PDP And The Eight Wise Men
The fortunes of the PDP in 2019 will be determined by the calibre of its chairman, argues Abel Oshevire
Gbenga Daniel. Jimi Agbaje. Olabode George. Rashidi Ladoja. Raymond Dokpesi. Toaheed Adedoja. Tunde Adeniran. Uche Secondus. Eight great men. Eight wise men. Eight distinguished, powerful and success high-flyers. These outstanding Nigerians of no mean repute and achievements are offering themselves for service as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). No doubt, any one of these men has the capacity and wherewithal to occupy that powerful but highlydemanding office.
However, since there can only be one national chairman of the PDP at any given time, only the very best among these great eight gladiators, can assume the position come December 9, 2017. It therefore behove the aspirants to demonstrate maturity and the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting the outcome of the convention in good faith and team up with whosoever emerges winner to build the party for the great task ahead. None of them must yield to the temptation to do otherwise, no matter the provocation.
So far, the conduct of all the aspirants is worth commending. They have exhibited the highest degree of decorum, in their choice of words at consultations and inter-personal relationships. They are known to be holding meetings among themselves, in demonstration of the fact that it is a family affair. Chief Raymond Dokpesi is reported to have attended the formal declarations of some of his co-contestants, as well as paying visits to others. This, indeed, signals a new dawn in the annals of real politics of no bitterness in the PDP. Furthermore, the decision of the caretaker committee to commit the aspirants to sign an undertaking to be of good conduct and accept the outcome of the convention without malice, is a most heartwarming development, particularly with the acceptance of all the contestants to sign the document without reservations.
As the delegates, who are representatives of the owners of the biggest political party in the African continent, the PDP, converge in the next couple of days, precisely Saturday, December 9, 2017, to pick a new leader from among the eight wise men, to lead the party to battle in 2019 against the All Progressives Congress (APC) they must be guided by history; to do the right thing and resist a weakling or a mole being foisted on the party.
Given the fact that the PDP is going to battle for the first time as a party in opposition, the quality of the leader to lead the battle must be one who is strong in character, fearless, focused, detribalised, uncompromising and can command the confidence of the majority of members of the party to provide the requisite leadership to guide the party to victory. Above all, and quite instructive, is the fact that such a person must be a man of integrity, unblemished character, a team-player and a bridge-builder who must strive to work against all odds, to rebuild, rejuvenate and reposition the party for effectiveness, to attract and accommodate new members, including all or most of the former aggrieved members who left the party for whatever reasons. It will no doubt require a master strategist and a man with a large heart to accomplish that seemingly impossible task of taking back the PDP to its glorious past.
Consequently, as the over 3,000 delegates from the 36 states and Abuja gather on December 9 to make history, they must put the interest of the party above every other consideration. Money should never be a factor so that we don’t mortgage our destinies and those of our unborn children for a mess of pottage. Neither should tribal sentiment blind their senses of judgment and sway their decisions.
Every one of the eight contestants for the exalted office of national chairman must be critically x-rayed and the best and most qualified among them elected to do the job. It is obvious that the fortunes of the PDP in 2019 will be determined by the calibre and quality of the chairman that emerges from the convention. Will the delegates trade off the position to the highest bidder who, in return will, in 2019 sell positions to highest bidders and thereby impose candidates on the party and cause discontent? Or will they be patriotic enough to shun all overtures and elect a courageous and committed ‘general’ to lead the party to victory in 2019? Again, the desire and concern of every genuine and committed PDP member today who truly wishes that the party bounces back and rescue the Nigerian ship that is drifting aimlessly and restore hope to Nigerians who have been battered and impoverished by the clueless APC government, is not what region of the South the chairman emerges from, but that it should be a chairman that can deliver the goods. The party cannot afford a weak or a lily-livered person or another ‘sheriff in town,’ who will abandon the battle midway or surreptitiously work for the opposition as in 2015, particularly if the Tribune story of Sunday, November 12, is to be taken seriously. According to the Tribune story titled: ‘2019: APC Plots takeover of South for Buhari,’ one of the three plots of the APC to achieve its objective of taking over the South is “to work with some of the PDP stakeholders to install a ‘weak’ national chairman.” Indeed, we must avoid such a surreal situation that will give the enemies within the party cause to celebrate.
Without doubt, the battle in 2019 will be tough. But with the right choice of a leader to lead the onslaught against the ruling party, PDP should be victorious.
The Port-Harcourt convention must be commended for zoning the Presidency to the 19 states of the North and the National Chairmanship to the 17 states of the South. Any attempt to micro-zone any of these two major and strategic offices would amount to enthroning mediocrity and thereby spell doom for the PDP. By throwing the positions open, the party will definitely be better for it as the coast has been expanded to accommodate everyone qualified and interested in the position from the South so that the best, only the very best, would emerge and guide the PDP in giving the ruling party a run for its money. In this regard, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee deserves special commendation for being steadfast in resisting all pressures to micro-zone the national chairmanship to any particular zone in the south and ensuring a level-playing ground for the aspirants to market themselves to delegates and other stakeholders without let or hindrance.
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