.
He assured PDP members that efforts were ongoing to resolve the party crisis, adding, ”Nigerians are waiting for PDP; they are missing the PDP, they are crying and yearning for PDP because the 16 years of democracy cannot be wasted away.”
But hosting a delegation of Yobe State Working Committee of PDP on Friday, Sheriff admitted that although negotiations were ongoing with governors and other leaders of the party, he would not negotiate from the position of weakness, adding that he would not let his supporters down.
But some commentators are of the opinion that the peace meeting with Sheriff camp came rather late, especially as the panel met with the former governor and his loyalists eight days to the Convention. According to the observers, the conscience of the party – the BoT – applied the fire brigade approach in a political crisis that started since May. They wondered why it took the over two months to intervene.
But a national chairmanship aspirant Dokpesi absolved the BoT and commended members of the panel for their efforts so far in resolving the crisis, while expressing hope that a political solution would be found anytime from now. “I believe that there is no price that is too high to be able to bring the party together. I believe that there is no sacrifice that is too heavy to make in order to see a united PDP, not only for the sake of PDP but for deepening democracy in Nigeria, for the sustenance of democracy,” he stated.
On the possibility of a court pronouncement on Monday declaring the planned convention illegal, he expressed optimism that efforts would be intensified for what he called ‘Give-and-take reconciliation’.
But the Sheriff camp suffered a major setback on Thursday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared the candidate of Makarfi, Osagie Ize-Iyamu for next month’s governorship election in Edo State.
In a document signed by the Commission’s Secretary, Augusta Ogakwu, the electoral body stated that its recognition of Ize-Iyamu was sequel to a Federal High Court judgement in Port Harcourt, which validated the Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee, adding that the Sheriff group failed to meet the 21-day notice prior to the primary.
With this development, Sheriff’s candidate, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, has been dumped by the Commission.
There are, however, fears in the some quarters that the Justice Okon Abang Federal High Court in Abuja may stop the convention at the resumption of the case on Monday.
But Makarfi has allayed the fears, insisting that the convention would go on as scheduled. To him, the hardline posture by the former federal lawmaker is a clear indication that he is not ready for peace.
As of the time of filing this report, there are indications that the event would go on scheduled, as attires for the convention are already on sale at the temporary party secretariat used by Makarfi.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE
