By – Kennedy Dimaku
Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the FCT boasts that the lingering crisis in the party has made the party stronger. Kennedy Dimaku writes that though the rebel governors are upbeat, PDP is almost winning the war.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s lingering crisis has left
doubts in the minds of political observers whether the party would be
able to come out of it unscathed. This is as a result of the resilience
found in the splitter group that are backed by seven governors who are insisting
they are undaunted even with the court judgment barring them from
parading themselves as Executive of, or holding meeting in the name of
“New PDP”.
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as well has come out
to say they recognize only one PDP and would not have anything to do
with the said New PDP.
Given the seeming complicationsand the steel resolve of the rebel group, many have come to conclusion that the ruling PDP would be
drown in this sea of political quagmire considering the fact that a
house divided against itself can never stand.
More so, All Progressive Congress, APC is not helping matters. It has
ab initio been feeding on the crisis and like the biblical Macedonian
call, going about to woo the PDP governors to come over to APC, all is
a build up to 2015.
PDP Chairman, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Alhaji Yunusa Yahaya
Suleiman is optimistic that the PDP crisis is like a feud between
family members and would serve as a refiner to the party stressing
that a gold passes through the fire for its beauty to emerge.
He described PDP as a large family with large number of members which
makes crisis inevitable considering that one member knowingly or
unknowingly would step on another’s toes. But what matters, he said,
was the resolution and out outcome of the crisis.
According to him, “PDP has been involved in crisis. I want to say
categorically that the crisis we are witnessing today is as a result
of our number. We are much in number more than other political
parties. A very large house with a heavy weight must have effect on
the ground and that is part of what is generating the clashes.
“This crisis is being generated as a result of indiscipline exhibited
by members across the party. You know, every organization is bound by
a set of rules and regulations; and if members abide by the rules and
regulations, even if he is stepped on, there would be resolution. There
would be reconciliation.”
Suleiman noted that what has been happening in PDP in the recently
time has been misconstrued by people. He said that some mischievous
persons in some quarters have capitalized on it to misinform Nigerians
and play on their gullibility, pointing out that PDP of late is
better informed in all ramifications than PDP of yesteryear. “PDP
today is better than what we used to have before now. Today, there is
better internal democracy, there is cohesion in the system, and there
is leadership focus. I am not saying that what is obtainable now is
the best. There is still room for improvement. But in Nigeria today,
what PDP is doing is better that what other political parties are
doing. What we are doing today is better than what we did yesteryear.
“In those days, some people might not contest primaries but you see
them having the ticket as party flag bearers. At that time, nobody
complained. But these days, Nigerians are getting more exposed, more
enlightened and more political conscious. In those days like I said,
there would be no primaries or after the primaries, they would say to
one person, step down so that another person would come up. Or to the
other, come up so that another person would step down. It was
undemocratic. But it happened about seven years ago.
“That kind of scenario was what brought about the Chief Servant of
Niger State, Babangida Aliyu becoming governor. He never contested for
primaries at the first instance. It brought Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto
State to become governorship candidate of PDP and won as governor. He
did not contest primaries from the beginning.” He disclosed.
He said that PDP today is refined and better because of the
experiences it has passed through as a large family whose large
members are bound to step on one another’s toes. Members advertently
or inadvertently clash with one another. In that case, he said, it
is the large family that would be heard more than any other stressing
that amidst crises, PDP has remained determined, most focused and
result oriented party in the country.
He said that PDP is better for winning five area councils out of six
in FCT and has something to show for it. In Kwali Area Council for
instance, PDP took over power from the opposition party and has so far
delivered the dividend of democracy to the people pointing to the
drastic achievement of PDP led administration within the few months of
governance.”We have light here in Kwali today courtesy of this
administration. The township road has been constructed; you can go
there and see it. Another contract has been awarded for Bako road,
that of Yangoji Zafa is ongoing and other projects. And all our Junior
Secondary Schools in Kwali Area Council were not going to
competitions: quizzes, debating, sport, and all that because of
the distance and they did not have the money to go and hire buses; but
this government on assumption of office, acquired ten buses. And seven
went to all the Junior Secondary School. The different is clear
compare to the past years another party was in power.” He posited.
He declared that efforts have been put in place to sustain the tempo
noting that the target is to revolutionize Kwali Area Council. He
added,” The transformation we are witnessing is because we have
credible candidate. We are gong to sustain the tempo because we have a
target from the outset and are ready to meet our target.”
PDP today is better than what we used to have before now. Today, there is
better internal democracy, there is cohesion in the system, and there
is leadership focus.
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