By Charles Adingupu
Undoubtedly, the crisis currently rocking the most acclaimed biggest political party in the sub-sahara Africa, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from being over. Every moment of every hour, the PDP ship is sinking deeper into extinction.
The genesis of the party crisis begun prior to its presidential primary election when it’s henchman, Rivers State Governor, Nysom Wike for self aggrandisement, shoved aside an earlier arrangement to declare that the party presidential ticket be thrown open as against zoning it to the South.
Angered by this open declaration, the likes of Peter Obi who had nursed the ambition to contest the presidency under the platform of the PDP, quickly tendered his resignation letter from to seek his political fortune elsewhere.
This open ticket gave the serial presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the impetus to throw his battered hat to the ring once again. Others who joined the mad race to clinch the party’s presidential ticket included former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the deminutive Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and the vociferous but audacious Nysom Wike, Rivers State Governor himself just to mention but a few.
The political horse trading that played out at the primaries, left Wike in shock, putting his hidden presidential ambition in jeopardy. Tambuwal openly ceded his total votes gearner to make Atiku Abubakar the party’s presidential candidate.
Dazed by the outcome of the primary, Wike started scheming for the post of Vice. This, too, failed as party stalwarts who feared the aggressiveness of the Rivers State Governor, advised Atiku against picking him as his running mate as the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa eventually emerged as Vice to Atiku.
Lost in all fronts, Wike started faulting the hierarchy of the party’s formation. He insisted that for the sake of equity, fairness and justice, the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu must go.
The adamant posture of Atiku and his supporters gave birth to the much publicised G-5 Governors otherwise known as the Integrity Group led by Wike.
Despite all entreaties, the two camps refused to back down as the gulf widened on each passing day.
At the presidential and national Assembly elections proper, the G-5 Governors made good their threat never to vote for their party, the PDP as it suffered humiliating defeat in the hand of the All Progressives Congress, APC as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
This shameful defeat trickled down to the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections as it lost some of its footholds to the opposition party, and the Labour Party, LP.
At the end of the general elections, disturbed by its abysmal performance at the polls, occasioned by the recalcitrant posture of Wike and his strong supporters, the party’s national Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu decided to wield the big stick as former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose was placed on suspension for what it described as his alleged involvement in Anti Party activities.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Orton was asked to face the party’s disciplinary committee over his reported Anti Party activities that led to the victory of the opposition party in the just concluded Governorship election.
But in a swift reaction Nysom Wike declared that it should be Ayu who would be suspended for failing to zone political offices according to the constitution of the party, adding that Fayose’s suspension is a nullity.
By dint of political intrigues, the chapter of the PDP in Ayu’s Igyorov ward in Gboko local government area in Benue State, announced his suspension for allegedly engaging in anti party activities that invariably led to the colossal defeat of the party by the APC at the concluded Governorship election.
A communique issued at the end of the Igyorov Council Executive meeting, presented by its Secretary, Mr Banger Dooyum, however stated that the PDP Executive Committee of the Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko local government area in Benue State has passed
a vote of no confidence on its National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and suspended him from the party.
But making a mockery of the suspension order, Ayu in his usual characteristic arrogance, dismissed his purported suspension with a mere wave of the hand, stating that it was orchestrated by some disgruntled political gamblers.
Ayu, through his Media Aide, Simon Imobo Tswam urged the public to ignore what he referred to as rumour to this heineous effect, adding that those behind the plot are only investing in an expensive illusion.
Ayu was however shocked to his frailed marrow when a Makurdi High Court on Monday, granted an Ex-parte application seeking an interim injunction to restrain him from parading himself as the National Chairman of the PDP.
In an apparent move to avert further damage to the party’s fading glory, the PDP quickly announced Ambassador Umar Llily Damagun as replacement for Ayu as the it’s new National Chairman.
That could be the beginning of the end of the biggest political party in Africa, systematically sinking into oblivion. Perhaps, the next move by either of the two camp would be the final nail to the coffin that would eventually buried the PDP.
