Katsina PDP: Time for cleansing
It is a Hausa proverb that brings out the true picture of events in Katsina state when it states that whosoever remember yesterday is surely not happy today. This assertion is more than ever true about the position of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Katsina State.
In 2007 when the late President Umar Yar’adua left the state to become the President after eight successful years as a Governor, the party had two senate seats, 15 House of Representatives seats and 29 state house of assembly members. However, things begin to nose dive. The party’s fortunes under the new leadership led by Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema- Late Yar’dua’s successor- began eroding.
By 2011, the party had zero senate seats, 3 house of representatives and but improved with 31 state of house of assembly members. This trend will turn for the worst as in the last general elections when the party recorded what could be termed to be its final death with zero senate seats, zero House of Representatives seats and zero state house of assembly seats. This represents a gruesome decimation of influence from almost 99% in 2007 to 0% in 2015.
This gradual death reached its peak under the tutelage of one of the beneficiaries of the party’s benevolent policy of succession, Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema. Although the cancerous demolition of this once a powerful political party that dictates the political landscape was not natural, its decimation was a deliberate and calculated strategy by the same leadership entrusted with its platform to ride unto leadership position in the state for eight consecutive years.
Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s policies, deliberate denials and his alliance during the 2015 elections become the climax that is today dealing a final blow to the life of this hitherto vibrant political party.
It is a well-known fact that the refusal of former President Jonathan to pick Barrister Shema as his running mate became the main reason why he (Shema) colluded, planned and executed the destruction of the party that brought him to limelight.
Despite collecting over N4 billion for the PDP presidential campaign, the former Governor refused to mobilize support for the party in all elections leading to the woeful performance and the final annihilation of the party in the state. In fact, out of the amount collected, it is evidently clear that over N600m went to the support of the opposition APC during the last elections. The former Governor also did not do enough in terms of provision of infrastructure across the state to warrant maintaining the desired momentum to ensure victory for the party in a state that is traditionally PDP.
The success story of the party was the dedication and determination of its founding members to develop workable mechanisms that assisted the party in attaining the height achieved during both its formation years and after.
This was achieved through reliable, determinable and sustained succession plans by previous leadership, a plan that was jettisoned and destroyed by the immediate government of Barrister Shema. His actions led to the emergence of wrong people in positions of power.
It was this deliberate internal erosion of the party- deliberately planned and executed by the former Governor that places our great party in jeopardy of extension and perdition. For any rescue mission to work therefore, the party at the national headquarters must as a matter of urgent survival desire, look at a holistic action that must be taken with immediate effect. This action demands the immediate suspension of the existing leadership of the party in the state as well as the suspension of the architect of this destruction himself from the party. This means, suspension and appointment of new interim leadership and suspension of former Governor Ibrahim Shema from the PDP at both the state and national level.
So open and gruesome were these tactical political murder that the same former Governor, after openly supporting the emergence of opposition party to power in the state, is now hobnobbing with it through subtle settlement that include but not limited to withdrawal of petition and secret participation in governance through some selected cronies. All these moves were aimed at ensuring the total elimination and termination of the party from the political landscape of the state.
As the party moves to re-strategies ahead of 2019 elections, and with especially the decision to zone the presidency to the north, the need for critical decision by the headquarters of the party is therefore, more than ever needed. It is noteworthy to understand that for the party to muster enough presence adequate to place it on course to electoral success,
Katsina state is pertinent to its plans, decisive measures must therefore, be taken with immediate effect.
Anything short of these actions cannot be enough to rescue the party from the little remaining life in its soul. The option is therefore, left for the party leaders at the national level to choose.
Kurfi wrote from 56 Damari road, Kurfi, Katsina state
kurfi2090@gmail.com