By Ifeanyi Mbakogu

If recent events are anything to go by, it is evident that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is in dire need to establish its credentials as a formidable platform to articulate alternative views on the governance of the country. Perhaps, it is more appropriate to say that the party had all along been faced with the challenge of reinventing itself. Had it been able to achieve some acceptable level of internal restructuring, under the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur or even Alhaji Adamu Muazu after him, it is possible, just possible, that it could have retained power at the federal level. What is not clear is whether retaining the presidency could have been achieved without nominating a northern candidate, a factor that not only polarised the party by culminated in the departure of some of its prized members.

The 2015 elections have come and gone. The PDP emerged from the election completely worsted. But for some token redemptive effort in Taraba State, the party, which had flaunted a 150-year uninterrupted rule as its birthright, failed so woefully in the North that visitors to Nigeria could pass it for a regional party. So, what should it do in the face of this dismal outing? What is left is for it to now undertake a radical internal restructuring that would guarantee its relevance in the opposition role that has been thrust upon it. However, the pertinent question remains whether the leaders of the party possess the sincerity to learn from their mistakes and the courage to chart a new course, no matter whose ox is gored. Besides, it remains to be seen if the party can wean itself of the trappings of power without which it could fail woefully in its role as the main opposition platform. Still on that, it is left to be seen how the PDP defines its opposition role, beyond engaging the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, a party that rode to power on the crest of a wellspring of popular support, in irritating sparring sessions as has often become the case.

In some sense, it is rather strange that, on a daily basis, the PDP is busy picking holes in President Muhammadu Buhari’s actions. Granted that the party’s opposition status confers a watchdog role on it, many would consider it rather impolitic and an affront to the electorate, that the man they gave their mandate is literally being hounded on a daily basis. I think that it is rather too early to engage a President who is yet to settle down into office in debilitating sparring sessions. To that extent, I will think that the PDP should rather concentrate on re-establishing an internal dynamic that boasts of the integrity and moral force to hold existing members, reintegrate estranged ones and enjoy the confidence of the electorate. Against the background of the protracted instability suffered by the party and the evident treachery clandestinely carried out by some of its leaders, PDP needs to install a party executive that has the clout, integrity, unquestioned loyalty, widespread acceptability, commitment and exposure to command the respect of both its members and members of the ruling party. In this regard, enthroning a formidable personality as national chairman, someone who commands widespread respect becomes a compelling success factor.

Without mincing words, how the party executive is reconstituted will determine whether or not it will command national recognition and relevance and by extension, its ability to function effectively as a formidable opposition platform. If the speculation that the party has scheduled a special congress for August 2015 is correct, it will afford it one great opportunity to reestablish its credential as an institution anchored on strong nationalist principles.

For now, it is only natural that party members from the North East will expect to be allowed to complete their term of the chairmanship. But there are speculations that some party leaders from the South East and South-South geopolitical zones could push for an arrangement that zones the chairmanship position of the party to these areas to compensate them for their performance at the governorship and national assembly elections.

While their position sounds logical, there is, at least, one exception to the rule. It could be helpful to recall that while the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) produced a governor from the North and none from the South, its chairman always came from the South. That way, it retained a semblance of being national, a perception that would have been lost if like APGA, it always produced its chairman form the South East zone. More fundamentally, the PDP cannot afford to descend from its erstwhile Olympian status as the biggest party in Africa to the nadir of becoming a regional champion.

What is left is to pick a national chairman who, by virtue of widespread acceptance, administrative experience and clout could be trusted to restore the lost glory of the party. The political mill is awash with speculations that Bala Mohammed, Kauran Bauchi and immediate past minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is being seriously considered for the position. Should that happen, the PDP would have taken a bold and honest step towards its redemption. But that depends on whether the cabal whose handling of party affairs had so alienated, as to frustrate loyal members out of the party, would be ready for the Bala Mohammed type of leadership. Bold, fearless and forthright, the erstwhile minister spares no punches in matters of equity, loyalty and justice.

Of course, at this critical watershed in its history, the PDP stands to benefit from Bala Mohammed’s credentials as a highly detribalised Nigerian whose reputation as a foremost bridge-builder has earned him accolades from and friendship across the length and breadth of the country. In this regard, the former minister can fall back on the formidable political capital he has acquired, over the years, as a top flight civil servant, a first rate legislator who always placed national interest above primordial considerations and a result-oriented and pragmatic administrator to whom, Abuja, as the federal capital, should symbolize the nation’s diversity and not a narrow geo-political expression.

Again, who becomes the chairman of PDP depends on what the party places a premium on at this point. If the goal, as appears apparent in the past few weeks, is to engage the Buhari Administration in hot exchanges that seem targeted at frustrating his administration, I will doubt that Bala Mohammed will fit the bill. Yet, we must ponder to question if, indeed, such an approach should that be the PDP’s immediate preoccupation in the aftermath of its disastrous electoral outing and internal crisis? I doubt not. For a party that performed woefully because it dropped victorious aspirants and fielded unpopular ‘candidates;’ for a party that lost its centre of gravity because loyal founders were hounded out like victims of infectious skin diseases; for a party where inter-regional suspicion spiraled out of control and eroded the slightest modicum of team spirit following disagreements over its presidential candidate, it is my considered opinion that its primary challenge lies in re-establishing an internal dynamic with strong enough intellectual content and organisational traction to shepherd the states controlled by it. The objective should be to achieve such performance levels that can become reference points or, at the least, compete with some of the APC states and Willy Obiano’s focused administration in Anambra State. If this is PDP’s point of departure, then Bala Mohammed would probably occupy a pre-eminent position in the race.

However, political observers will agree that the Kauran Bauchi may need to, first, reach much needed rapprochement with his kinsmen in the persons of two former governors of the state, Ahmed Muazu and Isa Yuguda, the former being the immediate past chairman of the PDP under whose watch, the party was routed by APC’s political machine. In spite of them, Bala’s greatest asset lies in his unquestionable loyalty to the party while maintaining very positive relationship with the top brass of other political parties, a quality that could be of strategic significance as the PDP grapples with its crisis of relevance.

• Mbakogu wrote in from Lagos.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/pdp-and-crisis-of-relevance/

I feel good hmmmmm. F T C

Good writie-up there......atimes, metuh just talk nonsnse, just to look for relevance.

The PDP needs to get their acts together.

Right now they just sound like an audio copy of the book of Lamentations.

Pdp is a party of fraud while apc is a party of religious fanatics and tribalism. All I have seen so far is that nigeria have a long way to go in democracy. Everywhere noise, propaganda,photo shooting and drama.
Long live nigeria!!!!!.
God bless nigeria!!!!.

jcross19:
Pdp is a party of fraud while apc PDP is a party of religious fanatics and tribalism. All I have seen so far is that nigeria have a long way to go in democracy. Everywhere noise, propaganda,photo shooting and drama.
Long live nigeria!!!!!.
God bless nigeria!!!!.

PDP IS BOTH A FRAUDULENT PARTY AND THE BOLDED.

BASTARDNISTA AND HIS WAILING FOLLLOWERS SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS WRITE UP TOO LEST THEY WAIL TILL THEIR DEATH!

fulanimafia:
The PDP needs to get their acts together.

Right now they just sound like an audio copy of the book of Lamentations.

However,
the pertinent question remains whether the leaders of
the party possess the sincerity to learn from their
mistakes and the courage to chart a new course, no
matter whose ox is gored.

The answer is obvious.

Hmmmmm..

Until they stop playing politics of bitterness and ready to take the bull by the horn by rebrand their party and make it a real political party. Let them com out wt ideology that is meant fo the people.

most of the member ar power drunk and money conscious; if they can deal wt ds they will have real party.

Like seriously, Is this happening to PDP?
How the mighty have fallen.
RIP PeeeDeeePeee

koboko69:


PDP IS BOTH A FRAUDULENT PARTY AND THE BOLDED.

BASTARDNISTA AND HIS WAILING FOLLLOWERS SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS WRITE UP TOO LEST THEY WAIL TILL THEIR DEATH!

never edit my post. Now you are the fraud because what you just did mean you are crook and a criminal.

jcross19:
never edit my post. Now you are the fraud because what you just did mean you are crook and a criminal.

who be this one...mcheeew!

Without mincing words, how the party executive is reconstituted will determine whether or not it will command national recognition and
relevance and by extension, its ability to function
effectively as a formidable opposition platform.

Without mincing words, I daresay this would sound the final death knell on the evil contraption called the "Largest political party in Africa". A behemoth which fed fat on federal resources while starving the citizens, and went broke two months after been kicked out.

In the final analysis, APGA would form the new opposition as greed and power play would rip PDP apart, a fate they predicted would befall APC in her early days while they prophesied they would live as long as Metuselah.

God bless the All Progressives Congress.

Some children of hate won't like this