PDP ward congresses deepen party crisis

                                        

                                                                  Sheriff 

The confusion that trailed the Peoples Democratic Party’s ward congresses has deepened the leadership crisis in the main opposition party, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu 

The confusion that trailed the Peoples Democratic Party’s ward congresses across the country last week’s Saturday has cast another dark shadow on the vision of rebuilding the party ahead 2019 General Elections.

 Since PDP, which controlled the federal government for 16 years, lost the 2015 Presidential Election to All Progressives Congress (APC), its leaders and supporters alike have harped on the need to resolve the lingering leadership crisis which many blamed for its defeat last year and to form a more united front that can match the ruling APC in 2019.

It was predicted that the rebirth of the once most powerful political party in black Africa will commence from last week’s ward congresses, where it was expected to unite and elect leaders that will help rebuild it at the grassroots. But the disagreements recorded in most of the wards during the congresses suggest that the division in the party, which became a source of general concern way back in 2014, when it held sharply divided and parallel congresses across the country, may only have deepened further.

It would be recalled that the confusion in the 2014 PDP ward congresses, was captured by newspaper screaming headlines like, “16 governorship aspirants boycott congresses in Rivers; Chime’s loyalists cry foul during PDP ward congresses; Criticism trails Oyo PDP ward congress; No PDP ward congresses in Abia; PDP ward congresses got bloody in Anambra; PDP ward congresses in Kwara a fraud,” etc.  The picture recorded in last week’s Saturday’s congresses was not much different.

Coming at the time when top leaders of PDP are sharply divided over the zoning of and the choice of the next National Chairman of the party, the confusion arising from the open disagreements and the parallel congresses have confirmed allegations of factionalisation in many state chapters of the party as leaders struggle for control of the soul of the party from the wards, up to the state and national levels.

From Anambra State in the South-East to Gombe State in the North-East and from Ogun State in the South-West to Cross-Rivers State in the South-South, the election was marred by protests, violence and parallel primaries; a development insiders said was a reflection of the power intrigues ahead the forthcoming National Convention of the PDP.

Inside sources in the Wadata Plaza headquarters of PDP, said top party officials, some of who are interested in the juicy positions, are sharply divided but determined to wield their influence on who emerges the leaders of their various wards and state chapters. “What we saw during the ward congresses is a reflection of the division here in Abuja. It is informed by the power struggle in the party; especially the issue of who will pilot the affairs of the party at the national level. It is clear to all now that we have to mend this obviously divided house in order to take back power. We are worried over the development and are determined to do something concrete about it even though we know the matter is made more complex by the personal ambition of the current National Chairman and that of others either with him or against him. Whatever is the case, the party leadership cannot afford to pretend to be unaware of the long term implication of the deepening cracks, so we are working and pleading with all the members and supporters of the party to save the situation,” the source, a top official in Abuja office of the PDP, said.

Reacting to reports of the widespread protests and complaints, the national leadership of the party, on Wednesday formally cancelled the congresses in Adamawa, Lagos and Osun states.

A press release signed by Abubakar Mustaphar, the National Organising Secretary, said, “the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has today, Wednesday 4th of May, 2016 canceled the following congresses and their respective committees: Adamawa State, Lagos State, Osun State.

“New committees have been reconstituted accordingly. Congresses will continue in these states from Friday, 6th of May, 2016 respectively,” it said.

What happened in some states that Saturday was particularly instructive. In Lagos, where PDP had remained sharply factionalised since the last governorship election, many had, before the congress, expressed fears that the factions were planning to hold their parallel congresses. So, when the various factions claimed, in the afternoon of that Saturday, that the ward congresses were peaceful and that they won overwhelmingly, informed observers, aware of the rivalries, suspected the picture may have been the opposite of what was claimed. For example, the party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Taofik Gani, that day described the exercise as “hitch-free,” while insiders told The Nation that no congress held in most of the 245 wards as some leaders allegedly wrote results from the comfort of their homes.

In Osun State, even before the NWC released the press statement, some aggrieved party members, loyal to one of the chairmanship aspirants, Dr Bayo Faforiji, had called for cancellation of the ward congresses in the state, as they marched to the state secretariat of the party along Gbongan/Osogbo road on Saturday, protesting against non-release of forms to those believed to be loyal to their choice candidate. They accused the outgoing state chairman of the party, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, of denying them the form they needed to participate in the exercise.

Corroborating their claims, Faforiji, who spoke to journalists in the company of the leader of the party in the Osun Central Senatorial District, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, alleged that despite paying over N3 million to the national secretariat to purchase over 7,000 forms for his supporters to contest ward, local government and state congresses of the party, no form was released to him.

He also alleged that Olaoluwa went to Abuja to collect all the available forms which he gave to the supporters of a particular aspirant he prefers.

In Ogun State, the confusion was also pronounced. Like what happened in Lagos, there was no violence, as three factions held parallel congresses and none challenged the other. The factions included the PDP that accept the Chief Bayo Dayo-led state executive, who are loyal to the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu; the groups supporting the member representing Remo Federal Constituency, Oladipupo Adebutu and those loyal to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

The confusion began a day before the congress day, when nine, out of 14 members of state executive committee, who accused the state chairman, Chief Bayo Dayo, and the state secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, of sidelining them from the scheme of things, threatened to organise parallel congresses. Besides the fracas at Imeriewen Ward in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State between members of the party opposed to the Option A4 proposed for the election in the area, it seems the state chapter of PDP is still in disorder following the rejection of the results of the ward congresses by party members across the 27 council areas of the state.

We gathered that the confusion can be traced to the struggle for the control of the party structure in the state between Senator Hope Uzodinma and the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha.

In Anambra State, the confusion during the ward congresses confirmed that the wide crack in the party has not been resolved at all.

Although the other faction of PDP said the congress was peaceful and successful, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Ejike Oguebego, confirmed the confusion when he alleged that there was no ward congress election in the 326 electoral wards in the state.

He told newsmen in Awka after the alleged congress that the Congress Committee Chairman, appointed by the national office of the party for the state, Mr. Ladi Edun, sabotaged the exercise. According to him, Edun’s Committee was supposed to come and liaise with the state executive committee of the party, according to section 2(a) of the congress election to provide the venue and security for the election, but when four of the eleven member committee came, the chairman was nowhere to be seen.” This, he explained, prompted a petition by 21 members of the state executive to the Chairman of PDP Ward Congress Appeal Panel, asking for a fresh ward congress in the state. The petition was signed by Ejike Oguebego, and Chuks Okoye, chairman and Secretary of Anambra State chapter of PDP respectively.

In Cross River State, where the party reportedly employed the option A4 voting pattern, there were reports of allegation that the congresses “were more of an “arrangement” done from Calabar and the congress proper was “mere formalities.”

The situation was almost the same in Delta State, where allegations of imposition of candidates led to the suspension of the exercise in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state. Like what obtains in Anambra where there is disagreement on whether or not the congress held, while the Delta State Chairman of the party, Chief Edwin Uzor, said the conduct of the election in 270 wards across the three senatorial districts of the state was peaceful, youths from Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state, had contrary view. They said no congress held in the area.

The Nation investigation shows that the leadership of the party is still inundated with more troubling reports from other states where factional rivalries are yet to be resolved. As a result, party elders across the state have held emergency meetings on the way forward. Linking the crisis to the disagreement over the next National Chairman of the party, most leaders, have expressed the view that the controversies surrounding the zoning option must be resolved first before PDP can move forward.

For example, a group led by the immediate past governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, while reacting to the reported flaws in the ward congresses, demanded for postponement of the May 21 National Convention date.

Northern elders’ group, led by Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information, after its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday night, said such postponement will allow for reconciliation with aggrieved members of the party.

The group went further to demand that the present members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should vacate their seats on May 21, when their extended tenure is expected to expire.

Also linking the crisis in the party, which was exposed by the array of disagreements during the congresses with the future of the party, Dr. Francis Ukandu, a party chieftain in Isuikwato, Abia State, sums the situation, “from the outcome of the ward congresses, it is certain that except the party leaders at the centre objectively resolve the petty crises in various wards and states, the future of PDP will be bleak. As you can see, their personal ambition has remained the major stumbling block and that is where the rebirth strategy will begin from, if we are serious about contesting with APC in 2019.”