If there is anything called dilemma, the seven governors in the breakaway faction of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party should be in one. Should they return to the mainstream of their party, accept the mega opposition party, All Progressives Congress’s offer or form a new political party? After 15 years of ruling and dominating Nigeria’s political space, the PDP, which prides itself as the biggest party in Africa, broke into two factions on August 31, 2013, when its internal crises reached a climax. Some delegates of the PDP, including former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar and seven governors (Babangida Aliyu, Niger State; Aliyu Wamakko, Sokoto State; Abdulfatah Ahmed, Kwara State; Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers State; Murtala Nyako, Adamawa State; Sule Lamido, Jigawa State; and Rabiu Kwankwaso, Kano State) had staged a walkout from the party’s convention to hold a parallel one elsewhere and formed what they call the ‘New PDP.’ Former PDP Chairman, Abubakar Baraje, was made the factional chairman, while the sacked Secretary of the PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was made the New PDP Secretary at the event. Some of the grievances the New PDP has against the PDP include the leadership of Bamangar Tukur as the Chairman; Oyinlola’s sacking; the take-over of PDP structures in Rivers, Adamawa, and other states away from the state governors; and Presidency’s recognition of the Plateau State Governor, Jona Jang, as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, even when he lost at the poll with 16 votes against Amaechi’s 19 votes. A Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday, however, reinstated Oyinlola as the National Secretary of the party, even when the ex-governor had been made the Secretary of the break-away faction. As the PDP was breaking up, three major opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Democratic Party and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance – had merged to form the All Progressives Congress. This development, analysts have said, is a major threat to the PDP’s dominance. Despite reconciliatory efforts by some founding members of the PDP, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to bring back the New PDP to the mainstream, legal actions and verbal wars between the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP/the Presidency and the New PDP have not helped the situation. Recently, the New PDP has been lamenting its alleged persecution by the Federal Government. For instance, The Police, on September 7, 2013 sealed off the secretariat of the faction in Maitama, Abuja. Also on October 12, the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja was sealed off by the FCTA. The FCTA, however, said the area the secretariat was located was for residential, not official purpose. It was later reopened. Similarly, The House of Representatives had last Tuesday summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to ascertain the circumstances leading to the disruption of a meeting by the rebel governors at the Kano Governor’s Lodge by policemen from the Asokoro Command in Abuja last Sunday. The New PDP also believes that the ongoing investigation of some of its members by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is a witch-hunt. The Chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, and Tukur have reportedly been on a collision course over how to handle the aggrieved governors. Anenih had admitted that some of the aggrieved governors had genuine grievances, which, when addressed, would secure their return. “I believe some of them have genuine grievances, but I have hope that once the grievances are addressed they will come back. I am happy that the PDP has an internal mechanism for effective conflict resolution, and, at the end of the day, the problems will be addressed and the PDP will come out of the crisis stronger,” he said. While the PDP leaders were still suing for peace, the Tukur executive had inaugurated a disciplinary committee led by Umaru Dikko, which observers believe was to ‘discipline’ those rebelling against the party. Several reports state that if the alleged persecution continues, the G-7 governors may be considering the APC as their destination. Already, a high-powered delegation of the opposition party has been visiting the rebel governors in their respective states to woo them to the party. A delegation that had a former Head of State, Mohammadu Buhari; the APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande; Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu; former Lagos State Military Administrator, Buba Marwa; and former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, had recently visited Kwankwaso, Nyako, Amaechi, Ahmed and Wamakko
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 22:59:20 +0000