Can Ayu Navigate PDP Through the Raging Storms?

BRIEFINGNOTES

With the emergence of a former President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party at a time the main opposition party is enmeshed in crisis over the zoning of 2023 presidency and the tenure of Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee, Ejiofor Alike writes that the former university lecturer has enormous tasks ahead to navigate the party through the raging storms

After weeks of horse-trading, a former President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, was on Thursday picked as the consensus national chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the party’s stakeholders in the North.

The former university lecturer and minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration emerged successful after two other contenders from the North, where the position has been zoned to – former governor of Katsina State, Mr. Ibrahim Shema; and the incumbent Deputy National Chairman of the party (North), Senator Nazif Suleiman – had stepped down for him.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, confirmed that Ayu was unanimously picked as the candidate for the office of the National Chairman by the Northern Caucus of the party.

Ayu had earlier emerged the consensus national chairmanship candidate for the North-central zone after other contenders from the zone withdrew from the race early this week.

Three candidates had earlier emerged. While the North-central produced Ayu, the North-west and North-east had nominated Shema and Senator Abdul Ningi, respectively.

At a meeting held on Wednesday night, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, and other leaders were said to have prevailed on other stakeholders in the zone to accept Ayu.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State had presented Ayu to the PDP governors, who endorsed him for the job.

With the intervention of the governors, the other contestants stepped down for Ayu.

Leadership crisis had hit the main opposition party few months ago following attempts by some chieftains of the party, who have eyes on the 2023 presidency, to abridge the tenure of its embattled National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

In order to appease the hawks in the party, the PDP governors and Board of Trustees (BoT) members abridged the tenure of Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) and also prevailed on them not to seek re-election.

The 13 governors of the party, BoT members, former Senate Presidents, former governors, and other leaders had on August 10, 2021, brought the party’s National Convention forward from December 2021 to October (this month).

They also prevailed on the NWC not to seek re-election at the October National Convention of the party.

But despite this intervention, a Rivers State High Court, in an interim order dated August 23, 2021 restrained Secondus from parading himself as the PDP National Chairman.

In obedience to a Rivers High Court order, Secondus handed over to his deputy, Mr. Yemi Akinwonmi.

But the supporters of the embattled National Chairman later approached a Kebbi State High Court, which issued an interim order directing the suspended PDP chairman to resume office, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

However, few hours after Secondus returned to his desk, another high court in Cross River State ordered him to stop parading himself as the Chairman of the main opposition party.

Secondus has since taken his battle for survival to the Appeal Court, while the party continues the horse-trading over the zoning of the next national chairman and the 2023 presidential candidate, ahead of the October 31, 2021 National Convention.

While the zoning committee of the party headed by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had successfully zoned the national chairman to the North to pave the way for emergence of a possible southern presidential candidate in 2023, some northern leaders of the party have insisted that the zone will still produce the presidential candidate of the party.

For the PDP to present a formidable opposition with the capacity to snatch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, the party has to successfully navigate through this crisis.

Though Ayu has been picked as the consensus national chairmanship candidate by the party’s stakeholders in the North, the issues of the zoning of the party’s presidential candidate and the Secondus factor have not been successfully addressed.

While Secondus is still in Appeal Court to reclaim his mandate, which ought to expire in December, according to the PDP Constitution, some northern elements in the party have insisted that the region still has the option of producing its presidential candidate in 2023 despite the emergence of a northerner, Ayu, as the consensus chairmanship candidate of the party.

With these developments, Ayu has a very tough task ahead after his affirmation at the party’s convention.

In his acceptance speech, the former President of the Senate had promised to return the party to winning ways.

He had also pledged to work with other party leaders to rebuild the party in order for it to take power come 2023.

Ayu reportedly said: “I believe all Nigerians missed the PDP government. Our 16 years moved the country forward. We intend to work together with all the leaders not only in the north but across the country to reposition this country to the next generation of Nigerians.

“It will be an all-inclusive administration of the party. We will work collectively; we will introduce policies that will be acceptable to Nigerians.”

With the controversy over the zoning of the presidential candidate, and the Secondus factor, the events of the next few months will reveal whether or not, Ayu’s experience as a former university teacher, a former minister and an ex-president of the Senate will be enough to help him navigate the PDP through the raging storms.