PDP and the State of Play
There is no debating the fact that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is having a lot of difficulties coping with its new status as the main opposition party. Since its devastating defeat in 2015, the PDP has continued to wobble from one internal crisis to another, sometimes pointing fingers at perceived external influences.
Politics is, of course, about conflicts and resolutions, but had anyone predicted that the inclement weather that had since hit the PDP would be somewhat intractable, even founding fathers of the troubled party would have hedged a good bet. But as it appears today, the PDP has a long road to travel if it must find its feet within the new political equation, especially as 2019 inches closer.
While Senator Ali Modu leadership is currently basking in the euphoria of its victory in the Court of Appeal, the decision by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee to approach the Supreme Court for the determination of the leadership tussle in the party appears to have foreclosed a possible political solution to the lingering crisis.
To say that the role so far played by the courts in all of this is less than noble is alluding to the obvious. With the courts in different states, including the federal capital territory, giving conflicting and incongruous rulings on the PDP matter, the Supreme Court certainly has a responsibility to give a sound judgment that would put paid to the seeming embarrassment the PDP crisis is causing opposition politics in the country.
The PDP crisis is yet another major test case for the judiciary and the Supreme Court must save the day.