PDP: Fading Glory of A Much Touted Largest Party
Tony Icheku reports that the fading glory of the Peoples Democratic Party which once held sway as the largest ruling party could be traced to its utter disregard for the rule of law.
From 1999 to 2003, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held sway across the five South-East States as the ruling party. Gradually like shooting stars, it’s lights would blossom brightly and eventually darken in the political firmament.
Several factors were responsible for PDP losing out in the powerplay, foremost of which include dumping honoured party ethos, values, tenets and traditions which constituted the bedrock of its strength, positive public perception and distinctiveness. Succinctly, today’s PDP refused to play by its it’s own rules. Its utter disregard for Rule of Law became its Achilles heel.
Such utter disregard for law and order precipitated the exodus of its members in Imo State, with spill over effects in Abia State.
The Imo PDP debacle began in the run up to November 2023 governorship election in the state. Before the PDP governorship primaries, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, counted his losses and withdrew from the governorship race, paving way for Senator Samuel Anyanwu to emerge unopposed as PDP governorship flagbearer.
From that point began the bitter tussle for the soul of Imo PDP between the two party stalwarts. Contrary to the party’s constitution, Anyanwu in addition to the party’s governorship ticket, also held on to his position as the National Secretary.
As a matter of fact, he combined the two positions from April 2023 when he emerged as the governorship candidate to November 2023 when he eventually lost the election and returned to the National Secretariat to continue from where he left the office in limbo.
His return to PDP National Secretary’s position after losing in the election instigated various court cases until Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja ruling in January, 2024 declared him as the valid National Secretary of the PDP. The judge also restrained the national leadership of the PDP from appointing any person as its acting national secretary until the expiration of Anyanwu’s four-year tenure on December 9, 2025, as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
The implication of that court judgement is that Ihedioha from his leadership position would become an ordinary member in his Imo PDP with no say in the affairs of the party. As the party prepares for congresses, Ihedioha would have no say even in his ward. For a founding member of the party who rose to become Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, it was a bitter pill to swallow, thus his exit.
Ihedioha in his resignation letter expressed concerns over the party’s inability to enact internal reforms, uphold its regulations, and effectively oppose the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs. Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly, no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“It is in the light of the foregoing, that I am compelled to offer my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party effective immediately.
“While the decision was difficult to take, I, however, believe that it is the right one. Despite this resignation, I will always be available to offer my services towards the deepening of democracy and good governance in Nigeria”, the letter read.
What may be shocking to the vested interests that obstructed adherence to rule of law in PDP is the deluge of people who jointly migrated with Ihedioha either in a show of solidarity or in expression of personal anger. Indeed, it was not simply an Ihedioha versus Anyanwu tussle.
The Ihedioha resignation has decapacitated the Imo PDP, only it’s tail is wrinkling in death throes. The defectors include Chief Chris Okewulonu, a Board of Trustees member; four zonal officers including Mr Stanley Ekezie, ex-officio Zonal Officer; Chief Austin Okeke, Zonal Publicity Secretary; Chief Emeka Nwokeke, Zonal Organizing Secretary and Mrs Ruth Nkwocha, Zonal Women Leader.
In addition, the State Chairman, Chief Charles Ugwu, three State officers and a Local Government chairman have resigned including Mr Kissinger Ikokwu, State Legal Adviser; Mazi Emenike Nmeregini, State Publicity Secretary; Chief David Abanihi, State Assistant Treasurer and Hon Sambazz Iheaturueme, Obowo LGA Chairman.
Other top ranking officers of the party who have exited include Hon Obinna Onwubuariri, former member of the House of Representatives; Mr Chibuzor Agulana, former Aboh/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency candidate for House of Representatives; Prof Obioma Iheduru, Hon Mrs Amarachi Owuamanam and a host of others. Indeed, if the party recovers before 2027, it would be a miracle of the century
Udey-Okoye as SE PDP Caucus’ choice for National Secretary
The South-East PDP caucus rising from its February, 2024 Zonal Executive Committee meeting urged the party’s NEC to ratify Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary, in line with the zone’s decision and a valid court order.
The South-East PDP in its communiqué issued at the end of the meeting in Enugu maintained that Udeh-Okoye is the Zone’s choice for the position and accused the party’s national leadership of mistreating the zone by neglecting their earlier nomination.
They insisted that they would no longer tolerate the delay in ratification of Udeh-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary at the meeting chaired by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State alongside PDP National Vice Chairperson (South-East), Ali Odefa.
Chairperson of PDP’s Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, in his remarks at the meeting said he was pained that the national leadership of the party had treated the South-East zone of the party with levity.
PDP National Vice Chairperson (South-East), Mr Odefa, who read out the communiqué at the end of the meeting said “The meeting reiterated and reconfirmed its decisions in its earlier meeting held on 20th October 2023, which asked Senator Samuel Anyanwu to stop parading himself as the National Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), as he has relinquished the office by virtue of the constitution of the PDP, which has been upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction.
“The meeting affirmed the nomination of S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye as his replacement for the National Secretary of the party, to serve out the remainder of his term, in accordance with the party’s constitution.”
The PDP leaders, citing Section 47 of the party’s constitution, argued that Anyanwu had automatically resigned his position as the National Secretary by picking the party’s ticket to contest for the Imo State Governorship election held in November, 2023.
“Even though his resignation was automatic, based on the constitution and guidelines of PDP and the operation of law, Anyanwu promised the leaders of the South-East Zone of the Party and the PDP Governors’ Forum that he would formally resign before the Imo State elections,” the party leaders said.
They further maintained that the Federal High Court, Abuja which later ruled Mr Anyanwu should remain the National Secretary “was obtained per curiam and in abuse of court process,” given that the High Court ruling in Enugu came first, and both courts are of coordinate jurisdiction. This is in reference to the decision of another court of competent jurisdiction which directed that Anyanwu should stop parading himself as the National Secretary of the party which was never appealed against. Instead, NWC promptly chose to implement a contrary decision of Ekwo’s ruling.
The SE Caucus also urged the NWC of the party PDP Governors’ Forum, PDP Board of Trustees, PDP National Assembly Caucus and all organs and stakeholders of the party, to recognise S.K.E Udeh-Okoye as the authentic National Secretary of the PDP.
“This is in line with the constitution of the party and the practice of the party, which was recently accorded to the South-south (National Women Leader) and South-west (National Vice-Chairman, South-west) zones of the party on the matter of the replacement of the party leadership following a vacancy,” the party leaders in the South-East maintained.
Wike vs Atiku
When the PDP leadership finally met at its recent National Executive Council meeting, it failed to take judicious notice of the infractions to its rules. Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara in his remarks at the NEC meeting said:
“Furthermore, the contentious issue surrounding the office of the National Secretary has regrettably sown seeds of discord within our party. The ambiguity surrounding this position has led to confusion and internal strife, hindering our collective efforts to pursue our noble objectives.” It was casual warning that was ignored.
On the part of PDP’s federal lawmaker, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives said in recent times the soul of the party had been hijacked by a few hawks who are wheeling , dealing and working against the interest of the party ahead of 2027 elections.
What Ugochinyere did not say expressly is that the tussle for supremacy between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar is at the root of PDP’s crumbling foundation. Their trouble stemmed from thumbing of the nose at the party’s rules – written or unwritten.
Wike’s argument is that the Presidency must return to the South after eight years in the North. Atiku on the other hand, being clever by half insisted the presidential ticket must go to the South East if he must withdraw from the race. The party’s rules only broadly stated ‘South’. The attendant back and forth divided the party during the 2023 Presidential polls during which Wike rooted for the All Progressives Congress which produced a Southern Presidential candidate.
After the election, the tussle continued, trickling into the party structure and from all indications, Wike seems to hold the upper hand in the NEC and NWC. Ihedioha is a known Atiku loyalist.
What played out at the the party’s last NEC meeting is the failure of the Atiku camp to gain the upper hand.
The National Working Committee led by Ambassador Umar Damagum shut its ears to the South East leaders petition on the position of National Secretary, as entertaining the petition and doing the right thing would mean losing a Wike loyalist being in control of the National Secretariat.
Rather than being loyal to the party, the PDP NWC is now serving individual interests, thus its refusal to invoke internal mechanisms of the party to look into the cases of the party leaders who embarked on anti-party activities that ruined the party’s electoral chances during the last general elections. Not a few party loyalists are worried that such leaders are still in control of the party’s machinery, soul and spirit; jostling and maneuvering to tie the party’s existence to the fate of such individuals.
Many party adherents, including the 60 members of the House of Representatives who moved against Damagum prior to the NEC meeting last month believe that the perceived aloofness of Damagun-led NWC to undertake vibrant opposition underscores their tendency to pursue the script and agenda of such individual whose interest is to weaken PDP to make the road to 2027 a smooth thoroughfare for the ruling APC.
