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PDP BREAKS INTO CAMPS
The battle for what is left of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took a new turn on late last week, with suspensions, counter suspensions and court orders ensuring that it has effectively broken into two factions, with one group loyal to Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, and its presidential candidate in the last election, and the other part loyal to Nyesom Wike, former Rivers state governor, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Wike camp, sources say, is likely fronting for Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor, in 2027 presidential poll. In broader terms, it’s a battle between forces that want PDP to remain an opposition party that could contest for power in 2027, and forces that want the party to exist as a mere appendage of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to pave the way for President Bola Tinubu’s easy victory in 2027.
“The act of betrayal that the FCT Minister has been committing against the party for the last one year was possible, because he had an acting national chairman and secretary, and few others who have been politically compromised,” said Ikenga Ugochinyere, member representing Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
“In fact, they are like the agents of the FCT minister, who is working for the APC. You can imagine that there was a court order stopping a state congress in Rivers, but the national leadership went ahead to do that congress and the supporters of the FCT minister were dashed the state structure of the party. And these are people, who have already pledged allegiance to the APC agenda of retaining power in 2027. ”
The drama on Thursday, through Friday started with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) loyal to Wike, led by Umar Damagum, the acting chairman, suspending the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, citing anti party activities. Both men had been vocal in urging the acting chairman to ensure the party adhered to its constitution in day-to-day operations.
The Ologunagba group, loyal to Atiku, in return, announced the suspension of Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu over same anti party activities.
Although the party had been in crisis for years, the latest turn of events, which now threatens its continued existence as a political force, began in the aftermath of the Rivers local government election in which those loyal to Atiku, and those loyal to Wike naturally took parallel positions.
Wike, a loyalist of President Bola Tinubu, had used his influence with the NWC to take over the party’s structure in Rivers, leaving his successor and political adversary, Gov. Siminalayi Fubara in limbo. The idea in the Wike camp had, perhaps, been to use the PDP structure to take over the state’s grassroots political structure ahead of the local government election held recently. But Fubara had other ideas. His loyalists moved to his proxy party, the Action Peoples Party (APP).
The Wike camp, however, sensing what was coming, went to court to stop the election, and secured an order of the Federal high court in Abuja presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The court also barred the inspector-general of police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the exercise, an order the police swiftly complied with. But citing an earlier judgment of the Rivers State High Court, and provisions of the constitution, both Fubara and RSIEC vowed that the election would hold as scheduled.
In this back and forth, the PDP NWC loyal to Wike, issued a statement opposing Fubara’s decision, while Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary backed the governor, who went ahead to conduct the election, which saw APP win 22 out of 23 local government councils, while Action Alliance clinched Etche local government.
During the party’s NWC meeting on Thursday, a member raised the point during the time for the any other business (AOB), that Ologunagba had issued a statement on the situation in Rivers asking PDP members in the state to go out and vote during the local government election in the state against the position of the NWC.
Mr. Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman South East, who had been suspended by a faction of the party in Ebonyi State, also alleged that Ajibade, was supporting those working against him.
Sources noted that at this point, the argument got heated and Odefa and Ajibade were asked to step out of the venue, while Ologunagba was absent. When they stepped out, members were asked to vote on a motion for their suspension after some palms had allegedly been greased.
Following the vote, the Damagum led NWC announced the suspension of both Ologunagba and Ajibade. In response, Ologunagba’s faction announced the suspension Damagum.
