PDP Set To Go Their Separate Ways Today In a P/H Showdown

How the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP came to its present distress would surely confound the likes of Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, a former national chairman of the party. In 2008, Ogbulafor had bragged that the party would rule the country for 60 straight years. Besides being shoved from the pedestal of power, the party is today at the point of disintegration.
PDP and its colour flags PDP and its colour flags The most vivid indication of the collapse of Nigeria’s political behemoth is the strife in the party which is today polarised into two main factions; both of which are holding parallel conventions in Port-Harcourt and Abuja.

 It is also a struggle between the party’s grandees cum foundation fathers and a more youthful class in the party who want to push out the former from their position of influence. Remarkably, the position pushing the party towards the conflict is the office of national chairman and the person at the center of the conflict is Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. It is a remarkable situation given that Sheriff, the immediate past governor of Borno State only joined the 17-year-old party just about two years ago.

 However, before his defection from the All Progressives Congress, APC to the PDP, Sheriff even as a top member of the APC and before then the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, had largely been seen as a sympathiser of the PDP while it was in power. Even when they were happy with his defection to the PDP, not many PDP insiders were, however, pleased to put Sheriff in a leadership position.

The reason was mainly because of the negative insinuations that while serving as governor that he created the environment that gave birth to Boko Haram, the Islamist group that took up arms against the country. Sheriff was reportedly pushed into the leadership saddle by an alliance comprising Governor Ayodele Fayose, Governor Nyesom Wike, and Senator Kashamu Buruji. The aim of the group it is alleged is to take over control of the party from the old forces.

 Their aim at today’s convention in Port-Harcourt is to formalise Sheriff’s position as chairman. However, the foundation members of the party led by Prof. Jerry Gana and including among others, former governors, senators and national chairmen of the party will hold a parallel convention in Abuja today to reclaim what their party from the hoodlums and strangers they claim to have taken over their party.

 THE 17 year old Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has passed through eventful moments since it was incorporated by some of the country’s leading statesmen on August 31, 1998. August 31, 1998: The party is formed from the nucleus of the G18/G34 group of statesmen who led the political opposition to General Sanni Abacha’s military regime. 1999: Following pressure from President Olusegun Obasanjo, the late Solomon Lar was literally booted out of office as the National Chairman. 1999: The intrigues leading to the emergence of a new chairman polarised the party as a result of the zoning of the position to the North Central geo-political zone.

 Obasanjo’s preference for Barnabas Gemade to Chief Sunday Awoniyi on the ground that the latter was also a Yoruba despite hailing from Kogi State resulted to Awoniyi’s unexpected loss. 1999/2001: Having emerged as Obasanjo’s candidate Gemade inherited a party challenged by crisis in most of its state chapters. 2001: The disenchantment across its state chapters continued until the time of its National Convention where Gemade sought for a second term against Obasanjo’s advise.

 The presidency moved against him and in his place, Audu Ogbeh also from Benue State was elected as National Chairman. 2003: Gemade was expelled from the PDP for allegedly supporting another party’s candidate instead of PDP’s George Akume during the governorship poll in the state. 2004: The brigandage in Anambra with the imprints of the presidency pushed Ogbeh to write Obasanjo a letter urging him to avoid the politics of gangsterism occasioned by the implication of security agents in bombing, arson and shooting that were aimed at removing then Governor Chris Ngige.

The letter literally damaged Ogbeh’s relationship with Obasanjo. 2005: Ogbeh resigned his position as chairman after he was reportedly forced to do so at gun point. His resignation happened in a dramatic manner, as it was shortly after he ate a meal of pounded yam and egusi soup with the president.

In his place came in Col. Ahmadu Ali, a former senator and federal commissioner for education during Obasanjo’s military regime who came to national prominence during the Ali Must Go students riots of that period. Ali’s advent is the beginning of what is termed Garrison Politics in the PDP where Obasanjo’s word is law. 2005/2007: Perceived political foes of Obasanjo and his allies are deregistered from the party during a re-registration exercise under which Linkmen are appointed to handle the exercise in the states.

 Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, hostile governors and party members are denied registration in their constituencies. 2007: The party wins a landslide election across all levels in elections, which the new president, Musa Yar‘adua, however, admits as highly deficient in integrity. 2007: Former President Obasanjo is elected chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT in against the desires of the incumbent, Chief Tony Anenih.

The drama around the election reportedly put the two men at odds. 2008: Strong contention between Anyim Pius Anyim and Sam Egwu for the chairmanship of the party leads to the emergence of a dark horse in the person of Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as national chairman under the President Musa Yar‘adua administration. 2009/2010: The party is embedded in crisis as a result of the hospitalisation of President Yar‘adua. The party leadership in collaboration with many governors try to cow Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan from becoming Acting President. 2010: Upon the doctrine of necessity, Jonathan becomes Acting President. April 2010: The national chairman of the party, Ogbulafor is charged to court for theft 2010: Irked by the belief that the party had derailed from the ideals of its founders, a former Senate President, Sen Ken Nnamani, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari and others formed the PDP Reform Forum. May 2010: The death of Yar‘adua makes room for Jonathan to take full presidential powers.

 May 2010: Prince Vincent Ogbulafor bows to pressure, resigns from office. June 2010: Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo a former national secretary of the party becomes national chairman. Nwodo came with an agenda to take the party from the grip of the governors. 2010: The unity of the party is tested between August 2010 and December 2010 when a group of Northern elders styled as the Northern Political Leaders Forum, NPLF insist that the presidential ticket of the party should be given to a northern politician. Four aspirants, Bukola Saraki, Atiku Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida and Aliyu Gusau vie for the endorsement of the group.

 Atiku handsomely wins the endorsement of the group. December 2010: Nwodo, who assumed leadership of the party pledging to reposition the fold through e-registration and other measures, saw his moves opposed by the PDP governors. Intractable crisis in his state chapter resulted in court cases including an injunction by an Enugu High Court which stopped him from parading as national chairman. December 2010: Nwodo is forced to step down as national chairman at the national convention floor in Abuja.

The deputy national chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello takes over as acting national chairman and presides over the convention. December 2010: Jonathan wins the presidential ticket of the party defeating the NPLF’s Atiku across the country. 2011: Jonathan wins the presidential election. 2011: Haliru Bello steps down as acting national chairman upon his appointment as a minister. The party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje takes over as acting national chairman. March, 24 2012: Despite being rejected at home, Tukur, whose candidacy for the chairmanship of his party, was backed by Jonathan, emerges chairman of the party at the national convention.

 April 3, 2012: President Obasanjo surprisingly resigns his appointment as Chairman of BoT, saying it would enable him focus as a statesman and devote himself to international duties. 2012/2013: Tukur’s stewardship of the party is characterised with crises. Governor Chibuke Amaechi of Rivers State is suspended, becoming the first time a governor is suspended.

 He is eventually expelled. Another governor, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State is suspended but his suspension is lifted. January 8, 2013: Ten members of the NWC disowned Tukur’s actions as national chairman including his actions in Adamawa State. February 24: The PDP formed its own governor’s forum Governor Godswill Akpabio as chairman.

The development arose from President Jonathan’s bid to cut down the influence of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, headed by River State governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. June 2013: Tukur survived the hammer as the National Executive Committee meeting named a 20 man team to fill the vacancies in its National Working Committee, NWC. INEC report had faulted the process adopted during the party’s national convention that led to the emergence of certain members of the NWC.

May 27 2013: The National Working Committee, NWC, of PDP suspended Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State. It is the first time a governor is suspended. June 5 2013: The PDP slammed the hammer of suspension on Governor Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State. August 31, 2013: On a day it marked the 15th anniversary of its formation, the PDP, was factionalised, resulting in the formation of a splinter group known as New PDP including Baraje, the former acting national chairman, Atiku and seven governors.

September 2: The battle for the soul of the PDP escalated further with the Baraje chaired faction filing a lawsuit at a Lagos State High Court seeking to sack the Tukur-led executive from office. September 2: New PDP opens party secretariat in Abuja. September 7: Police sealed off the New PDP secretariat. September 10: New PDP lost legal battle to get secretariat re-opened. September 12: The Rivers State chapter of the New PDP opened its secretariat and it was sealed off by the police shortly after it hoisted its flag. September 15: Jonathan, G-7 Governors held a decisive meeting to determine the future of the factionalised ruling party.

 October 10: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected Alhaji Kawu Baraje’s request to be recognised as PDP chairman. November 4: G7 Governors visit former President Obasanjo to brief him on the developments. November 26: Five PDP governors, Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers, Rabiu Kwankwanso, Kano; Murtala Nyako, Adamawa; Aliyu Wamakko, Sokoto and Abdulfathah Ahmed, Kwara renounce membership of the PDP as the New PDP merges with the opposition APC. December 11: President Obasanjo’s missive to President Jonathan is unveiled. The former president accuses his one time protégée of serial acts of incompetence. Jonathan vows to reply.

 December 22: President Jonathan replies Obasanjo saying that the former President deceitfully manipulated facts and figures to impugn his credibility, vowing that he would not for any reason mortgage a bright future for the country. He also accused the former President of instigating the PDP crisis. January 10, 2014: Obasanjo wrote another letter, few weeks after his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan caused uproar in the polity.

 In the one-page letter dated January 7, 2014 to the chairman of PDP, Obasanjo said he would, temporarily, cease to be a member of the party by withdrawing from its activities at the local, state and federal levels. January 2015: Obasanjo tears his PDP membership card in public. March 2015: PDP lost the presidency after 16 years as the ruling party, resulting in the massive defeat in so many states during the April 13 governorship elections and wave of defections.

 May 2015: National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu resigned following pressure from party leaders, stakeholders and supporters of the party. December 2015: A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sacked the PDP Acting National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus. The court order followed a suit filed by the erstwhile Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak. February 2016: The crisis rocking the party took a new twist among organs of the party over the choice of former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as national chairman.

 February 2016: The party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, and most members rejected Sheriff as chairman, kick-starting the current impasse which has factionalised the fold. May 2016: A former Minister of Information and a founding member of the party, Jerry Gana, led a group of other leading members to announce the takeover of the party from Sheriff.