…as aspirants play regional script agenda
It’s all speculative – Ologunagba
Atiku’s aide applauds Zoning Committee
‘Why APC may retain power’
BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
For the People’s Democratic Party, unless a miracle happens, the sad and regrettable experience of August, 2014, may repeat itself, The Point has learnt.
Party stakeholders at various levels and other sympathizers, who had wished and hoped for an alternative choice in 2023, expressed disbelief at the unwillingness or inability of both leadership and aspirants of the leading opposition party to resolve the knotty and controversial zoning issue now threatening to tear it apart.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, dispelled all talks about the reports of the Governor Samuel Ortom led-Zoning Committee, saying whatever has been said or written about it is all speculative. He insisted that the committee is yet to submit its report and when it does, it would be received by the National Working Committee and transmitted to the National Executive Committee of the party which will then make the final pronouncement on it and announce the same to the world.
In his words, “There are no hues and cries about anything; these are all imaginations of people as far as we are concerned.
Whatever has been said or written about the Zoning Committee is purely speculative. Each party has its rules and regulations, and besides that, processes are ongoing, every comment on those processes before they are concluded is speculative. The party understands the need for consultations among stakeholders and all interest groups within the party. And in its wisdom, the National Executive Committee of the party, set up a 37 member on zoning to review it and made recommendations on the issue. The Committee has written a report and the next is for it to submit it to the National Working Committee which will receive, and call a meeting of the National Executive Committee and hand it over to it. The NEC will then go through the recommendations and make a decision that will be made public.
“Until that is done, whatever is said is mere speculation. I am not a member of that committee. The process is still ongoing. For the avoidance of doubt, let me reiterate that the National Working Committee is still awaiting the recommendation of the Committee. When it gets it, the NWC will call the meeting of NEC and present the report. It is the NEC that will now consider the report and take a position that will be announced to the whole world. That’s the procedure,” Ologunagba insisted in a chat with The Point on Sunday.
Almost eight years ago, seven governors of the party had staged a walkout at the party’s special convention ground in Abuja.
They were joined by top leaders of the party, including those who had held top elective and appointive positions in the country at the national and sub-national levels on the platform of the party.
The disgruntled elements then converged on another venue in the capital city and constituted a parallel leadership of what they christened the New PDP or simply nPDP.
Although two of the governors – Babangida Aliyu then of Niger State and Sule Lamido, then of Jigawa State remained in the party, Rotimi Amaechi, present Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the ruling All Progressives Congress (Rivers), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) continued with the struggle and eventually teamed up with the then opposition All Progressives Congress as one of the Legacy Parties that eventually wrestled power from the PDP, the first of its kind in Nigeria in 2015.
Several sources confided in The Point that a repeat of the 2014 scenario was afoot.
A chieftain of the PDP from one of the South South regions, who pleaded for strict anonymity, alleged that a script is being acted by some of the dramatis personae in the whole saga.
He noted that for a party that is serious and willing to retake power, the issue of zoning, sensitive as it may be, should not be unresolvable and that holding tenaciously to tendencies and positions are just smokescreen to orchestrate further disagreement that will ensure and another major implosion of the party similar to what happened in 2014.
“Before you term it a conspiracy theory, you have to look at the parallelism between 2014 and 2022. All the major actors then were from the North. Though there was Amaechi from the South, there is no doubting the fact that their departure contributed to the woeful performance of the PDP in the 2015 general election. Take it or leave it, but for the PDP factor in the then newly formed APC, it wouldn’t have been able to defeat the PDP. Amaechi, in particular, played a one-man spoiler role by embarking on an intensive anti-Goodluck Jonathan campaign, which probably earned him the position of the Director-General of the Muhammadu Buhari campaign organization. But careful considerations of the figures that tilt the scale in favour of the APC were from the North and the differences were from the erstwhile PDP states.”
“The refusal of the present aspirants from the North to see merits in allowing the Southern Region, and, South East in particular, has to do more with not just personal interest but a regional agenda
“
The source argued that the refusal of the present aspirants from the North to see merits in allowing the Southern Region, and, South East in particular, has to do more with not just personal interest but a regional agenda, saying it has the capacity to make nonsense of the “Rescue and Rebuild” newly invented mantra of the PDP.
“I think what we are seeing playing out is a regional script. The fact is that after the abysmal performance of the current administration in all facets, there is little to doubt that the opposition, if they organize themselves well, disagree to agree, bury their extraneous interests and regional affiliations and commitments, sink personal differences, throw away their individual ego that’s so bloated anyway, especially those who had held offices before and those currently holding offices now, and pick one person from the South East, the whole country will erupt in joy. And I can tell you, that will be the beginning of the victory of the party.
“But what do you have now? It is a tale of the falcon not ready to hear or listen to the falconer. It would seem to be more that personal or individual interest but because of regional interest. Certainly this is more than party commitment. The argument that the North has had only three years at the centre out of PDP’s 16 year-rule, may invoke sympathy and understanding. That is true.
But more compelling is the argument that the North has been in power for more than three-quarters of the years of Nigeria’s existence since 1960 when she gained independence. More importantly, the North is in power now. Muhammadu Buhari is in power and he is a Northerner. Interestingly, many of those aspiring now were very active and played tremendous roles in enthroning him as the President of the country. How do they expect people from other regions of the country to feel after Buhari’s eight years, another northerner is sworn-in for another eight years? So, with the northern aspirants holding tenaciously to their position, and the southern leaders of the party and other socio-cultural groups rooting for a zoning of the office to the South, you don’t need a prophet to tell you that a repeat of the sad event of 2014 is looming large over the party,” the source concluded.
More intriguing is the amount of condemnation that has trailed the alleged recommendations of the Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State led-37 man Zoning Committee.
Even when the report of the recommendation of the 37- Man Committee of the party to throw the presidential contest for the sole ticket of the pasty open to all zones is in the public space, the official line continues to maintain that it is all speculative.
Notwithstanding, the Southern Governors of the PDP and other socio-cultural groups from the South and even the Middle Belt continued to maintain the presidential slot to be zone to the south.
Over the weekend, southern governors elected on the platform of the PDP rejected the said report of the 37-man committee that the contest be thrown open to all the presidential aspirants who have so far purchased both the Expression of Interest and the Presidential Nomination forms.
At the meeting which was held late Friday night, the southern governors of the party led by their chairman, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, insisted on the common position adopted by the 17 southern governors that the presidential candidates of all the political parties should come from the South.
While addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Ikpeazu had said, “Our position is that first, we are committed to the unity of our party and we have worked hard to make sure that this party remains a strong and viable vehicle to rescue Nigeria come 2023.
“Be that as it may, we want to draw your attention to the fact that we have agreed as Southern Governors in Lagos and also in Delta that this party has to respect the zoning principle as enshrined in our Constitution, and to that effect, we feel that the best thing to do is zone the presidency to the South, and we stand on that position.
“We have not seen any reason to change our position, because the party was founded on the basis of equity and justice. And we also think that equity and justice is an important pillar that will ultimately stabilise our politics towards our journey in rescuing Nigeria. This is our position and that is why we have met today.”
According to Governor Ikpeazu, it is absurd that some people would think that zoning would not give PDP victory in the 2023 presidential election.
But he was quick to insist that the governors would not rely on speculation. He insisted that “Let me tell you something; if you want to take a position of policy, you don’t look at problems in their face and make decisions. You take a decision and remain firm on that decision. We think what this country is lacking today is our ability to dispense equity and justice. It may be difficult, it may be a bitter pill but we need to stand with the truth.”
The other PDP governors that attended the meeting included Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
While the PDP governors from Southern Nigeria are insistent on having the ticket zoned to the region, a source close to former Vice President and the 2019 presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, applauded the Zoning Committee, saying it was the right thing to do.
He told The Point in confidence that “The Zoning Committee took the winning step decision. Nigeria is facing her worst years under the Buhari-led APC Nigeria. We have been swallowed by irredentism, bigotry and a preference for abject poverty, palpable insecurity of lives and property and ignorant support for malfunctioning mediocrity. It is a lost vote for ignorance and sectional piety.
“Therefore allowing all geopolitical zones to participate will result in the emergence of the primus inter pares to massively defeat the APC and rescue our country from imminent collapse.”
Notwithstanding the fact that Atiku has not openly identified with the Consensus Option being pushed by the quartet of Senator Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor Bala Mohammed and Mohammed Hayatudeen, the aide of the Waziri Adamawa expressed support for it in a manner that would suggest that behind the stage, Atiku is not totally against the consensus option, after all.
He said “Adopting a consensus candidate enhances inclusive participation, and engages and empowers the group. It also requires a commitment to work together and increases cooperation. It further creates shared understanding through discussion that bridges differences and ultimately equalizes the distribution of power in a group.
“While allowing an open contest is also acceptable and will allow everyone to canvas for delegate votes. Atiku Abubakar has been reaching out to party delegates since 2020.
“The PDP will come out stronger and ready to be in power in 2023. You must first win power then you can zone it afterwards. Not prior,” he argued.
“Therefore allowing all geopolitical zones to participate will result in the emergence of the primus inter pares to massively defeat the APC and rescue our country from imminent collapse
“
Consensus option wins more converts
While PDP stakeholders wait breathlessly for the decision to be taken by the NEC of the party on the vexed issue of zoning, a path of formal compromise is being explored by the aspirants in the whole saga.
At the weekend, South East presidential aspirants did the unthinkable – they came together as one to demand for the ticket of the party.
The four presidential aspirants from the South East Zone met and resolved to work together for the emergence of the PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election from the zone. They were Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Peter Obi, Sam Ohuabunwa and Nwachukwu Anakwenze.
In a meeting they held in Abuja on Saturday, they resolved to ensure that the presidential candidate of the main opposition party emerges from the zone.
In a communiqué read by Anyim, the aspirants promised to consult with other zones in the spirit of fairness and equity.
“In doing so it is important to note that we have always supported other zones and we now expect them to reciprocate,” said the communiqué.
Anyim explained further that the aspirants would work with the governors from the South East in the interest of the nation, and the region.
While reacting to the position of the Southern Governors of PDP, Anyim said: “Well if our position tallies with that of the southern governors, good luck. But we are taking this position in the interest of national unity, in the interest of PDP, and in fact in line with the PDP Constitution. We believe that the PDP’s Constitution favours what we are doing and we have to boldly step out with this decision.”
Last month, the idea of consensus candidate emerged when Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State played host to his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
The meeting, it was later reported, was part of efforts towards getting a consensus presidential candidate for the PDP ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
While speaking to newsmen Saraki had said they were in Bauchi to consult among themselves as presidential aspirants of northern extraction in the PDP to settle for a consensus candidate who would represent the North.
He said “We are here to meet to forge the way forward. This is an initiative of the three of us. We are concerned about the hardship people of our country are going through, especially the cost of living. Our stand is that it is very clear that PDP is the only viable option today, and as such, as key stakeholders of the party, we find it necessary to sit down together to see how best we can provide leadership and direction.
“So, we discussed that for 2023 ahead of us, the unity, stability and progress of the country is more important than our individual ambitions. There is a need for us to work together. When the three of us work together in honesty and commitment, there will be great hope for this country going ahead.
“We appreciate that three of us have shown aspiration to lead this country, and we realize that we are all capable and competent to lead this country. But it is only one person that will lead this country. So, we resolved to work closely together to ensure that we come out with a consensus from among us to forge the way forward.”
Saraki made it clear that the effort was to make things easier for the party.
“Our role is to make things easier and bring stability because if there is stability in PDP, there will be stability in Nigeria.
You can all see that the All Progressive Congress, APC, is no longer a party. They have problems administering their party, and anybody that cannot administer his party cannot administer the country.
“What is important here is Nigeria that is why we have agreed to work together. Of course, we also have a senior brother, Warizi (Atiku Abubakar) who is not here; we will go and greet him too. We will meet and continue to work along these lines. When we meet him and share our thoughts, we will be able to comment on what our consensus will be.”
Interestingly, Saraki and his other aspirants have taken the gospel of consensus to other zones in the country meeting governors of the party.
Nigerians are eagerly waiting to see how the PDP will weather the gathering storm and berth at 2023 as a united and determined to confront the ruling APC.
