ANALYSIS: The Exit And Resignation Saga: Is PDP On The Way To Extinction?

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Featured Contributors/Columnists, Latest Headlines Friday, May 22nd, 2015

By Tajudeen Balogun, Head, African Examiner, Nigeria Bureau – Just like the Yoruba popular idiomatic expression – ‘agitation back and forth on which direction a door must open’, the weeks of what I seriously regard as needless and useless debates on the so called ignoble roles played by the immediate past National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), “the Game Changer”, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has been temporarily laid to rest with his Wednesday ‘preemptive’ and reluctant resignation from the party’s top office. The PDP has turned into a house of confusion and commotion, therefore, Adamu was not alone in receiving the full and final share of the ‘expansive’ tsunami ravaging the wrestled ruling party, as another old and elderly top member (former BOT Chairman), Chief Tony Anenih was pressured to exit from his position and subsequently pronounced his unwilling resignation later the same day Mu’azu did.

While “Mr Game Changer’s” final travail never came as a surprise to many, given the level of accusations against him and few of his members in the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), “Mr Fix It” ordeal was considered somewhat unexpected to some. Of course, Chief Anenih unlike Mu’azu came out clean, announcing he voluntarily leaves his former office to pave way for the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan to take over his position and the party at large. Is the man’s action really in line with the amended constitution of the party or what was actually the matter?

Mu’azu’s exit drew much attention within and outside his party. I must say some of the reactions that trailed his decision, were very much predictable; instructive as well as interesting. The Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose; former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South West), Chief Bode George; the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh and the Spokesperson of the party’s Presidential organization, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) all viewed the forced resignation as honourable and the best thing that could happen this time to their beloved party. I see; what could they have said, when some of them, in particular, Fayose and FFK with their followers have been agitating and demanding for sanctions against their one time leader?

Still on the reactions, Metuh once again triggered my cynicism of the PDP and its leaders, when he offered, now that his former Chairman had left, those of them who were left had the competence and capability to turn the party around, reposition it and actively prepare it for the next general elections of the country. Indeed, I hear this very clearly and loudly! But I wonder where those capability and other virtues were, to the extent that his overall boss and Presidential candidate of the PDP, (Mr. President) was defeated and shown the way out during the March 28 Poll.

His colleague (ever inconsistent) FFK on his own, held in addition that, the expected sanity will prevail in the PDP NWC and party in general, until two or more members of the NWC were bundled out of the cabinet. So many strange and terrible characters in disarray PDP. Can we ask Mr Right – FFK who are those National EXCO members he was referring to? Can you imagine politics of treachery exhibited by members of a party claiming overhauling and a promising future? Did Chief George hear this from FFK and bother to marry it with his further position that “the PDP was only given a bloody nose and not a total knock out” in the last general polls?

In actual fact, I am less concerned about Mu’azu and Anenih being given the red cards and hard knocks, after all, it was all cases of ‘vanity upon vanity’. Of course, my position will remain, when more heads roll over the similar reasons (allegations) against the first target and scapegoat, Mu’azu. Rather, where my interest really lies is the orchestrated accusations (Mu’azu’s connivance with the opposition against the PDP and President Jonathan), the main factor unfortunately which the PDP and its leaders still hold on to, regarding President Jonathan and PDP humiliation at the last general elections. This position itself is offensive and fraudulent – some of the repugnant traits the party has been for long known for!

Readers of my column will quickly agree that this point had been repeatedly articulated by me in the past.

My point is that if Mu’azu was accused of compromising his party with the incoming ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and so intimidated to back pedal, then, the PDP has a long list of highly placed of its stalwarts that must face similar ordeal, like the just resigned National Chairman. Mu’azu lost all the elections in his Bauchi home State, so also was the President Jonathan’s Vice, Namadi Sambo, whose loss in his Kaduna home State was more devastating even than Mu’azu’s. Which exclusive perspective is being looked into by the PDP for it not to have deemed it fit that Sambo connived with the opposition and compromised his party?

Similarly, despite the propaganda, Musiliu Obanikoro, the man President Jonathan valued so much and placed high hope could not deliver maximum vote for his boss at his polling unit (not to mention his ward) during the Presidential Election, what is PDP is really saying? Well, congratulations to him (Koro) as he narrowly delivered his unit for the PDP (Lagos State) Governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje with two votes difference! In the same vein, Agbaje, Chief George, FFK, the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko – the south west mobilizer and votes canvasser all failed to deliver the needed votes either in their units or the entire States for the PDP and its Presidential candidate.

And less I forget, the incumbent Senate President, David Mark failed President Jonathan in Presidential Poll and his State (Benue) was lost to the opposition in the Governorship poll. Mark is one of the staunch loyalists and ardent supporters of the outgoing President. But with the recent development, including flexing of muscle by the Senate with Jonathan over the 2015 Constitutional Amendment Bill, coupled with Mark conviction in the Bill, it is very doubtful whether the two old jolly allies are still on the same page.

Still, Governor Fayose by my own reckoning lacks the moral right to rant over his supremacy in Ekiti local politics. If you care to ask me, I will tell you the restless Governor, beside the burden of famous Ekitigate, can still not lay proper claim to his winning magic in Ekiti, due to the fact that he never allowed a level playing field for the leading opposition members, to run their campaign. Since election and voting go with reaching out to electorates; mobilizing them and staying with them, can Fayose convincingly defend that his opposition (opponents of his candidates) were allowed to campaign in the State? On this account, the man commands no single respect from me and if he likes, should keep galvanizing over his self-conceited victory.

Can we also conclude that these characters also betrayed President Jonathan? What is the difference between what happened in Bauchi and the States of members cited above during the last general elections? And no allegation of gross misconduct against them!

As I write, the demand and protests against the entire NWC members of the party rage. What a mess and multiple disasters on the party, which members gleefully, proudly and consistently described as the biggest in the African continent!

It is an understatement to declare things are falling apart within the PDP and among its rank and file of its members. Ahead of the decisive general polls, the party was faced with challenge of losing very key members – its former BOT Chairman and two term President Olusegun Obasanjo; five strategic Governors and the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

The same biggest political party lost in drove its members to the leading opposition, right after President Jonathan was clearly and openly defeated, in the generally applauded free, fair and credible poll. Interestingly, if there were cases (evident) of electoral frauds, President Jonathan’s South South region and by extension, South East were the culprits. Recall the bloody violence that trailed Akwa Ibom; Rivers; Delta; Edo and Imo States Presidential Election.

What is painful to me, which has been mentioned previously is that despite the enormous misfortunes of the PDP, which were self-inflicted (poor performance; insecurity; President Jonathan unbridled political ambition; high level of corruption in government and too much of deceits), the party, its leaders, members and supporters kept pretending, chasing shadows and ultimately expected to win. I repeat, here again today, that there is no magic the PDP could have deployed to win a free and credible election in Nigeria, given the mess, at the instance of present administration in the country.

Again, the fact of the matter is that the problems of trust and poor accountability playing out within the PDP and which have been blown opened, hence impacted negatively on the social and economic lives of many Nigerians as President spends his last seven days in office, are not fresh, (new) rather, they have been existing, but being covered up. Unfortunately the loss of the party and its members who are in charge of government machineries, in the last polls have inevitably opened so many sleazy and sharp practices, which ordinarily would have been covered up and buried had the outgoing President Jonathan won the recent Presidential election.

Therefore, if intimidation to resign or exit members are the antidotes discovered by the certain cabal in the PDP to cleanse it, then I hold that President Jonathan in particular, should not be spared. After all, his ambition for re-election was the last straw that broke the horse’s back. Also, if the elements behind the present moves lack audacity to do same for Mr President, then I make bold to say they are coward, yet are another evils in the ‘house’ who were only out with the sole mission of handing the party and its machineries over to the leaving President.

This brings then the question that who then will be in charge of the PDP as it continues to suffer membership exodus? Given the above dimension and perception, President Jonathan is certainly being prepared to wear the big shoes. Still, the question; does this President, given the damages he had wrecked on the party possess that capability and wisdom for the tasking job? If you care to demand for my opinion, I will respond that it is another big error and a path to the final burial of the outgoing ruling party.

President Jonathan, if the truth must be told does not command the needed respect and possess tactics to revive the dying PDP. Unfortunately, virtually all the founding members have shifted post and anyone who expect loyalty from the Mu’azus; Anenihs, even the Marks to Jonathan, after exit from power is only dreaming. So, who then is to turn to rescue the PDP? Really, I do not know. Surely, the party which has dragged the country into one chance is equally in one chance bus right now. Is there any sympathy? I doubt if I have any for the PDP whicht had wickedly and selfishly shortchanged the country and her entire citizenry in the midst of surplus within the last 16 years.

Finally, the ongoing drama – intimidation, leading to resignations and massive membership exit as orchestrated by the plotters is a certainly a futile exercise, which in the end, will deal a hefty blow on it; consume both the sponsor (s) and the foot soldiers. More seriously, it might result to a weak and ‘passive’ PDP or plunged it into final extinction, a situation that will lead to regrouping of those who might have remained in it (PDP); form another or merge with another political party to form new one. This are certainly not best of the times for the PDP.

The Jonathan Painful Exit Memory Worsens

The above headline was my focus last week. Please refer as titled: “The Painful, Sad Memories President Jonathan Is Leaving Behind” Coincidentally, Ayodele Afolabi, one of our Correspondents did a report on the eve (May 14, 2015) of the analysis. In it, he hinted that the current MW presently generated in Nigeria has plummeted to 1800, hence Nigerians had been warned to buckle up for worst power outage. That crispy report was then hypothetical, but now the salient point has come to past.

Besides many communities that have been battling with perennial power outage, so many fairly better areas in the Lagos metropolis for instance, have been in the last one week, yelling about the worst ever blackout era in the country! The story is the same in both the rural and urban areas of the metropolis. Why the situation is this bad? Why the means of power and transportation – fuel and electricity have become so scarce and people need to struggle extremely to manage to get little stock or supply for business and economy activities?

Nigeria is sick! Governance is presently at zero level. The only thing the President who is leaving coming Friday knows how best to do now, is to fire those he does not like their faces and replace them with his stooges. My advice here to the incoming President, General Muhammadu Buhari, is that all the hurried and meaningless appointment, including the new IGP be reversed. Loyalty is very key in every system; except If General Buhari wishes to risk the avoidable danger, he should be able to draw simple conclusion here.

He (President Jonathan) cares less about the state of economy he and his team had been singing loud and clear is the best and biggest in the continent. The President is not bothered how his administration has wrecked and rocked the boats of many states of the Federation, forcing some of them to owe months of salaries.

I doubt if the fresh, yet alarming huge $60 Billion Nigeria debt profile just revealed made any sense to the President who claims he loves the country so much and recently sought the people’s mandate. Nigerians must be grateful the he was defeated and he is on his way out.

President Jonathan, hear this and it is the fact on ground; Nigerians cannot be patient any more to see you get out of the power. You disappointed those who voted you four years ago (grateful I did not) as I saw all off these mess most likely. Reason: the religion and tribal sentiments as you attempted in 2015 (though worked again to some extent) as well as last minute political horse trading with another key opposition leader won you the maximum votes in 2011. It is a pity your mandate was not on the premises of personal capacity and clout. If I had anticipated the present travails in your government, what I might not have thought of is the alarming and worrisome levels it had assumed.

Mr. President, the state of things was not this terrible when you assumed full power five years ago. Painfully, you are leaving behind hunger, anger, abject poverty, anguish and pains among Nigerians. If you are forgiven (which I expected anyway for these blunders), I am sure generations after the other, would read the pathetic stories of your government. Nigerians, would you not wish aloud and (if you like) pray may this country never and ever have the type of the outgoing leader in charge of our lives and country again? Mr. President, if there is any good legacy recorded by your government, the sorry state of the Nigeria as you round off from the office I assert, had completely rubbished it, if at all there is any! So, President Jonathan, Nigerians are fed up of your government and pains it had inflicted on them and the country in general; they tired and anxious you leave. Please go! President Jonathan go, please!

E-Mail: tjaysuccess10@gmail.com; Facebook: Tajudeen Balogun; Twitter: @tajudeen balogun