The presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as candidate for next year\u2019s election. The lessons which the ruling party can learn from the opposition platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nature was kind in Abuja at the weekend. The weather was benevolent. As the delegates stormed the Moshood Abiola Stadium, venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, it was evident that they were not going into a war that will tear the party apart.
Collective agenda:
They were preoccupied with the fate of their party, its future and its agenda for power shift. There was neither storm and upset. Shortly before the commencement of voting, aspirants agreed to support the winner and mobilise for the victory of the party at the poll.
The elevation of collective interest over personal agenda was reiterated by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike when he addressed the delegates. \u201cI will support anybody that emerges. I don\u2019t have another party to go. I love this party,\u201d said Wike, who described leadership as the major national headache.
Another chance for Atiku:
At the end of the exercise, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a veteran contender, was elected as standard bearer. It was his sixth time of seeking the ticket. His first attempt was in 1993 on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). Analysts described him as a courageous person who was unfettered by past vissisititudes.
Atiku\u2019s strategy of focusing on non-APC states worked for him. Also, he tried to court the foes of his main rival, Wike, who was resisted in some Northern and Southern States by those who perceived him as an aggressive, high handed and independent-minded politician.
Atiku\u2019s 371 votes attested to his resilience. He was trailed by Wike, who got 237 votes. Saraki, who came a distant third, got 70.
As the national chairman, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, Third Republic Senate President, presented the flag of victory to him, majority of the delegates erupted in jubilation.
An experienced politician, Atiku\u2019s acceptance speech was also conciliatory as he streched his hands towards his rivals at the poll-Wike, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel and his Bauchi counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed.
An excited Atiku fired salvos at the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying its days are numbered in Aso Villa, seat of power.
Yet, he was conscious of the unfinished business of reconciliation in many state chapters. As a founding chieftain of the party, who had become number two citizen when some of his co-contestants were just coming up, Atiku assured friends and foes in the party of opportunities for inclusion, in a bid to forge unity, cohesion and sense of belonging.
A transparent primary:
PDP has conducted a neat presidential primary; substantially transparent, free, fair, credible and highly commendable. The delegate list was not doctored. Conscious of the challenge of 2023 polls, majority of 767 accredited delegates picked a person who appeared to have a comparative advantage; an aspirant who can wade off threats to the opposition party by the ruling party on poll day.
Pretenders in the race, including former Senate President Pius Anyim, Udom, Mohammed, Dele Momodu and Sam Ohunabunwa, were simply ignored by the delegates, who were selected based on one slot each at the local governments.
Many delegates said other aspirants were unknown to them, wondering why they bought nomination forms when they knew they had no sound footing in the party. No fewer than five aspirants were in this category.
Super or statutory delegates delegates were absent. None of the aspirants voted. Party officers were also excluded. It was solely the affairs of commoners in the party who had to decide the fate of big party men.
Unlike during the recent APC convention that produced Senator Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman, no part of Abuja was grounded. No road was closed. Traffic control by police, traffic officers and other security and para-military agencies were superb.
There was an effective crowd control. Only elected delegates, few party officers and leaders who were in charge of activities were allowed into the venue. Big shot without tags were denied entry by security agents.
The accreditation of delegates was orderly. It was a wide departure from the previous chaotic exercise. At the point of voting, the accreditation was made more transparent by what the Convention Planning Committee Chairman, Gen. David Mark. described as final accreditation. It was open and conducted through physical counting of delegates.
Although some Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) men stormed the venue, allegedly due to the peculiar dollar and naira rain, no arrest was made.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by a National Commissioner, Prof Kunle Ajayi, a political scientist, monitored the primary, which was adjudged as democratic and an improvement, in contrast with the rowdy party gathering of the past.
The planning committee forbade the use of phones or any camera during voting at the spaced polling booths. There was no cause for anxiety, except for aspirants who inflated their egos and preferred to evade reality
.
Violation of zoning:
Although PDP violated the zoning agreement made in 1999 by its founding fathers, the South could not swing the tide because it was divided. While the Northern Caucus of the PDP listened to the gerontocratic advice of the Generals and influential party elders who want the region to retain power beyond 2023, the Southern Caucus appeared to be in disarray. There was no Southern rallying point. Notable PDP figures from the South started scheming for the running mate slot, ahead of the primary, despite the resolution of Southern Governors\u2019 Forum on presidential rotation.
Tambuwals trick:
Thus, while the North, with its delegate numerical superiority, had their minds on the bigger issue of power retention in the zone, Southern elements were overshadowed by personal interests. As Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal withdrew for Atiku, the coast was clear.
But, while withdrawing, should Tambuwal have kicked off another campaign by asking his supporters to vote for Atiku? Was he not deliberately giving an undue advantage to the Adamawa-born aspirant? Did he not breach the rule on \u2018five minute\u2019s speech?\u2019 By giving an advantage to Atiku at that hour, did he not breach the principle of fairness. When did he started the last minute, emergency consultation that led to his withdrawal?
PDP putting its house in order:
Before the primary, Ayu said PDP had tried to put its house in order, although the recent governorship and parliamentary primaries attempted to reverse part of the successes recorded at building a united party.
The chairman nevertheless, gave the party a passmark, although he agreed that there much work to be done. \u201cWe have organised free, fair and credible primaries. We started in Ekiti and Osun. Difficult as they were, we organised them.
\u201cWe organised free and fair primaries in FCT. We won the elections in their entirety,\u201d he recalled.
Ayu emphasised that the outcome of the elections attested to the misrule by the APC.
In his view, Nigerians want the PDP, which he described as an organic party, to return to power to resolve the challenges of poverty, unemployment, which now stands at 35 percent, and the worsening insecurity, which now makes government to share territories with terrorists.
He added:\u201dNigeria has seen the limit of propaganda. Our focus is 2023. But, we will start with Ekiti and Osun. It will boost our morale.
\u201cIn December, when we took over, I urged you to keep hope alive; that PDP will come back. Today, I say to you again: don\u2019t lose hope. PDP is coming back.\u201d
Search for running mate:
In few weeks, Atiku must announce his running mate, who will come from the South. In 2019, he picked a Southeastener, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who has defected to the Labour Party (LP). Will he pick a deputy from the Southeast, Southsouth or Southwest?
Already, some names are being touted. They include Wike, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his Enugu counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
What lesson should APC learn from the PDP primary?
PDP appeared to have resolved the controversy over the membership status of its former leader, President Good Jonathan. His name appeared on the brochure or programmed of events at the primary. To the opposition party, Jonathan has not resigned from PDP.
APC has built on its snail-like speed and lack of seriousness, as characterised by the postponement of party convention for the choice of a National Working Committee (NWC). Many observers have chided the ruling party for avoiding the path to presidential primary, as reflected in its disposition to postponement of the exercise without justification.
It is significant to note that why the ruling party again stormed the meeting of INEC with political parties to demand for more time to prepare for the primary, PDP, which had concluded arrangement for its primary, shunned the meeting because it was of no effect.
Lessons for APC:
As representatives of PDP converged on Abuja for primary, APC leaders were locked in a curious rift at the weekend, indulging in shouting match and banging the tables at their secretariat.
There is quarrel over the delegates\u2019 list is also confounding. In Nasarawa chapter, for example, there are allegations and counter-allegations about alleged plot to tinker with the delegate composition.
But, the most instructive lesson is that PDP has tried to elect as candidate a person who they believe can deliver. While majority of APC delegates want an experienced, intelligent, capable, resourceful, committed unifier and rallying point as flag bearer, a powerful clique is bent of derailing the process that can throw him up.
While APC is yet to compete its reconciliation, the activities of some leaders appear to be threatening the healing process.
Will APC emulate the PDP by organising a primary devoid of rancour and controversy?
Time will tell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as candidate for next year\u2019s election. The lessons which the ruling party can learn from the opposition platform. Nature was kind in Abuja at the weekend. The weather was benevolent. As the delegates stormed the Moshood Abiola Stadium, venue…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\n