PDP Can’t Survive Further Division, PDP Chieftain Warns – Says political parties lack discipline – Laments lack of virile opposition to APC, Buhari

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

 A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Abia State, Arch. Benson Ezem, has warned that the party cannot survive further division as it is yet to recover from devastating crack in 2013 and the ongoing anti-corruption onslaught and smear campaign by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government.

To this end, he has called for reconciliation among the warring camps of Sen. Modu Sheriff, Ahmed Makarfi and Prof. Jerry Gana.

Ezem gave this warning in Abuja during a media briefing to speak on the latest leadership crisis and the controversial conventions that have threatened to tear the party into two.

He advised that the party needs to quickly put its house in order so as not to lose further grounds and its numerous supporters to other parties.

He said: “The umbrella has to be kept intact and can’t be allowed to be torn into shreds. With what happened in 2013 that some party members have to leave (with nPDP to form APC), the ongoing anti-corruption onslaught against party members, I don’t think the party can survive further division. It is time for the leaders to sacrifice and come together because we cannot survive further division.

“Some of our followers are disillusioned because of the division and other parties may take advantage of this gap.”

Speaking further, the industrialist and founding member of PDP called for sacrifice from the various camps.

He called on all stakeholders in the party to sheathe their swords and work out an amicable solution to the leadership impasse that should lead to party supremacy and discipline.

Speaking further, Ezem lamented that Nigerian political parties lacked discipline and were rather controlled by elected members who have the money to influence decisions to their whims and caprice.

According to him, sound democracy is built on strong and institutionalised party structure and hierarchy where all, including the elected members, could be sanctioned as was the case in the first and second republics.

“There is something wrong in the way parties are being run in the country. The party should not be controlled by those who were elected under its platform. There should be separation and its a wrong seed that has been sown over time, that has created the division we are witnessing today and it ought not to be so.

“The party ought to be strong enough to discipline erring members and the situation we have today is not right and have several implications for democracy”, he said.