BY HENRY UMORU

THESE may probably not be the best moments for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the self- acclaimed largest party in Africa when viewed from the backdrop of unfolding intrigues in the last couple of weeks.

For the leadership of the party, the last few weeks have been turbulent where the Falcon could no longer hear the Falconer, it was akin to a house divided against itself where members of the National Working Committee, NWC, the body that is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party and even saddled with the function of acting on behalf of the National Executive Committee, NEC in case of emergency according to section 12.63 of the 2009 amended constitution of PDP can no longer work in the same spirit.

It became obvious that there was a total disconnect between the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and 10 members of the NWC where decisions were taken and later like one swallowing back his vomit, there was a U-Turn on the decision taken, all for intrigues within the family of the party.

In fact, members of the NWC were no longer singing the same song, the lyrics were no longer the same, the rhymes were no longer there, and if it was a play, there was no longer a plot, the way the journey had started in March 24, 2012 when they were ‘elected’.

Is the honey moon over?
Personal interests cannot be divorced from the entire political quagmire and this is affecting the entire foundation and fabric of the party and before the umbrella tears, it has become imperative for Tukur to stoke up his fire and add more intensity to the boiling water.

Where the first intrigue reared its head was the aborted election of the Chairman of Board of Trustees, BoT which would have been history if a new chairman had emerged on Tuesday, January 8. Though there was a meeting but there was no chairman. The long arm of 2015 Presidential election hovered round the venue of the meeting and political gladiators could not hide their feelings and where they pitched their tents among the candidates for the position of PDP Chairman.

On many fronts, there were the invisible hands of the leader of the Party, President Goodluck Jonathan, former Chairman of BoT and ex-President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President David Mark and the PDP governors, especially those interested in becoming the President or Vice President of the country after they must have rounded off their tenure.

Gov Rotimi Amaechi, Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum; and the national chairman, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

Politics of BoT chair
In the political circle and mathematics of politics, who becomes the Chairman of PDP BoT cannot be seen as a child’s play, just as that of PDP National Chairman and members of the NWC because they will be there for their godfathers and thank you time when the time comes. That explains why tempers were high weeks before the Tuesday meeting of BoT. There were maneuvering, intrigues, nocturnal meetings with venues not known to all except the stakeholders.

The 98-member board, constitutionally, is the conscience of the party having being saddled with among others, the responsibility of ensuring highest standards of morality in all the activities of the party and with power to call to order any officer of the party whose conduct falls below the norms.

According to the party’s constitution, the BoT, which is the highest decision-making body of the party comprises men and women of integrity who have contributed critically to the conception and nurturing of the party, and who have sacrificed much for it, and as contained in Section 12.76 of the party’s constitution.

The BoT contenders
Major contestants to the position are former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; former chairman of BoT and returned Chairman, board of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Chief Tony Anenih; former Senate President Ken Nnamani; former PDP National Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali; former Deputy National Chairman, Shuaibu Oyedokun; Publisher of Champion Newspapers, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Senator Onyeabo Obi; Chief Don Etiebet; Chief Richard Akinjide and Yekini Adeojo.

The intrigues
Speculations were rife of candidates being endorsed by either President Jonathan ahead of 2015 presidential election especially Chief Anenih as President’s man, or Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as being behind Ali or Oyedokun and Atiku Abubakar pulling his weight behind Nnamani.

Following the inability of stakeholders and candidates to come up with a consensus candidate even on the fixed date for the election, there were fears that there could be a replay of what happened at Eagle Square on March 24 last year where all the aspirants to the chairmanship position were coaxed and cajoled to step down for Tukur.

Weeding out ‘expired’ BoT members
When this failed, there was a way forward which has to do with removing the chaff from the grains by removing those whose membership has elapsed. About 50 per cent of those on the board are affected.

Consequently, a committee was then set up to streamline and restructure the members of the board apart from the statutory members. The committee was given three weeks to submit its report. Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana was nominated as chairman of the committee. Other members are Senator Stella Omu from South-South; Governor Ibrahim Shema from North-West; Shettima Mustapha from North-East; Chief Bode George to represent South-West and Senator Hope Uzodinma for South-East.

Areas that will be affected as Gana carries out his assignment are those in category (i) which has to do with the 18 elected members, meaning three members from each zone of the country, category (v) which is two female members from each of the six geo-political zones as well as (vi) which is Foundation members and any member of the Party that the BoT deemed fit to appoint as members of the Board, subject to ratification by the Party’s National Convention.

Is the Committee designed as political intrigue to drop some aspirants, if that is the case, Chief Iwuanyanwu belongs to the first category of one of the elected members from the zone, just as Anenih, Oyedokun and Etiebet belong to the vi group which is Foundation members and any member of the Party that the BoT deemed fit to appoint as members of the Board, subject to ratification by the Party’s National Convention, but there will be no National Convention before the election of a new Chairman.

Ali and Ekwueme belong to category (ii) which is all serving and past national chairmen and national secretaries and that is statutory and Nnamani belongs to category iv which is all serving and past Presidents of the Senate and Speakers of the House of Representatives and this is statutory.

Senate President, David Mark and Speaker, House of Reps, Aminu Tanbuwal

How Mark nailed Ali’s ambition
There was yet another political intrigue where Senate President David Mark, (Benue North Central) moved a motion re-affirming the substantive Secretary of the board, Senator Walid Jibrin who is also in category (i) of one of the elected members from the zone.

His case of returning is clear as he was given another five year term to serve as Secretary and the action became the last straw which nailed the aspiration of Ahmadu Ali. The motion was seconded by former Acting Chairman of the party and immediate past Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed with an overwhelming support from other members of the board.

The political move by Mark became imperative against the backdrop that  if Ali becomes the BoT chairman from the same North Central zone with him, his influence as the political leader of the zone might be diminished, which in turn might affect the role he will play in 2015.

Former President Obasanjo was absent at the Tuesday meeting, which was attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo; Senate President, David Mark; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

There were also Governors Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Sule Lamido  (Jigawa State); Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senator Danjuma Goje, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure, Senator Muhammadu Magoro; Professor Jerry Gana;  Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Hajiya Inna Ciroma, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Senator Joy Emodi, Chief Chris Uba and Chief Ojo Maduekwe, among others.

Also at the meeting were Alhaji Bello Haliru Mohammed; Senator Adolphus Wabara; Senator Barnabas Gemade; Senator Ken Nnamani; Senator Ahmadu Ali; Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Prince Vincent Ogbulafor;  Chief Tony Anenih, Mrs. Patricia Etteh; Chief Josephine Anenih;  Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakili Adamawa).

Others were Chief Jim Nwobodo; Mr. Obong Victor Attah; Richard Akinjide; Chief Olabode George; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Walid Jibrin, Alhaji Musa Babayo, Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Chief Bode Olajumoke, General David Jemibewon (rtd), Chief Don Etiebet and Chief Ebenezer Babatope.

PDP governors’ game plan
Governors elected on the platform of the party were also not left out in the game play within the leadership of the party where they want to continue to have total control of affairs in their states especially being in charge of the state executive that will serve as foot soldiers when the time comes.

President Jonathan and former President Obasanjo

The Tukur, Nyako war
his bickering came up following Tukur’s running battle with his state governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) over who controls the affairs of the PDP in the state, an advantage that will help determine, who succeeds Nyako. It is being alleged that Tukur is preparing his son, Awwal, for the post and this is not going down well with the governor.

As a prelude to this, the Tukur-led NWC last year October dissolved the Adamawa state PDP Executive led by Alhaji Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama that was loyal to the governor and put in place Ambassador Umar Damagun nine-member caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of Adamawa PDP.

This did not go well with the governors. They pleaded with Tukur through a delegation led by the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. They visited the Wadata Plaza, National Secretariat where they pleaded passionately for their own, requesting that the decision be reversed, but things never changed.

Protecting governors’ interest
To guide against being humiliated by having the state excos sacked anytime in their respective states like in the case of Adamawa, the governors then threatened that if there was no U-turn, they would pass a vote of no confidence on the NWC at the NEC meeting and a caretaker committee put in place.

With this threat, the PDP leadership through the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja quickly made a U-Turn even in the absence of Tukur and recalled the sacked Adamawa State Executive.

The action was then described by Tukur as a betrayal of trust on the part of other members of NWC, just as President Jonathan had to summon members of NWC to a meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa and warned that they must end the bickering and work together as a team.

The triumphant governors rising from a meeting at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, Wednesday night at 11pm, however endorsed the reinstatement of Alhaji Umaru Mijinyawa Kugama led Adamawa State Executive, and stressed the need for a NEC meeting to be held as at when due.

Now that the problem between the NWC members has been ‘resolved’ by President Jonathan, BoT Chairmanship put to a halt until the revalidation of membership of the board was carried out, we wait as events unfold in the PDP.