BY DONALD NWANDU

IN a country where the contributions of distinguished people are appreciated the current “struggle” for the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the largest political party in Africa would be unnecessary. His Excellency, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the  founding Chairman of the PDP, first Chairman of the Board of Trustee of the party would be requested, appealed to and even begged to return to the position he towers above every other contender. Alex Ekwueme has many firsts in Nigerian political history and has the distinguished record of making his intellectual endowment available to Nigeria by his proposition of the six political zonal structure in the country which has ensured the political stability of the country till date.

He mobilised the group of 34 eminent Nigerians who risked their lives to stand up against the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha during the era of military rule. He co-led the 28 member NDI/Carter Centre-sponsored observer team to the Liberian Presidential run-off election in 2005.

Most recently he was invited by the ruling party in Nigeria, the PDP to head the Reconciliation Committee in the wake of intra-party discord following the last  two presidential elections. The recommendations of the Ekwueme Committee have been used as yardstick for reconciliation in the party and re-admitting aggrieved/expelled members of the party.

His unceremonial removal and replacement with Chief Tony Anenih was one of the arbitrary actions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, even the then scheming President has discovered that what goes around comes around as he had since been betrayed and humiliated by the monster he created. Vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and falls on the other. Apologies to William Shakespeare.

Dr Ekwueme

Having schemed himself into the position through amendment of the party’s constitution, former President Obasanjo found the seat too hot for him  and had to throw in the towel.

This is the time for the party to return to sanity and its democratic credentials and hand over the chairmanship of its BOT to a man with the disposition and intellect of Dr. Alex Ekwueme who commands deep respect and following in all parts of the country. It was the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo who wrote boldly in his sitting room that “only the deep can call to the deep”. Dr. Alex Ekwueme is deep and as he has already done, prescribed solutions to some of Nigeria’s seemingly insurmountable problems. He will do more if given the challenge.

The Board of Trustees is the conscience of any organisation. As the founding Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Ekwueme regards the PDP as his baby and has been nurturing it to adulthood. It will be a personal tragedy for him to see the party disintegrate and pulled down by anti-democratic elements that later infiltrated the party, seized its highest echelons and used them for personal vendetta. Now that history has vindicated the just, the founding father of the party should be humbly requested to return to his seat on the party’s Board of Trustee to give the party its respectful direction and befitting image it lost in the past 10 years.

It has been argued that at 80 years of age, the elder statesman is too old to play party politics. Agreed. But this is a major reason an eminent position as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the party suits him. Dr. Ekwueme still has the mental alertness, strength of character and courage to attend the meetings of the BOT and direct them appropriately.

Afterall even at party meetings and conventions, Dr. Ekwueme stays throughout the proceedings lasting more than those half his age. It is something of pride to us that we have a man of his age with all his faculties intact, able and willing to continue to contribute the wealth of his knowledge and experience to the progress and development of our great country.

Let all the contenders to the position of chair of PDP BOT including Mr. Fix  it rise in unison and concede the position of the conscience of the party to His Excellency Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme. None of the present contenders to the position can hold a candle to him. Is it in terms of contribution to the party, principle, commitment, steadfastness and staying put in the party despite all odds?

Mr. Fix it should concentrate his energy to making the Nigerian Ports Authority’s to which he has returned as Chairman more efficient and organising Ways and Means of returning Edo State which we have lost to Governor Adams Oshiomole’s ACN in the past five years to the PDP, after Oshiomole’s tenure.

A piece of advice to President Jonathan.  Your chances of re-election in 2015 hinge on two major factors. One is the power situation in country and the other is reducing endemic corruption in the polity. The power situation is being very effectively handled as the situation has improved drastically. Unless a serious attention is given to tackling corruption, I am afraid the country is lost. This is where Dr. Alex Ekwueme comes in. Since unfortunately Dr. Alex Ekwueme cannot be President of the country again, he will certainly as BOT Chairman of the ruling party give it an honourable image and assist to transform the party and polity towards an anti-corruption environment.

Mr. Nwandu, an architect,  wrote from Abuja.