So,
for those already filling their glasses with Alomo bitters, clinking
their glasses to say a toast for the repose of the soul of the PDP, I am
sorry to disappoint you but that Umbrella will not tear…at least not
yet!
I lived somewhere around Iyana Mortuary in Abeokuta at some point of
my growing up. Not too far and too near from my house existed a family; a
family more than the number of a football team, almost the size of a
football Academy, a very noisy, rapturous and garrulous bunch who always
engaged in mini-riots, major riots, brickbats and swearing
competitions.‘The Majiyagbes’, they were called.
Everyone in the neighborhood knew about the Majiyagbes. Err, let me say almost everybody knew of their existence. And who wouldn’t? The Majiyagbes were very notorious for infighting. Every day, there was almost always something to fight about. The father was either fighting his wives collectively or individually, the wives were either fighting each other individually or engage in tag fighting (Fighting in pairs). The kids who were in the lightweight category were not to be left behind. Confusion always reigned supreme. Everybody was so sure that the family would disintegrate into at least 3 factions.
But they did not.
In spite of the constant and rabid infighting between them, threats of creating different factions or acts resembling creation of different factions, they did not split. Why was this?
There was something very strong holding them together…something greater than the madness, or over-ambition of any of them. They always found a way to rally around themselves whenever the need arose.
For those already preparing to pop Champagne, Alomo bitters, or Ogidiga over the ‘breaking’ of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I am sorry to disappoint you…You might have to wait to drink your Champagne or Alomo and you might get to never drink it.
On Saturday, 31 August 2013 while the PDP convention was going on and Abuja was literally made to stand still, a group of losers who glaringly saw that they have/had lost out in the scheming of things in the PDP decided to go somewhere else and announce a faction of their own PDP.
News filtered out that the PDP had broken up and our twitter warlords went into frenzy. To them, that is the end of the evil PDP. They reasoned aloud that with these developments, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will stroll leisurely into Aso Rock in 2015 while Mr Jonathan will go back to Otuoke and purchase a canoe so as to continue with the job of his forefathers; FISHING!
However in this piece, I will attempt to take a rather incisive and cursory look at the situation of things in the PDP. How did things get so messy? What is Atiku’s grouse? How important is Atiku in the scheme of things? Can Atiku and the 7 Governors lead to the fall of the PDP? Do they have guts or as Don Vito Corleone said in the Godfather “Does he have balls”? These amidst others are some of the issues I will attempt to address in this piece.
There is however a caveat: I will annoy many of you with this piece. In fact, I know I am annoying some of you already and you already wish you can lay your hands on me. However, if you are so angry with this piece, I expect 3 things from you:
- Write a rejoinder and join issues with me. Or go on twitter and rant about this useless boy who won’t join people in attacking the PDP
- If you do not have the intellectual wherewithal to write a rejoinder, you can copy Uncle Femi Fani-Kayode’s style by ‘hiring’ voltrons to fight on your behalf.
- Or you can vent your anger by smashing your laptop or phone or whatever you are reading this with.
ISSUES
- What is the Background of the problems in the PDP?
- Who are those behind the new ‘PDP’ and what are their grouses?
- How powerful and relevant is Atiku now?
- Who gains most from this impasse?
- Will the PDP fall apart as a result of this?
- Who will be the greatest loser in all these?
What is the background of the current problems in the PDP?
It stems from the main fact that some people who had hitherto has unfettered access to the control of the PDP suddenly became outsiders. These group of people felt that because of the President’s perceived weakness, they will seize the party’s machinery from him and then make him to be at their mercy.
However, the President isn’t as dumb as many believe. As a President who wants a second term, he knows the importance of taking charge of the party machinery. He took effective control of the major organs of the PDP namely a) National working Committee” and b) the “Board of Trustees” of the PDP. The fact that some of these people lost out in the power game is the cause of the imbroglio that is now playing out.
ISSUE 2
Who are those behind the new faction of the PDP and what exactly is the grouse? What is the main motive behind their actions?
Spearheading the renegades is washed politician and perennial political prostitute: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Others are the Governors of Rivers, Kwara, Adamawa, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa and Niger States. With them is Olagusoye Oyinlola (Who has been crying since he was removed by a Court as PDP general-Secretary) and some other disgruntled but ambitious elements.
What do they want? Just one thing-POWER!
It is an open secret that Atiku wants the PDP Presidential ticket but he knows he cannot get it as long as GEJ contests against him. The same can be said of Sule Lamido of Jigawa who wants to run for President with Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate. Meanwhile, Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano harbours the same ambition. Oyinlola has found himself consigned to the backdoor in the South West PDP and he earnestly wants to be ‘important’ again.
To achieve their aims of getting ‘POWER’, these men decided that the best option is to form another political party (PDM) and also to form a splinter group of the PDP since they know they CANNOT wrestle control of the party from the President.
Hence their decision to form a ‘parallel’ PDP which is an illegal association anyway!
ISSUE 3
Since Atiku is the main person behind this new ‘PDP’ and also the new political party ‘PDP’, how powerful is he? Is he so powerful as to successful wrestle power from a sitting President?
I am of the opinion that Atiku’s days as a politician are EFFECTIVELY OVER. He self-destructed the moment he started ‘tackling’ his boss, Olusegun Obasanjo when he was the Vice President because of his ambition to be President. This same Atiku left his party (PDP) and joined the Action Congress. When he got the ticket to fly the Action Congress’ flag as Presidential aspirant, Atiku suddenly developed diarrhea of the mouth and said many bad things against the PDP. He said he would rather die than join them again.
Fast forward some years later, Atiku in ‘limpopo’ style limped back to the PDP, ate his vomit and even licked the ground. He went back begging the same PDP he called unprintable names. On his return, he probably looked at himself and said “I should be able to defeat that clueless and shoeless man from Otuoke for the PDP Presidential ticket”. Against all common sense and without shame, Atiku contested against GEJ.
What happened afterwards can neither be called rape or consensual sex. GEJ beat daylight out of Atiku and Atiku was buried alive politically.
He has lost all relevance in the Political circles but he has failed to realize it. It is even said in some circles that Atiku cannot win an election in his local government.
I believe this conceited and delusional politician who lacks principles has no ‘powers’ neither does he have the ‘followership’ to give the PDP problems.
ISSUE 4
With keen interest, I watched one of the Twitter champions analysing on Twitter yesterday. To him, the APC will gain from the ‘factionalization’ of the PDP. I refuse to agree.
The Governors of the States who are part of the splinter groups are even Governors of the States the APC are relying on for votes. They will share the votes with the APC (votes from Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Zamfara) and leave GEJ’s PDP to take a clean sweep of the South East, South-South (INCLUDING RIVERS), some states in the South West (e.g Ondo, Oyo, Lagos), the Middle-Belt and some parts of the core North.
Those thinking GEJ will suffer as a result of this ‘faction’ should think again and again.
ISSUE 5
Will the PDP breakup? I don’t think so.
Inspite of the ‘faction’, I still believe that the PDP is one. Those people that formed the Splinter PDP already registered the PDM some weeks ago. I do not see them as members of the PDP any longer, I only see them as people who want to make a little noise before they finally leave the PDP.
Will the PDP miss the Governors?
NO! One thing about the PDP that people overlook is that it goes beyond a single individual. The PDP has grown to become an institution which will outlive any person at all. I know that for every PDP Governor who wants to leave the party, there are tens of very powerful PDP people in the state who will ensure that the Governor’s impact is not felt. For every Kwankwanso in Kano, you have Ahmed Makarfi, for every Rotimi Amaechi, we have Austin Opara, Nyesom Wike, Peter Odili, Abiye Sekibo and a number of very powerful PDP stalwarts. The PDP is not a one man party unlike the APC which is reliant on Bola Tinubu.
Those Governors will not be missed.
ISSUE 6
Who is the biggest loser after all these? Atiku Abubakar?? Atiku is down already and he that is down needs fear no fall. The biggest loser is Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
He is allowing himself to be used as a pawn in the hands of the Northerners and he will be discarded when they no more need him or the strike a deal with the President. And by then, the EFCC will be waiting for him.
WAY FORWARD
I am of the opinion that the PDP umbrella is safe and that the 7 Governors leaving the PDP will not be missed.
Like the Majiyagbe family, the PDP is a ‘coven’ and there is a very strong bond that ties the members together. It will take an effort from the Heavens before the party will split and become History. The over-ambition, over-bearing attitude or the delusion of some people will not be enough to break the PDP up.
I also believe there is still time for those 7 Governors to make peace with the President. It is a good thing that all these is happening now. It gives the party time to mend fences before elections.
So, for those already filling their glasses with Alomo bitters, clinking their glasses to say a toast for the repose of the soul of the PDP, I am sorry to disappoint you but that Umbrella will not tear…at least not yet!
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