AS PDP LOOKS TO NORTH
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is making some frantic efforts to reposition itself, rebrand its image and recapture its lost fortunes and supporters in northern Nigeria. The PDP should look back and analyse its blunders. After losing the 2015 elections, without proper analysis of the situation, the PDP, in haste, asked its then National Chairman, Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu to resign. The PDP failed to see that its woeful performance in the north during the 2015 elections was strongly due to the unprecedented Buhari ‘Tsunami’, the SAK phenomenon; the failure of the then central government to effectively tackle the Boko Haram insurgency, and the name Goodluck Jonathan.
PDP’s first priority should be Northern Nigeria; the party’s resurrection, re-imaging and a ‘restart’ must begin from the north. The PDP must bring on board bigwigs from the north to help the party to ‘come to life’ in the north and the country in general. Most of the party’s fortunes in the north are lost. Thus, the party needs people who understand how politics play out in the north. Apart from having a chairman who has such capacity, the PDP also needs its founding members who understand the fundamentals of northern politics. People like Sule Lamido, who is a product of the Aminu Kano radical politics of the north. Lamido is from the core Hausa-Fulani states and has large followers. Furthermore, his ‘cousins’ in the northeast will have nothing against him. The Middle Belt and many northern minorities share his politics of radicalism. Lamido’s greatest shortcoming is the corruption case hanging on his neck. But with his excellent performance as governor of Jigawa State and he is known throughout the country, just some ‘little packaging’ is what he needs.
Hate him or love him, Ali Modu Sheriff is one of those adventurous politicians in the north who have grabbed the nitty-gritty of the politics in the north and have connections in the south. The ‘amnesty’ purported to have been granted Sheriff and his bloc was a mistake. The victor; no vanquished declaration made by Ahmed Makarfi should be marched with real action. The PDP truly needs Ali Modu Sheriff. Though he is not a presidential material, but he is an astute politician.
Looking at his style of politics, the love for adventures in politics and opportunistic tendencies former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar cannot resist an offer from the PDP and the PDP cannot also resist an Atiku in its ‘house’. Because, Atiku has immense war chest that easily scares off his opponents and vast political network and connections.
Former Vice-President Muhammad Namadi Sambo appears so jittery to play active role in the PDP. But Namadi has no option than to play active role if he is still a member of the PDP. Though, PDP’s presidential ticket may not fit him now.
One man that can pull crowd and make impact in the politics of PDP’s presidential ticket is Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Hassan DanKwambo. Dankwambo is one of the highflyers governors with massive youth’s support.
For the PDP to really begin a new start, it must take advantage of some of its bigwigs in the north who have adept understanding of the nexus of Hausa-Fulani and the minority politics in the north. Late MKO Abiola’s inroad in the north was ‘motorised’ on the basis of utilisation of the experience of individuals who understand that nexus. PDP’s future depends on whether it recaptures its lost fortunes in the north and how well it takes advantage of its experienced members who have gone through mills of the politics of the north.
However, for the party to make a full and politically-fruitful come back, some external factors has to play to its advantage: Buhari’s cult-like popularity and supporters in the north fades out; the APC grossly continues to mismanage its political fortunes, some members of the New PDP from the north pulling out of the APC and the northern Talakawas’ anger against the party subsides.
Zayyad I. Muhammad Jimeta, Adamawa State