The Four Elephants in PDP’s Room

By

Olawale Olaleye

Either for democratic essence, political expediency, or the balance of power, the place of a virile opposition party in a democracy is irreducible. It’s a-must-have. The opposition serves both as checks and balances and a support system, when necessary, especially where patriotism is genuine or in a society where the country is put above everything else.

Unfortunately, as a foremost opposition party, the PDP’s health is failing and it is evident in its frail physiognomy. Many factors are, however, responsible. From its obvious lack of cohesion, to want of sound strategy, uncultured individual greed, zero sincerity of intentions and poverty of ambition, among other like factors, the party is not just lying unconscious at the moment, it is utterly confused and its actions are inimical to its internal progress as well as the purpose it is meant to serve.

As it stands today, there are four huge elephants (although they vary in sizes) that the PDP must address and or deal with in its room if it must move forward, first to reclaim its place in the scheme of things, before intending to graduate to another level – perhaps, return to power.

1. Atiku Abubakar: Whether or not the former vice-president likes it, his rumoured presidential aspiration is at the heart of the PDP growing misfortune. Atiku can say anything or couch it in different beautiful languages. The truth is that he truly wants to run again. Although a carryover from the 2023 election, that he is believed to be considering another shot (probably not even the last) at the presidency is why many of the PDP governors appear passive and indifferent to the party’s current predicament. They don’t want to serve him anymore. They don’t want to labour putting the party back in shape only for him to come and reap the fruit of their sweats. It’s about time Atiku embraced the Joe Biden option, and he’ll see how quickly things will move in the PDP. But is he that patriotic and honest about his love for Nigeria? Only time will tell, even though the jury is still out. Until then, things may remain ugly for the PDP.

2. Nyesom Wike: The former Rivers State governor and Minister of the FCT, neither loves the PDP nor has the capacity to sacrifice for his country. He is the prototype politician, who would rather have the house brought down if he did not have his way at any point in time. His likes will thrive under a president like Bola Tinubu, with whom he seems to share some similarities in terms of their understanding of power and politics. Put it anyhow, the president is his enabler. Arguably! Wike is in the party to destroy it, and he already has it by the jugular. But if the first factor (Atiku) is addressed, the unity of purpose that would follow would take care of whatever menace that Wike currently constitutes. Otherwise, with the Rivers PDP Exco in his grip and the kind of resources said to be at his whims, it just might be game over. Isn’t the devil that is in the details obvious?

3. Illya Damagum: Whether or not the PDP likes it, its acting national chairman, Illya Damagum, has to go. There’s is no debating the fact that he is both an enemy within and one crucial oxygen sustaining Wike. There had been several opportunities for him to dispel many of the speculations around him, but he always ended up confirming them instead. He is a tool in the hands of the Rivers enfant terrible, and except he goes, too, PDP is just clowning around. He has to go. Whether or not he is being allegedly instigated to emasculate the party is not the point. The truth is that he is not bigger than the party, and so long he has become a threat to the overall goal and wellbeing of the party, then he should go. He should not become another Iyorchia Ayu, whose lack of emotional intelligence at a time it mattered the most, destroyed the PDP chances in 2023.

4. Samuel Anyanwu: This is the controversial national secretary of the party, and like Damagum, he is believed to be compromised, too, and his choices so far do not suggest otherwise. Indeed, Anyanwu is proof that Nigeria’s judiciary is a mess and the first institution to undergo total surgical repairs if Nigeria must move forward. Look at it this way. How could a man leave his party position to go and contest for the governorship of his state (Imo), refuse to resign from his former position, lose the election and return as national secretary despite vehement opposition and the citing of extant laws? Yet, the court handed him back the position. Isn’t the law amazing?This is an explanation that the great grandfathers of the judiciary would have to give when it’s time for reckoning. But again, it is obvious why this is so. A certain man is said to have immeasurable influence in the judiciary and has continued to tap his influence for these expendables to tend his personal adventures and power projections. Anyanwu, therefore, has to go for PDP to breathe, both on legal and moral grounds.

In the end, until the owners and founding fathers of the PDP resolve to come together to fight, deal with, and pointedly address these four elephants, the party should stop dreaming about 2027. Not even a merger or any curious alignment and realignment would achieve anything except these human crisis is addressed and the elephants are carefully evicted one after the other, without any excessive damage (there certainly would be wall-breaking) to the structures of the PDP house