Will Interest Groups Allow Peace to Reign in PDP?

Chuks Okocha in this report takes a look at the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party and how it has polarised the once vibrant party

The current crisis facing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is all about the politics of who will control the structures of the party. The crisis to many has external influences. It is simply to weaken the party and make it easier for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to coast home to victory without much opposition during the 2027 general elections.

As it is in the PDP, so it is in the Labour party, None of the two main opposition parties may know peace until the issue of who becomes the president in 2027 is decided. From what is on ground, both the PDP and Labour party may continue to wobble from one crisis to another.

To political observers, the PDP crisis evolves around the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and former Vice President, Atiku Abubukar on one side and the PDP governors on the other side.

Wike is serving an APC government but he is very much interested in the affairs of the PDP. He had openly said he will not contest against President Bola Tinubu, many believe that he will bring the PDP down to enable President Tinubu have an easy ride during 2027 general elections.

The PDP governors are deeply involved in this battle to control the PDP. There is the angle of the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state. He has a burning ambition to become the presidential candidate of the party. He has his counterpart in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde to contend with in this power alignment ahead of 2027.

Then comes the former Vice President, Atiku Abubukar, who has been a serial presidential candidate in many past general elections.

These are the various scenario playing out in the power tussle in the PDP.

Whoever controls the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will determine how the party fares in the battles ahead.

The Atiku plot

It was gathered that Atiku Abubukar has his game plan and is not leaving his political antagonists to out pace him. As part of the plot, Atiku’s associates are planning a mass defection to a registered political party.

The defection date was initially slated for November 28, 2024, a date for the aborted National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, but it was put on hold in view of the demise and burial of the wife of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Patience Eno Umo.

They are waiting for the planned February, 2025 NEC meeting to take place and once decision reached at the NEC meeting is not favourable to Atiku group, defection may possibly be the next option.

The followers of Atiku had planned to dump the PDP and declare en masse for another party, as it was becoming clearer that the leadership of the party was working to turn the table against their leader.

Atiku’s followers, it was gathered, had planned for an outright formation of a new political party, but they had the fear that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may not register any political party associated with the former number two citizen, hence a committee that was saddled with the task agreed that the followers of the former vice president will fuse into a new political party, the way former governor of Kano state, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso moved from PDP to the New Nigeria Political Party (NNPP).

One of the sources simply said, “we are waiting for the appropriate time. Party to move into has been agreed on. We are just bidding our time”.

THISDAY gathered that Atiku’s associates reached the plan to dump the PDP because of activities of two governors who are bent to take over the affairs of the party, even when the NEC of the party takes place this year.

They felt that with the scheming on ground, Atiku stands no chance, unless something tangible is done.

PDP governors and their plots

The two governors, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state, are said to be having presidential ambition.

Makinde had planned to use the Ondo State Governorship election last year to boost his presidential ambition but the plan was punctured when the All Progressives Congress (APC) again won the Ondo guber poll.

Oyo governor is being pushed into the presidential race by members of the Integrity group, since their leader, Wike had severally said he would not contest against President Tinubu. Already, former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has openly said that he will campaign for President Tinubu when the time comes. The intention of the Integrity group was to weaken the PDP leadership base so as not to field any strong presidential candidate in 2027.

In the same political permutation, Governor Mohammed of Bauchi state as the  chairman of the PDP governors forum is trying to take over the party leadership.

But, Mohammed is having some hurdles to cross because the party’s governors are divided due to his ambition. The PDP governors are polarised on who controls the National Working Committee (NWC).

Surprisingly, the governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri is not with Atiku, he is said to be with Makinde and Wike.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu state and other governors with a second term ambition are not among those planning to leave PDP with Atiku.

This permutation has left Atiku in the cold, hence the plot to leave the PDP.

The source that spoke to THISDAY summed it up ‘’Are you not surprised that the three major political parties have one problem or the other.

‘’The Peter Obi and Labour party are having problems . The same problem is plaguing the PDP and NNPP. The presidency is behind these crisis because they don’t want a strong opposition against President Tinubu in 2027”.

Polarisation of PDP NWC

The crisis plaguing the PDP has further polarised the party into groups that the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party hold meetings outside the national secretariat of the party.

Two different factions have also clearly emerged to the extent that administrative staff also help to facilitate such meetings.

The administrative staff are invited to the meetings depending on where their loyalty lies.

THISDAY reliably gathered that the two factions are led by the acting national chairman of the party, Ambassador Iliya Damagum and the national treasurer, Mohammed Yahaya.

Yahaya held forte as the acting national chairman of the party before the governors of the party reconciled the factions of the party last year.

The NWC of the party had not held a united management meeting since September last year. This much was alluded to at the weekend by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Ibrahim.

Members of the Damagum group comprises of the National Organising Secretary, National Secretary and the National Youth leader of the party.

This group in most cases meet at the residence of the acting national chairman or at the NWC meeting hall at the national secretariat of the party.

On the other hand, the Ologunagba group meet often at a private residence in Abuja.

Members of this group were the break away faction till the intervention of the PDP governors and they include national treasurer, national financial secretary, national women leader and the national auditor.

The administrative staff of the party are so engrossed in this factional fight in the party.

For instance, whenever a court document is sent to the National Secretariat of the party, the administrative staff in the office of the National Legal Adviser will quickly bring such legal documents to the National Legal Adviser from where Ologunagba would be directed to issue a statement of rejection or acceptance.

The issue became public knowledge recently when the deputy national Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Ibrahim openly stated that the NWC had not met since September last year.

Even Ologunagba when he announced the party’s acceptance of S K Ude Okoye as the national secretary of the party and the acceptance of the judgement of the Rivers State High Court that sacked the pro-Wike group said that it was after consultation with the National Legal Adviser of the party.

The division within the administrative staff of the party is obvious depending on where they belong. For instance, when the deputy national Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdullahi Ibrahim briefed the media to fault press releases and press conferences from Ologunagba, some of the staff of publicity directorate were not informed.

A source from the management of the party though not authorised to speak on the division within the members of the party blamed the crisis on the realignment for positions for the politics of 2027.

Even the crisis of the substantive national secretary and Rivers State Crisis are part and parcel of plans to hijack the party.

How the PDP will survive this seemingly implosion will be decided at the rescheduled  NEC meeting of the main opposition party in February, 2025.