PDP Crisis:  Why Ayu should quit the party’s chairmanship

Chris Uba

 For some time ,now, precisely in the last  four months , the main opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  has been  enmeshed in crisis, which analysts say may mar its success in 2023 elections. The party which  ruled the country for 16 years lost to the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) in 2015. It tried to regain power at the centre in 2019  but lost  to the ruling party. Another election comes up in 2023 but unfortunately, instead of focusing on how to regain power ,the party is embroiled in crisis that has the potentials to negatively affect its fortunes.

The genesis of the  crisis  is the party’s presidential primary in May in which  Atiku Abubarkar , a former Vice President , defeated  the Rivers State Governor , Nyesom Wike, to emerge as the presidential candidate of the party. Thereafter, Atiku chose the Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as  his running mate for the February 2023 presidential election against  the recommendation of the National Working Committee(NWC) of the party which  preferred Wike, thereby precipitating  the crisis. Since then, efforts at reconciliation wounded  parties  have not yielded any positive outcome. But  as the crisis lingers, the electoral umpire , the Independent National Election Commission (INEC)  , has  slated September 28 as the kick-off date for election campaign.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, who broke the grievances of Wike to the media,   in an interview on Arise TV accused the former vice president of rejecting the popular recommendation of Wike. Ortom also noted the failure of Atiku to reach out to the  Rivers governor and some other aggrieved members of the party after picking Okowa as his vice-presidential candidate was not the best.

After  his victory at the PDP convention where he defeated the  contenders for the presidential ticket, Atiku had written to the leadership of the PDP to aid in his choice of selecting a running mate. The PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, consequently set up a 17-man committee which recommended Wike and the governors of  Okowa and Akwa-Ibom, Udom Emmanuel. Atiku, however, went with the choice of  the Delta State Governor.

 Ortom, who was a member of the committee, disclosed that 14 out of the 17-man committee voted in favour of Wike. The Benue State governor, during the interview with Arise TV, stated, “I was among the 17-man committee that was set up by the candidate himself and some of us said Wike should be the vice-president. We discussed that in our meeting and we said it did not matter if he had supported the presidential candidate or not, but all that we need is unity and how to make things work.

“Unfortunately, the candidate himself picked Okowa. Some of us have resorted to prayers. I was really confused because I felt Wike would have been the VP. He was the second person to Atiku and Wike has charisma. All of us have our weak points.”

“Wike can be something, but when it comes to mobilisation, impact, value addition and reaching out, Wike is an instrument. Wike is somebody who stood for the party. For some of us, we believed in him, but unfortunately, it was someone else. Well, the party is supreme but for some of us, for me, I have resorted to prayers,” the governor added.

Speaking further on whether he would support Atiku, who is running for the presidency for the sixth time, Ortom was diplomatic, saying he was waiting on God for instruction.

“I am praying; if God directs me to support Atiku, why should I not do it? I expect him to reach out to Wike who came second and was denied the VP: 14 out of 17 said Wike should be VP and that is the democratic process but he chose Okowa.

“If we are in a democratic era and 14 say it should be Wike and he gave it to Okowa, I expect him to talk to Wike first and reach out to some of us for us to work together as a party,” he stated.

The crisis has torn the party into two opposing camps . Aside from Ortom,  other supporters of Wike  include Abia State Governor  Okezie Ikpaezu and his Oyo State counterpart Seyi Makinde ,former governors of Ekiti and Ondo states, Ayo Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko respectively.   Further signs that things may be getting rough for Atiku’s ambition were confirmed by Fayose’s tweet faulting the emergence of the former vice-president as the PDP standard-bearer in the 2023 presidential election.

Fayose  said in his tweeter handle: “The PDP constitution provides for a rotational Presidency. Section 3(c) provides that the party shall pursue its aims and objectives by “adhering to the policy of the rotation & zoning of party & public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness.”

“The current President of Nigeria is a two-term Northern Presidency, thus implying that it must be a Southern Presidency in 2023 or nothing. Awa ‘South’ lo kan’ (It is the turn of the South). Nigerians should await details soon,” Fayose had tweeted.

 Reports said that ever since Atiku became the standard-bearer, his plan has been to reconcile all the aggrieved factions. Wike is not the only one who is aggrieved. There are others who are also aggrieved. Let me tell you this: Wike travelled before Atiku’s team could reach out to him, one of his media aides Paul Ibe  said recently.  Ibe said, “I can assure you that the plans and moves to reconcile aggrieved persons are ongoing. We also assure Nigerians and the party that at the end of the day, everyone will stand united and send the APC packing.”

On the side of Atike  includes Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who  in his reaction to Ortom’s stance, explained that all the party members had resolved to rally around the PDP presidential candidate and ensure his victory in the poll. The governor who spoke through  his Director-General, Media and Communications, Solomon Kumangar, said he has been preoccupied with ensuring victory for the PDP at all levels. “The primaries are over and all party members have resolved to rally around the Presidential candidate, H.E Atiku Abubakar, the Wazirin Adamawa, to secure power in 2023. And Governor Fintiri is preoccupied with the success of the party at all levels,” he added. An aide to the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has said Atiku’s presidential ambition is the governor’s project.

Now, the latest dimension of the crisis is the demand by Wike team that  Ayu must quit as national chairman of the party before the commencement of electioneering campaigns for 2023 general elections. Bode George, a chieftain of the party,  said, “the issue of the Chairman of PDP must be addressed before commencement of campaigns for the 2023 elections. It is an antithesis and against the norms and culture of our party that our presidential candidate, our national chairman and the chairman of the Board of Trustee will come from one section of the country.

“Party members from the south are already feeling alienated. PDP is not a private company. So, before we start the presidential campaign at the end of this month, the National Chairman must go to the South. That is what Governor Wike is saying and as a life member of the Board of Trustees of our party, I support this position 100 per cent.

“Statutorily, it is the National Chairman who hands over the party’s flag to our presidential candidate. How will party members from the South feel when they see that at all political rallies Southerners have no public political representation.”

Ayu, responding to the demand , stressed that such calls are coming from political amateurs who lack a basic understanding of PDP’s principles. The former senator asserted that he was elected by Nigerians and members of the opposition party to that exalted position based on PDP’s guidelines. He said he would not vacate office until presidential election.

After losing the PDP presidential primary to  Atiku  (from Adamawa State) Wike outlined conditions for remaining within the party. One of the reported conditions is that Ayu, who hails from Benue State, also in northern Nigeria, must resign. But in his response, Ayu stressed that he will not resign because some people are not comfortable with having him around.

“I was voted as PDP national chairman to serve for four years, I am not even a year old on the position,” the former lawmaker said during an interview with BBC Hausa.

“Atiku’s victory at the national primaries has no nothing to do with the party’s leadership; I was the bonafide winner of the election. We acted within the dictates of the PDP constitution. I have not violated any rules; in fact, I am working to bring reforms to the party. I am truly not bothered by the unnecessary controversy being generated,” Ayu maintained.

While Wike may have some shortcomings,  he is right in insisting  that the chairmanship of the party should come to the South.  After, all he has been the one keeping the party  and as such should be according some respect. Atiku, Bukola  Saraki , Tambuwal and others  left PDP to form the emerging All Progressives Congress ( APC) in 2014. Their exist  devastated  the party, leading to its defeat in 2015 presidential election.

 When they could not realise  their ambitions at the APC, they returned  to the party for 2019 elections.  After that  election  Atiku relocated to Dubai  only to resurface  for 2023 election.  Meanwhile, somebody  was oiling the engine of the party  to prevent its collapse. Where was Ayu and others when the party  was and still being banked rolled  by Wike?  The Rivers governor  kept the sole of the party. For Ayu to call him a child begs to the question. 

Wike and his team insist that Ayu’s resignation  should be the condition for negotiation  and reconciliation. They are right. All the principal  officers of the party are from the North. The presidential candidate, the chairman  and chairman of BOT of the party are all from  the North. It against  this backdrop  that the  position  of  George   that the chairmanship  of the party should come to the South now that  a northerner is the presidential candidate can be appreciated. The North alone cannot give the party  the presidency.  It also requires  the South for the party  to return to power.  Ayu’s stance  does not show that he has the  interest of the party  at hearth.

Wike and his team have threatened  that they will help the party  to fail  again in 2023 and if  this happens, it will mark its end. Ayu should  and leaders  of PDP should  take that into consideration.