Apprehension as PDP reopens 2023 injuries ahead of 2027 elections

The battle line is drawn between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the soul of the Rivers State chapter of the party and whether the minister should be sanctioned or not for his alleged anti-party activities. Azimazi Momoh Jimoh reports.

Politicians with ambitions to contest elections in 2027 on the ticket of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are beginning to have nightmares following the resurrection of the crises that frustrated the party’s victory in the 2023 presidential election. Internal wrangling in many state chapters of the party are defying solutions just as the crisis of confidence continues to rock its national leadership.

Forces loyal to the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have renewed their calls for disciplinary measures against party members perceived to have sabotaged PDP’s chances in 2023, a development that has attracted serious opposition from the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

The Guardian checks revealed that the newly established national disciplinary committee under the chairmanship of Chief Tom Ikimi is facing a serious test as many besiege it with petitions recommending sanctions against others with rival political ambitions.

Amid criticisms, the National Working Committee (NWC) led by PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has insisted that it would not yield to attempts by any group of politicians to play divisive games.

In the face of mounting pressure, Damagum had said that should the party’s leadership decide to wield the big stick particularly against suspected anti-party members, the list of victims could be endless as many had at one time or the other played such games.

Accordingly, it was learnt that reconciliation of all forces was being given priority, a development that has been criticised by some forces who insist that without punishing erring members, others might be tempted to toe the same path.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a prominent member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), who supported Atiku in the last election, said: “The failure of the leadership to sanction sabotage or anti-party activities is what has emboldened many members who now think they are bigger than the party.”

He accused the leadership of playing dangerous games with issues that might jeopardise PDP chances in the next general elections. On the alleged attempt to hijack the newly established disciplinary committee to settle scores, the NWC is seriously under pressure to intervene in the affairs of the committee with respect to hastening the invitation of some persons at the behest of other forces.

The development threatens the confidence of the disciplinary committee; even as the NWC requires it to do justice to all petitions and allegations. According to the party’s rules, all recommendations from any of the committees including the disciplinary committee or the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led reconciliation committee must be approved by the NWC before they could be forwarded to NEC for activation.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, told The Guardian that claims that the NWC instructed the disciplinary committee to commence investigation against anyone were untrue as the panel has been given powers to act independently and submit reports at the end of its work.

“Nobody should deceive you that the NWC of this great party, PDP, has directed the disciplinary committee to invite the FCT minister or anyone for that matter because as directed by NEC, the NWC set up the committee to act independently. We do not dictate it on who to invite and for what,” he stated.

Ologunagba made the clarification in reaction to reports that the leadership of the party had directed the disciplinary committee to invite Wike for questioning over remarks against PDP Governors Forum.

The deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, had at another interview disclosed that Wike is one of the persons who have been summoned to face the disciplinary committee.

Abdullahi said: “Three weeks ago, we put up two committees in place, that of reconciliation and disciplinary, and Wike is one of the persons to face the disciplinary committee, which is headed by elder statesman, Chief Tom Ikimi.

“The disciplinary committee will look into issues of anti-party activities. We’ve been receiving petitions regarding anti-party activities or sabotaging the party throughout the primary, leading to where we are now. These petitions against Wike and other party members have been aggregated and sent to the committee.

“Some party members even felt that Wike shouldn’t have gotten to this level still as a member of the PDP and they have been writing to the leadership.”

Meanwhile, facts are emerging that the PDP Governors Forum is facing its own challenges arising from the position taken by the forum on the crisis in the Rivers State chapter of the party.

The matter, it was learnt, has further strained the relationship between the forum and the national leadership of the party. A section of the NWC is said to have expressed reservations about the manner in which the governors openly took sides in the crisis rocking the Rivers State chapter of the party. This group in the NWC, it was further learnt, argued that open declaration of support for governor Fubara is making resolution of the crisis more difficult.

A few governors who have taken side with Wike are said to be promoting this camp. But other governors, including the chairman of the governors’ forum and governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, insisted that there was nothing wrong with PDP governors declaring support for Fubara.

Accordingly, the Mohammed-led group of governors was, according to sources, putting pressure on the NWC to cancel the just concluded state congress in Rivers State PDP, which culminated in the emergence of a new state executive of the party that is loyal to Wike.

If the congress is annulled, a fresh congress that may lead to the emergence of a new state party executive loyal to governor Fubara may emerge. Sources close to the National Secretariat of the PDP hinted that some governors are calling for cautious approaches to the issues to prevent a situation that might worsen the party’s national crisis.

A member of the NWC, who pleaded for anonymity, told The Guardian: “Look, what is playing out in the PDP Governors Forum could further worsen the crisis in the party because of suspicion that the forum may be used to boost political interests of some political forces.

“PDP governors are very influential in the party when they act together. They give direction to the party particularly in times of crisis. However, the matter in Rivers State is tearing this powerful organ apart. Although we later heard that the expression of support for Fubara is a mere show of comradeship, interpretations are already being read to such actions. To that effect, the solidarity that exists in that forum may get weakened in the days ahead if the wrong impression is allowed to persist.”

At its meeting in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital last week, PDP Governors Forum expressed solidarity with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and made it clear that efforts would be made to support him to regain his rightful leadership position in the Rivers State chapter of the party.

However, the position attracted serious opposition from Wike, who swiftly declared his readiness to fight whoever supports Fubara against him in the crisis. On Tuesday, PDP governors condemned the threats by Wike and declared: “The statements and threats to peaceful coexistence made by Wike to “Put fire” in the PDP controlled states are unbridled, irresponsible and without ambiguity totally unacceptable as it undermines efforts to build and maintain peace, cohesion, collaboration and mutual respect among leaders and members of the party.”

Wike had while addressing his loyalists in Port Harcourt during the party’s congress said: “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give it back to somebody.

“I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take.”

In a statement released by the Director-General of the PDP Governors Forum, Emmanuel Agbo, the governors said it was rather unfortunate that the threat came from someone who was once a member of the forum as a former governor.

The governors called “on the heads of the national security apparatuses to take note of threats by Wike to stoke the fire of violence at the sub-nationals as no one is above the laws of the land.”

Insisting on their support for Fubara, the governors stated that they were “irrevocably committed to working with NWC of our great party, PDP by ensuring that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is conferred with all the privileges he is entitled to as a governor elected on the platform of our party, both at the state and national levels.”