Power Rotation Violations, Internal Conspiracies Upsetting PDP Before 2023
The offenses are as numerous as the charges. That the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dropped the ball was illustrated by its loss of the presidency in 2015 after 16 years at the pinnacle of Nigerian politics.
Since that loss, the same covenant failure disease has continued to manifest similar symptoms. Therefore, in the current dispute within the party, there is no longer any ruse to hide the fact that the PDP is in distress.
In addition to the crisis of mistrust between the party's presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubkar, and the governor of Rivers State, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the non-respect of zoning, a strong feature of the constitution of the party, is at the origin of the current upheavals. The other irritations are only symptomatic of the party's many unresolved differences.
Put simply, the rift between Atiku and Wike has all the elements of pre-2015 plans within the party, which led to his historic defeat as incumbent. At the epicenter of the dispute is the different interpretation given to the zoning or rotation of power clause contained in the DPP constitution.
Although the Wike camp believes that the disagreement within the PDP Governors' Forum has betrayed their resolve to ensure that the party's presidential flag bearer is one of them, they have decided to ensure that the disparity in the leadership structure be addressed before the general elections.
The Wike Group, citing the story, claims that in 2010, former governor Okwesilieze Nwodo was asked to step down as national president so as not to jeopardize the party's chances in the general elections of 2011. The fact that Nwodo had to cede his position to Bello Mohammed, who acted as national president until the next party convention, is now mentioned as part of the arguments fueling the call for the ousting of the senator Iyorcha Ayu as National Chairman of PDP.
The party's former national vice president, Chief Olabode George, told reporters in Lagos that as far as the 2023 general election is concerned, it is not yet uhuru for the PDP, even though he noted that "if we don't get it this time, this nation will never forgive us because Nigerians are waiting for the PDP."
George, while urging disenchanted PDP members to sheath their swords for the sake of the party, advised Ayu to follow the path of honor and leave office as per his agreement, stressing, "The zoning has sustained our democracy for so long because it's the concept that established our party.”
The PDP leader noted that the founding fathers of the party included zoning in the party constitution to foster equity and unity through the distribution of six key positions among the six geopolitical zones.
>Recall that the emergence of Ayu as the consensus candidate for the post of National President at the 2021 DPP National Convention was preceded by a conditional clause, which took the form of an agreement that in the event that a presidential candidate from the North chooses the party ticket, he should resign honorably to ensure geopolitical balance.
Also in an interview with reporters just a week before the October 30/31 national convention after emerging as the consensus choice for national president, Ayu said he would resign from office in case the party's presidential candidate would emerge from the North.
"I'm just a northern consensus, so the rest of the country has to accept me. And the law says we go to the convention and we vote...Party positions are not tied to position executive and legislative positions.
[FILES] Atiku. Photo/Facebook/Atiku Abubakar
“However, I am a very democratic person and I will do everything to promote the interest and the image of my party. If the PDP says I should resign after a presidential candidate...
The offenses are as numerous as the charges. That the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dropped the ball was illustrated by its loss of the presidency in 2015 after 16 years at the pinnacle of Nigerian politics.
Since that loss, the same covenant failure disease has continued to manifest similar symptoms. Therefore, in the current dispute within the party, there is no longer any ruse to hide the fact that the PDP is in distress.
In addition to the crisis of mistrust between the party's presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubkar, and the governor of Rivers State, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the non-respect of zoning, a strong feature of the constitution of the party, is at the origin of the current upheavals. The other irritations are only symptomatic of the party's many unresolved differences.
Put simply, the rift between Atiku and Wike has all the elements of pre-2015 plans within the party, which led to his historic defeat as incumbent. At the epicenter of the dispute is the different interpretation given to the zoning or rotation of power clause contained in the DPP constitution.
Although the Wike camp believes that the disagreement within the PDP Governors' Forum has betrayed their resolve to ensure that the party's presidential flag bearer is one of them, they have decided to ensure that the disparity in the leadership structure be addressed before the general elections.
The Wike Group, citing the story, claims that in 2010, former governor Okwesilieze Nwodo was asked to step down as national president so as not to jeopardize the party's chances in the general elections of 2011. The fact that Nwodo had to cede his position to Bello Mohammed, who acted as national president until the next party convention, is now mentioned as part of the arguments fueling the call for the ousting of the senator Iyorcha Ayu as National Chairman of PDP.
The party's former national vice president, Chief Olabode George, told reporters in Lagos that as far as the 2023 general election is concerned, it is not yet uhuru for the PDP, even though he noted that "if we don't get it this time, this nation will never forgive us because Nigerians are waiting for the PDP."
George, while urging disenchanted PDP members to sheath their swords for the sake of the party, advised Ayu to follow the path of honor and leave office as per his agreement, stressing, "The zoning has sustained our democracy for so long because it's the concept that established our party.”
The PDP leader noted that the founding fathers of the party included zoning in the party constitution to foster equity and unity through the distribution of six key positions among the six geopolitical zones.
>Recall that the emergence of Ayu as the consensus candidate for the post of National President at the 2021 DPP National Convention was preceded by a conditional clause, which took the form of an agreement that in the event that a presidential candidate from the North chooses the party ticket, he should resign honorably to ensure geopolitical balance.
Also in an interview with reporters just a week before the October 30/31 national convention after emerging as the consensus choice for national president, Ayu said he would resign from office in case the party's presidential candidate would emerge from the North.
"I'm just a northern consensus, so the rest of the country has to accept me. And the law says we go to the convention and we vote...Party positions are not tied to position executive and legislative positions.
[FILES] Atiku. Photo/Facebook/Atiku Abubakar
“However, I am a very democratic person and I will do everything to promote the interest and the image of my party. If the PDP says I should resign after a presidential candidate...What's Your Reaction?
