These are not the best of times for the leading opposition party in Nigeria. The National Leadership seem to have lost steam and understanding of the ever changing dynamics in any political turf.
In a space of just 5 months, the PDP has lost Gov. Umahi of Ebonyi State, Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River State and serving members of the Senate and House of Representatives. To add to an increasingly bad situation, Gov. Bello Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara is crossing over with the entire party structure, members of the House of Assembly and all but 2 members of the National Assembly.
For the Anambra State Governorship Congress, the PDP unfortunately also had two parallel Congresses in Anambra State.
In all of this, some leaders of the Party in Niger State, went to the State Secretariat, without the foreknowledge and approval of the North Central Working Committee – that is charged with the responsibility to oversee the affairs of the Party there and illegally inaugurated some Local Government Executives. This is an unprecedented attempt at coup de grace against authority of the Party.
Niger State in particular has unfortunately become the testing grounds for the Party’s mantra for free and fair elections. Previously, the chapter in Niger State has been described as the most peaceful PDP party strcuture in the entire country. Somehow, this has changed under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus.
The PDP must simply understand that being in opposition demands that you must play by your own rules, stay above aboard, ensure discipline, facilitate internal democracy and allow the will of its members to prevail in matters that affect its leadership.
The party is still yet to understand the root causes as to how and why it became an opposition party.
The problems facing the party in Niger state is an unfortunate and sad commentary. This problems owes its continued existence to the seeming inability of the National secretariat to convene a transparent, credible and free and fair congress to elect State Party executives. The PDP must rise above personal interest.
The leader of the Party in North Central Zone and Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom has made previous attempts to resolve the impasse to no avail. The NWC was said not to act on his recommendation.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party seems to have left the party in the state to its fate and this is grossly inimical to the party’s growth. The NWC is the management and operating organ of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in terms of decision making and decision enforcement.
The NWC must ACT and Act NOW. The PDP and indeed the Prince Uche Secondus led NWC cannot always be demanding credible elections from INEC and the APC led Federal Government while they cannot conduct a simple, credible Congress in Niger State and elect its State Party Executives.
Instead of the party working to point out the failures of the six year rule of APC in Niger state in the process presenting itself as an alternative, the NWC appears to pretend ignorance to the endless internal crisis that has characterised the party in the state.
The time is act is NOW.
We call on the PDP NWC as a matter of urgency to convene a credible State Congress and resolve this matter once and for all.
History would not be kind to this NWC if they allow Niger State fall into wrong hands.