PDP is in trouble. This is what happens when a people decide to disregard order. Yes, when PDP decided to jettison its constitution, causing troubles for many of us who, using that constitution, made my predictions, the path to ascension became murkier. But as this show happens (Wike’s request that Ayu resigns before his group will support Atiku’s quest for Nigerian presidency), my suggestion to PDP members is this: do not think any of Wike, Atiku or Ayu is a victim. The only victim here is the PDP constitution which governs the rule of engagement for the members (you can add the PDP members).
As a student in FUTO, I served in the committee which reviewed the Students Union Constitution. FUTO students had a really great one as the elections were usually free and fair. When they invited me to join the committee, I felt it was a noble thing to do, as a revamped constitution could even help those coming after me. I had served as the Director of Research SEEES with a decent political experience as a student.
In the village, I served as the inaugural president of the age and led the writing of the first constitution. So looking at the PDP constitution, it was self-evident on how offices would be zoned: the 2023 presidential nominee was going to come from Southern Nigeria! Then magically, that was jettisoned.
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But looking deeper, the PDP constitution had a poison pill: if you just put it between North and South, you can have a scenario where two zones (of our 6) could rotate the slots. That was the problem. Governor Wike (Southsouth) wanted the job, drawing on the South’s turn. But he did not consider that Jonathan (SS) had it last.
PDP constitution was self-evident: the 2023 presidential nominee was going to come from Southern Nigeria! But something was unwritten: South is not just enough; in that South, southeast had a turn. And that was the problem. To avert that, PDP jettisoned its constitution and served a poison pill. Can a party which cannot honour its constitution produce a campaign manifesto Nigerians can trust?
In other words, just going to South and sub-going to SS was not fair to Southeast which never had it, considering that Southwest via Obasanjo had it. Without that consensus, Atiku had an opening: if this is not going to SE, let it be open to all. Mr Ayu was the “umpire” and played along – the party chemistry was broken.
These politicians will reconcile but I am not sure there is really a basis to believe what they are currently promising to Nigerians. Why? A party which cannot even follow its constitution will have to work harder to convince people that those policy documents and campaign promises would be honoured should it take over power.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party took a new dimension on Friday with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, making a series of allegations against the Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, among others.
While the PDP is waiving the olive branch in the direction of the governor, Ayu and Atiku refused to react to his outburst.
At the PDP convention in May, Wike had polled 237 votes to finish second behind Atiku, a former Vice-President, whose 371 votes gave him the privilege of flying the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election.
Although Wike has continued to pledge his loyalty to the PDP, he is insistent that following the emergence of Atiku, the national chairman of the party, Ayu, cannot continue to preside over the affairs of the PDP given that he is from the North like the presidential candidate.
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Comment: Prof..I disagree with you. PDP is not in trouble. The only issue is that someone defeated and disappointed and now frustrated and he is looking for all means to show relevance and hold the party to himself because he has an agenda to contest in 2027. The silence of Atiku is really frustrating him. If God has destined Atiku to win the 2023 election, he will win seamlessly. Again, watch out how they are out-smarting Wike. Am not a PDP member please.
My Response: “If God has destined Atiku to win the 2023 election, he will win seamlessly. ” – you did not complete that Bible extrapolation. Let me quote some verses for you: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”. “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.” “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
Atiku cannot just fold hands on the believe that whatever will happen will happen. If not, he might not have even bought the PDP nomination forms since if God destined it, it would have come!
Comment 1b: Ndubuisi Ekekwe, In case I wasn’t clear or loud enough, hear me clearly; WIKE IS NOT FIGHTING FOR THE SOUTH! He’s crying today because he lost. If he wanted justice for the South, he’ll have thrown his weight behind the SE for the ticket!!!!!!!
My Response: “WIKE IS NOT FIGHTING FOR THE SOUTH!” – Wike has never said he is fighting for the South. He is fighting for one thing: Ayu should resign. Also, Wike is more than a crying baby. If he is one, I will not be writing this. Except if you are the president of Nigeria, there is no politician who can make TV stations abandon regular programs to cover a press brief. He commands more media power than Obi, Atiku, Tinubu, except Buhari. Buhari has an edge as he does not speak often, so when he takes, it is like a breaking news…Wike moves news.
Comment 2: Wike is one of those who opposed the zoning structure because of his own presidential ambition. North East and South East have not produce a President. Thankfully North East produced the current Presidential Candidate. The noise in PDP is fermented by one Governor who fought Governors in the south. Looking at the reactions of the PDP presidential flag bearer, you will see calmness and composure.
My Response: “Looking at the reactions of the PDP presidential flag bearer, you will see calmness and composure.” – the calmness of Atiku is not what matters. What matters is what Bode (Lagos), Makinde (Oyo), Ikpeazu (Abia), etc are doing. You do not win presidency by subtraction. So, do not see Atiku as being calm. This is a poison pill which he swallowed and does not know what next to do. They failed one single test: be fair to your constitution at different levels. How do you believe people (ALL OF THEM) who can be that radical?
Comment 3: OBJ from South served for 8yrs when it’s the north Yar’adua serve for only 2yrs only Jonathan served d remained 2 and denied north their turn served another 4 yrs, who are short change btw north and d south?
My Response: That was not the Constitution. Had Atiku won in 2019, he could have picked the 8 years. The Constitution did not say, we will keep zoning it to one place until it wins. If APC does not win in 2023, APC will zone it to North in 2027!
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Those who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. If there’s one thing the PDP does very well, it’s self-destruction. It did same in the build-up to 2015 election, and it never recovered. It was an unforced error, but the party is great at committing that.
Wike asking for Ayu’s resignation is just to humiliate him, to show him who the real boss is. It creates a quandary, because the solution is no solution. If Ayu remains, then PDP loses Rivers, its most important state anyway. And if Ayu goes, those who are backing him will feel aggrieved and then create their own internal problem. Many of those backing Ayu cannot win their respective states, but they have loud mouths, with little electoral value. So it’s loss-loss for PDP.
That party is ethically challenged, I said that as far back as April, that the party knows how to self-destruct, without anyone forcing it to do so.
Next person please.