How Saraki’s Reconciliation Paved the Way for PDP’s Convention

Chuks Okocha reports on the role played by the Saraki-led PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee that paved the way for the party’s National Convention ongoing in Abuja

Now, all is set for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention holding throughout the weekend in Abuja. This is coming after the scare on Thursday and Friday that the convention might be stopped by a court. Now that the case had been resolved, over 4000 delegates from all over the country will today converge in Abuja for the National Convention of the party.

The PDP now has elected officials in 35 states. The one in Lagos was disrupted and therefore postponed. It was only in Oyo State that a parallel Congress took place as a result of the disagreement between Governor Seyi Makinde and some of the leaders of the party in the state.

Eagles Square which is hosting the convention is now wearing a new look. There is elaborate decoration. The place is now wearing the green, red and white logo of PDP. Everything is looking sparkling and cool. Sure PDP is in opposition but it retains the sense of flamboyance, elegance and sophistication.

PDP’s journey to this national convention has been long. The readiness to elect new National Working Committee members is happening because a lot of the problems that plagued the party have now either being resolved or at least mitigated. The party has mitigated the damaging impact of the crisis in some state chapters which was holding it down.

The convention is therefore a political show to concretise the break-through or to celebrate that the party has pulled through some of its problems.

However, one body that should be appreciated for the breakthrough is the National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee (NRSC) set up by the immediate NWC of the party last December to identify the problem areas and resolve them, while also suggesting strategies that can help the party.

The body was led by immediate past Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki. It has other members like the former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; former governors Liyel Imoke, Ibrahim Shema, Ibrahim Dankwanbo; and former leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola.

The body was set up at a time the party was seriously hemorrhaging and many top members were leaving in droves. The first task the committee took on was to reassure party members that the solution is not to leave but to stay and resolve all lingering issues, as well as build a cohesive, united, focused and strong opposition party.

This time last year, the general impression was that PDP was hemorrhaging and almost everybody was set to leave. In the wisdom of the NWC, the NRSC, comprising two former Senate Presidents, three former governors and a former leader of the House of Representatives, and the membership spread across the six zones, held series of meetings and spoke to many stakeholders. They consulted with many people, travelled across the various states to resolve differences/disputes, defray frayed nerves and appease people who nurse grievances over certain issues.

As they were holding these meetings across the country, they were making suggestions and recommendations to the NWC from time to time.

The committee has successfully resolved the crisis in Ogun State, up to the point that the agreement it drafted, which the hitherto disagreeing groups signed, had been pronounced as consent judgement by a court. They also resolved the 14 year old crisis in the Borno State chapter and all the members have signed an agreement, which they are following conscientiously.

The committee has resolved the crisis in Lagos State, though the disruption in the Congress indicated a relapse. The committee also recorded a breakthrough in the Niger State crisis. Now, the state has a functional state executive and the feuding parties have been working together.

It intervened in Cross River State when they heard the state Governor was discussing with the ruling party. Eventually, the efforts only helped in slowing the pace of his movement into the APC. However, the Committee succeeded in rallying leaders and members in the state under the PDP umbrella, to ensure the exit of the governor will not affect our fortune in the state. This new unity in Cross Rivers inspired the return of the former Governor of the state, Mr. Donald Duke. They also recorded success in bringing together the feuding groups in Nasarawa, Ekiti and Plateau states.

The committee also intervened in the disagreement among some stakeholders in Oyo State and the state Governor. Also, the committee’s meeting with the PDP youth leaders led to its recommendations to the NWC that the party’s constitution should be amended to reflect that only persons between the ages of 18 and 35 can be elected as youth leaders and people in this age bracket who are aspiring for public office should be excluded from paying the Expression of Interest fee just as the party does for women. This recommendation, which the PDP NWC had since adopted, is now being copied by other parties.

Reconciliation is always a work-in-progress in any human organisation because disagreement is also a permanent feature.
But how come that in spite of the work of the committee, the party is still witnessing defection of key member? Saraki responded thus: “In politics, just like in any human organisation, you cannot accurately predict how human beings will handle a particular situation. Our reactions to issues and developments differ. The committee at least held discussions with Cross River and Zamfara state governors who are the only key members that have defected. It tried to re-assure and convince them on the need to stay and build the platform that had given them the opportunity to attain their present positions.

“However, people have different interests, motivations and inspirations. What this committee has achieved is giving confidence to the teeming members of our party; that the PDP is still the best bet for the country and cannot be defined by the exit of just two or three members, even if they are senators or governors. The committee has stopped what should have been mass exit. It also worked to bring in new members as well.
“The forces pulling members from opposition parties into a ruling party that is underperforming and not delivering on its promises to the people cannot be ordinary. I think we have done well in stopping the onslaught that is planned against our party. We are getting the party ready to return to power and solve all the problems confronting the country.”

No doubt, the party owes Saraki and his team a thank you for the good work they have done. What the former President of the Senate has done is to re-invent the story of Richard Milhous Nixon, who served as Vice President of the United States of America from 1952-1960. Nixon who was the Republican presidential candidate lost to John Kennedy in the 1960 election. He went on to even contest the governorship of his state, California in 1962, and still lost. However, he realised that the Republican Party had become fractious, divided and no longer a solid party.
Nixon then set for himself the assignment of re-uniting the party, refocusing it and strengthening it. He took on the task of campaigning for all Republican candidates in any off-season elections and helping them with strategies to win. By 1968, when he threw his hat into the ring, he got overwhelming support from across the party.

Nixon won the presidential election to become the 37th US president, serving from 1969 to 1974. Incidentally, Nixon became President at a time the US had been seriously divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. The first goal he set for his administration was also reconciliation.

Though the political systems are different in the US and Nigeria, Will Saraki also reap the benefit of his good work in the build up to the 2023 presidential election and go ahead to also reconcile Nigeria? Only time can tell.

The convention opening today in Abuja is therefore a means through which the PDP can boldly advertise and demonstrate its new found unity and energy. The new executive that will emerge from the convention should also put in place a body that will continue the good work Saraki and his team had done. The assignment of reconciliation is always work-in-progress.