Faced with a lingering state and national leadership crisis, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun the process of uniting its members nationwide to conduct successful state congresses on July 27, 2024.
Findings show that there are only a few states of the federation where the centre still holds.
In fact, some factions in the states are ready go into the contest with their separation preparations and delegates, while others have reached out to the opponents, accepting responsibility for the poor management of the party affairs that led to its dismal performance in both state and national elections in 2023.
There is also a pervasive self-denial in some states, where the leaders carry on as if nothing had happened and boast of conducting successful congresses.
In Kano State, for instance, the chairman of the PDP caretaker committee, Mai Adamu Mustapha, has said preparations for the congress have reached 95 percent success.
In a recent telephone interview, he said the congress will hold in the 488 wards, 44 LGAs, and also at the state level.
Mustapha said the party’s register has been updated and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for scrutiny and authentication.
“That was done successfully. The constitutional requirement is that once you have the two-thirds majority of the constituency, you are good to go, and we have gotten that 95 percent. So, we are ready,” he said.
On the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which dealt the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), a big blow in last year’s election, he stated “it is in a state of gradual collapse. The party is ruling only in Kano State and has no national outlook.”
“NNPP is just replicating PDP. It is a stringent brother, and I know at the end of the day we shall come together, continue as a formidable party, carry on with our good work, and bring succour to the masses,” he added.
On Senator Doguwa’s defection from APC to PDP, the chairman said his defection is more than a boost to the party in the state, a person with high political standing to join the party. He however expressed hope that, more of such defection will manifest just like the “tsunami happening in Edo State.”
In Imo State, the exit of former governor Emeka Ihedioha and hundreds of his supporters has turned the party into a one-man show.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s national secretary, is in full charge.
The director-general of Imo PDP New Media, Lancelot Obiaku, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the era of shortchanging and imposing people on the party was over.
He said, “We are prioritising internal democracy, a system where no one is cheated, and all members who are qualified and are aspiring to serve the party in any capacity are given a level playground.
He said the state caretaker committee chairman, Sir Chidi Dike, “inaugurated the congress committee for the 27 local government areas to supervise and play an advisory role where necessary while working with leaders and members of the party at various LGAs to ensure that the congresses are free, fair and democratic.”
In Niger State, there are no camps in the leading opposition party, but those eyeing elective positions are scheming to gain control of the PDP during the Congress.
A party stalwart who preferred anonymity told LEADERSHIP Sunday that members are aware of the antics of the party’s former governorship flag bearer and are ready to fight against his total control of the party.
It was learnt that the plans of those who wanted a change in the party’s control are thickening, and they are ready to execute them during forthcoming congresses.
While some local governments may settle for consensus, it was gathered that most will go into election in view of dissenting views on who should control the party’s structures either from the state or national level.
From Senator Sandy Onoh’s camp, Mr Mike Ojisi, the PDP’s state publicity secretary in Cross River State, reacted to the party’s level of preparation ahead of the state congress on July 27.
He said the party is on the ground, adding that, “We are sure of conducting one of the best congresses because we are going on consensus. We may not have a contest. As I speak to you, all the local governments have harmonised.
“We have our list ready ahead of the congress. When the congress comes, it is to go there and do the needful. We are building consensus from all our wards and chapters across the board. We are sure of our congress for now,” Ojisi maintained.
However, from the camp of former governor Liyel Imoke and Senator Gershom Bassey’s group, one of the stakeholders and one-time chairman of Abi local government area, Mr Eko Atu, said the party will reach a consensus at the congress.
He said that office rotation is paramount for the party. Venatious Ikem’s tenure as state party chairman will expire in 2025.
“Ikem may have some setbacks, just like every human being, but then, in my assessment, I think he has done well. We resolved every difference and rancour of the party during the last stakeholders’ meeting some weeks ago.
“We are building on consensus. We would go to the congress for formality purposes to affirm whoever we have agreed to pick during the stakeholders’ meeting.” Atu said.
The chairman of the PDP in Jigawa State chapter, Hon Ali Diginsa, claimed the party is intact and prepared for the July 27 congress.
He said after renewing the membership registration across the 287 political wards in the state, stakeholders’ meetings were held at all levels to prepare for the congress.
Hon Diginsa said the number of people registered with the party was beyond expectations.
He said, “We are strong and united under a single leadership in Jigawa State, we don’t have any faction, we are disciplined and loyal members of PDP, a party that has the confidence of all good people of Jigawa State.”
Members of the PDP in Ekiti State are gearing up for the party’s state congress, and many stalwarts have indicated their intentions to contest the party’s chairmanship position.
The party is going into the congresses with disagreements among its leaders and stakeholders before the last governorship poll are yet to be resolved.
However, it was gathered that some of the party chieftains have obtained the nomination forms for the party chairmanship position.
Among them is a former acting governor, Hon. Tunji Odeyemi; former commissioner in the state, Chief Segun Akinwumi, and former senatorial candidate for Ekiti North in the 2023 general election, Funso Ayeni.
Others in the race are Mr Lanre Omolase, the former acting chairman and current deputy chairman of the party, and Sunday Olowolafe, the party’s legal officer.
A source close to the party’s top hierarchy said some party leaders are already divided over which zone should produce the next chairman.
The simmering crisis threatening the unity of the PDP in Sokoto State first reared its ugly head at a recent stakeholders’ meeting convened by the party’s state executive members.
Some stakeholders and elected party members were noticeably absent from the meeting, although former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, now a senator, was present.
Observers, however, envisaged a battle royale between two erstwhile governors of the state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and Tambuwal, for the soul of PDP in Sokoto state.
The disaffection between Bafarawa and Tambuwal loyalists was blown open when a group within the party reacted to certain statements of the state party chairman, Hon Bello Goronyo, during the stakeholders’ meeting.
The Ebonyi State caretaker chairman of PDP, Mr. Steve Oruruo, has said the party’s congress will hold.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday on the preparedness of the state chapter ahead, Oruruo maintained that he is saddled with restoring peace, reconciling all aggrieved members, and putting the party back on track.
Oruruo said that the party will soon hold a stakeholders’ meeting to address all lingering issues, adding that after the reconciliation meeting, the PDP will be stronger and ready to wrestle power from the ruling party in the state.
He pointed out that the PDP in the state is not factionalised, but rather, there are interesting issues that need to be resolved for the party to move forward and become a strong opposition in the state.
Another party stakeholder and a former deputy director of media and publicity at Anyichuks Campaign Organisation, Mr. Moses Idika, maintained that there is no faction in the Ebonyi PDP. “What we have is that certain persons may have divergent interests, which does not amount to a faction.”
“On the party’s congresses, some of us believe that Ebonyi cannot have any congress now as a new caretaker committee has just recently been inaugurated. We believe some thorny issues should be trashed out so we can enter the congresses as one united political family.
The PDP in Katsina State is embroiled in a deepening crisis ahead of the July 27 congress, with a faction accusing former governorship candidate Lado Danmake of hijacking it.
The faction, comprising former national secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri, Mustapha Inuwa Muhammad and the lawmaker representing the Mashi/Dutsi federal constituency, Yusuf Majigiri and others, alleged that Danmake secretly sold forms to his loyalists to control the party’s structure.
The crisis is further complicated by accusations that the minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyasom WiKe, is backing Danmake to impose a one-man structure in the state. The faction claimed that Wike is working with the APC to infiltrate and hijack the PDP, echoing a pattern seen in other states.
The stakes are high, with the faction fearing that Wike’s actions may lead to a takeover of the party in the state. This raises concerns about the PDP’s internal democracy, and the faction demands a free and fair congress where members can vote for their leaders.
Though efforts to speak with Danmake’s faction failed, the spokesman of the state PDP, Lawal DanAde, has recently chided Senator Tsauri, Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, and Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, describing them as political paperweights who have lost relevance in and outside the state.
Explaining the situation in a chat, the chapter’s vice chairman/acting publicity secretary, Abraham Amah, said, “The chapter is good to go for the exercise as scheduled.”
“We’ve put in motion a machinery for the successful conduct of the congress across the 184 wards of the state. So far, we’re on course,” he asserted.
He maintained that he expects the exercise to be conducted easily and fairly to the candidates as there is no polarity in the state’s major opposition party.
However, the vice chairman noted that in the event of any disagreements, harmonisation, which the party’s constitution recognises will come to play.
Ahead of the PDP congresses in Gombe State, the senator representing Gombe North, Ibrahim Dankwambo, has reportedly reconciled aggrieved members to ensure hitch-free exercise.
Acting State public relations officer Abdulrahman Buba Zaune told LEADERSHIP Sunday that Dankwambo, a former governor of the state, is the party’s leader and that before the congresses’ preparations, he conciliated and settled major internal disputes.
Zaune said he was among those who had issues in the party but that he and others with grudges have agreed to unite in the party’s best interest following Dankwambo’s leadership styles.
He revealed that the party was prepared for the upcoming congresses so far, adding that contestants purchased and submitted forms and that the state party secretariat was in the process of sending them to the national secretariat for further directives.