Chief Sunday Awoniyi was a northerner of Yoruba descent from Mopa area of Kogi State. He was a reputable man of high moral values, very disciplined and of impeccable pedigree. He was a prominent founder of the Peoples Democratic Party in 1998.
In 1998/99, he was among the nationalists that supported Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to win the PDP Presidential ticket, and supported him to win the presidential election.
After the emergence of Obasanjo as President, Obasanjo met Chief Awoniyi to ask him what he wants, Awoniyi replied that he wants to be the PDP National Chairman to strengthen the PDP and deepen democracy in Nigeria.
President Obasanjo was uncomfortable with Awoniyi as National Chairman of PDP because Awoniyi was believed to be the only one that could look at Obasanjo eyeballs to eyeballs to tell him the truth. In contrast, Obasanjo sought to possess absolute control of the Party so he needed a Chairman he can control.
So Obasanjo offered Awoniyi Ambassadorial appointment to the UK, he refused. Obasanjo offered him to be Nigeria Ambassador to USA, he refused. President Obasanjo upgraded the offer to ask him to be Nigeria Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Awoniyi refused. Obasanjo offered Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Awoniyi rejected. Obasanjo asked him what he wants, the PDP National Chairman, he insisted.
In preparation for the campaign for National Chairman (which was zoned to the north), Obasanjo switched to ethnic campaign. He said that though Chief Awoniyi was a northerner, but being a Yorubaman automatically disqualifies him from being the Chairman of the ruling Party at a time the President (him) is Yoruba. Unfortunately, that narrative wouldn’t work as Awoniyi was the obvious choice of the Party majority.
In order to stop Chief Awoniyi, Obasanjo barred him from contesting, while his loyalists obtained court injunction to stop the Convention from holding – but that wouldn’t work. Obasanjo later went got the Board of Trustees of PDP to get commitment from Chief Awoniyi that he will not be contesting for Chairman as a precondition for the Convention to hold. The Chief gave in!
Chief Barnabas Gemade (now in APC) from Benue state was eventually installed as the National Chairman. Obasanjo went on to become a maximum ruler who controlled both the government and the Party. Like Obasanjo, the Governors replicated same in their states of jurisdiction. That was the beginning of the collapse of Peoples Democratic Party- the only pan-Nigerian political institution. Incidentally, it was the beginning of the end of our cherished democracy.
As PDP prepares to get a new National Chairman in 2024, Party members must insist on a free and fair process that will give leeway for the most credible candidate to emerge. This is because the new Chairman has the responsibility of ensuring credible congresses across the country, as well as to make the Party attractive for other Nigerians within and outside the ruling party to be comfortable to join. Moreso, the PDP National Chairman has to make PDP attractive for patriots of other political divide to be comfortable for an alliance or a merger before the 2027 election as the case may be.