The PDP 'Macabre' Dance

It lays claims to being the largest political party in Africa but of recent, the PDP's umbrella has proved to be too small to contain all its members.
On the 31st of August,2013,the party received a shocking birthday gift as some aggrieved members of the party walked out of its "special convention" at Eagle's Square to form a parallel party christened the "New PDP" and had its parallel convention at Shehu Yar'adua Centre,Abuja.This move could be seen as the crescendo of the crises that has brewed in the party for almost a year! The "New PDP" has as its chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and also has in its fold seven Governors which include the Governors of Rivers,Kano, Kwara,Sokoto,Jigawa,Niger and Adamawa States.Interestingly, former Vice President,Alhaji Atiku Abubakar seems to be the arrowhead of these new cliche of PDP Members.
However,the PDP's leadership led by its chairman,Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,still has in its fold 16 state Governors and are loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan.Tukur labelled the break-away members "traitors". The absence of former President,Olusegun Obasanjo at the "special" convention did little to calm frayed nerves among party faithfuls. One fact is certain,these are hard times for the PDP. The question is; What has really happened to the biggest political party in Africa? The whole imbroglio is not unconnected with the perceived second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan. Earlier in the year,the Governor of Niger State,Babangida Aliyu,came up with an allegation that the President had signed a one term pact to run for just a single term.Obviously,from political permutations by Northern Politicians,the second term ambition of President Jonathan would deny the North an opportunity to produce the next President which they say is their turn.The North is bent on producing the next President and they believe that Bamanga Tukur is doing a yeoman's job for the President and as such poses a stumbling block to their regional ambition and as such, must be removed at all cost! However,this agenda has met stiff opposition from the President's camp as they have stoutly resisted all efforts to effect a change in the leadership of the party. Furthermore,it has been widely reported that the dictatorial leadership pattern of Tukur in the day to day running of the party'S affairs has not gone down well with party faithfuls. Critics have cited some of Tukur's sins include the "rushed" suspension of Governors Rotimi Amaechi and Aliyu Wamakko,the dissolution of the Party Exco in Adamawa and Rivers States,the crisis in the south west region of the party and also the contravention of various sections of the PDP constitution. These and many more has created a chasm between the leadership of the party and its members. The crises in the Nigerian Governors' forum has done little to end the crises in the party. The insistence of the North to produce the next President has led to the metamorphosis of Peoples Democratic Movement(PDM) from a pressure group in PDP to a full fledged political party. Unknown to many persons,the PDM had existed long before the PDP. The PDM was originally christened as Peoples Front(PF)and was founded in 1989 by the Late Shehu Musa Yar'adua(rtd). It was formed to galvanize the Presidential ambition of Yar'adua under the transition programme of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida led military junta. It had in its fold then,Chief Dapo Sarumi,Chief(Mrs)Titilayo Ajanaku,Chief Anthony Anenih,Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other influential politicians across the country. It is largely believed that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the promoter and financier of the PDM but the question is; Can the PDM upstage the PDP even in the North? Only time will tell. Furthermore,it is widely believed in most quarters that Rivers State Governor,Rotimi Amaechi, has been tipped to be the running mate to Alhaji Sule Lamido, and this has made President Goodluck Jonathan and his supporters very uncomfortable. This sense of mutual suspicion among the influential members of the party has led to rifts,mudslinging,name-calling and backstabbing in the party. With 2015 just fifteen months away,the control of the soul and political structure of the PDP will remain a turbulent issue that will bedevil the party unless something urgent is done to salvage the present situation. What does the future hold for the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan? All I can say is "PDP,lets get ready to rumble" ........Idorenyin Umoh