The National Working of the PDP met to review the State of the Party and the elections in Edo and Ondo State.
And identified impunity and lack of respect for the PDP constitution and the rule of law as the major problems that led to our failure in the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections.
The impact of impunity in the PDP manifested itself in the actual sense for the first time in 2011 general elections when the then ACN defeated the PDP in Nasarawa State. We had a sitting Governor then who could not deliver. This was the first warning against impunity. It was ignored.
Then in 2015 we had Governors in Benue, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi and Adamawa. We lost in all these States for a common reason, the Governors were not unpopular but they imposed their surrogates and the people voted them out. We paid for impunity.
An analysis of the 2015 general election shows that the entire ten (10) States above are in the North. The South South would not have survived if President Jonathan did not hail from the region. Off course the figures that emanated from the South East were abysmal.
The above analysis is to show that the Governors are very important in delivering a Party but that they don’t necessary determine the outcome. The running of the Party should therefore not be left entirely to their whims and caprices. The Party must have a say because Party is supreme. In the case of Mimiko’s Ondo the Party was denied the valuable say.
In all these difficult times only three Governors have been the architects of the destruction of the Party. Some like Governors Taraba, Gombe, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers and a few others have been very cooperative and are willing to let the Party grow. They have shown maturity, understanding and sagacity in the affairs of the PDP.
In Edo State, we told all who cared to listen that the Party hierarchy was defective and that the Leadership needed to be changed to allow the sixty Stalwarts of the PDP who defected to APC to return to the fold, off course the Governors refused. There was no surprise to the result.
In Ondo State: the script was written in 2013 when Governor Mimiko returned to PDP. All members he met on the ground left the Party for him and he took over the PDP. The structure was handed over to the Labour Party.
If Oke had not gone to AD and Mimiko managed leadership sportsmanly, PDP would have won the election convincingly. In the election APC scored 244,842 votes while PDP scored 150,380 and AD scored 126,889 votes. It is a fact that the AD votes belong to PDP and the simple arithmetic shows why PDD lost; our votes went to Oke and AD.
When Mimiko returned to the PDP his fellow Governors appealed to him to allow for harmonization but he refused. All the PDP members led by Olusola Oke left the PDP for him. In choosing a candidate to succeed him, he did not allow the PDP members to buy forms. He mainly anointed Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) who was returned unopposed.
Party members cried to the high heavens that Jegede is from the Central Zone where Mimiko hails from. Their cries fell on deaf ears. On the other hand, the authentic Primary was conducted where six (6) participants were involved and Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim OFR emerged. Jimoh hails from the South. He campaigned vigorously and convinced the people to vote for him. But alas Mimiko will not allow him carry the Party flag. Mimiko used the instrumentality of State Government to overwhelm Jimoh but could not overwhelm the masses and voters. Off course the result is out there for all to see.
At this juncture, we call on the people of Nigeria to listen to the voice of Chief Alex Ekwueme GCON, “until the people who champion impunity leaves PDP I will not have anything to do with PDP” he said.
It is of general knowledge that the Governors invited Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff to Chairman the PDP. When he assumed office, he put in place a committee to conduct a National Convention to elect people of good character to run the affairs of the Party.
Governor Udom of Akwa Ibom State was appointed the Chairman of the Zoning Committee. The Governors met and decided that Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff should continue in office. The question is was it Mr. President, Gen. Buhari or the APC who sourced Sen. Sheriff for the PDP? Was it the APC who chaired the Zoning Committee that zoned Chairmanship to Sheriff? The answer is NO. We therefore call on all Nigerians to discountenance the idea that Sheriff is working for the APC. Sheriff was offered the Senatorial ticket in the last general election after he left the APC. Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff is a complete PDP faithful whose desire it is to reposition the Party.
Truth be told, Sheriff is insisting that power be returned to the people.
Enemies are wont to aver that Sheriff is a Boko Haram sponsor. But it is on record that when Sheriff was Governor of Borno State he suppressed and completely routed the Boko Haram like Buhari did in 1993.
Boko Haram Killed 5 members of his family in the process of his fight against them.
But when the current Governor of Borno State, Shetima took over office Boko Haram became emboldened, virulent and malignant.
Note also that Shetima became Governor because Boko Haram killed the man who was to be Governor. His death paved way for the emergence of Shetima who willingly and deliberately encouraged Boko Haram.
Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff has taken to court the Attorney General of Borno State who claimed that Sheriff is Boko Haram in Suit No. FCT/HC/CU/2494/2016 between Senator Dr. Ali Modu Sheriff vs Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan and 3 others which is currently on going.
Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan in the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Borno State.
We call on all Nigerians to prevail on Mr. Makarfi and his illegal Caretaker Committee to disband to allow the PDP reposition to deliver a worthwhile opposition to the wonderful people of Nigeria.
Ordinarily the Party does not comment on individuals. But for the sake of the survival of the Party we take exceptions to the utterances of Prince Adeyeye. He believes he is serving his masters so he will be awarded the ticket of Ekiti State. If PDP is not restructured even if he is awarded the ticket which we know Fayose will not do, it will be an exercise in futility and a waste of time like Eyotayo Jegede’s. The unbecoming and audacious statement of Prince Adeyeye is not in character of the PDP. What needs to be done will be done at the appropriate time in line with the constitution of our Party.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is the agent of change for the PDP and multiparty democracy in Nigeria. Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff remains the only and authentic National Chairman of the PDP and the NWC remains the only administrative body authorized by law to run the Party.
We urge the general public, the judiciary and Party faithful to note that we are law abiding and respect the rule of law.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR ALL TO COME TOGETHER. THE FIGHT TO UNITE PDP IS A TASK THAT MUST BE DONE.
Signed:
Prof. Wale Oladipo
National Secretary.
