The Special Mini Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to fill some positions in the party’s National Executive has come and gone. Whether or not the party deserves commendation can be viewed from two standpoints. The first and perhaps the more obvious is that which believes that to congratulate the party on the event does not in essence arise. This is because there was nothing special about the convention as its title tended to impute. The correct title should have been “PDP Repeat Convention”.

In March 2012, the PDP held a national convention to elect its national officers. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is statutorily mandated to supervise the event ruled that it was defective thereby necessitating a repeat.

Accordingly, the party organized another convention on Saturday August 31, 2013.On the occasion, the party, with all glamour and pageantry rolled out the drums and with newly designed decorative uniforms sat again for an examination on aspects of the famous internal democracy course which it earlier failed. Why congratulate a party that was in the same position as a student who was merely re-writing his “carry-over” course in an examination?

Why congratulate the party when it did not take more than one day for the world to learn that the event ended poorly? Oh yes, the glamour of the PDP convention was cut short as some of its key members walked-out on the party before the event ended? That was not all; they formally formed a faction which has to a large extent destabilized the party. So why would anyone praise the PDP over what has turned out to be an ill-fated convention?

The type of message of congratulations which I sent to a friend who lost his father last week seems to me as good for the PDP at this point. So, just as I sent a good will message to my friend for surviving his father, I heartily congratulate the PDP for surviving its own intrigues and pervasive impunity. In earnest, the party has become obese and unwieldy with many inexplicable issues.

For example, whereas posterity would easily understand that in 2013, the PDP Governors Forum, being a PDP affair, was naturally led by the PDP Governor of Akwa Ibom State, it would be difficult to comprehend why the Nigerian Governors Forum of 19 was led by the PDP Governor of Rivers State while the “bigger” Nigerian Governors Forum of 16 was led also by the PDP Governor of Plateau State. This picture of one political party overseeing 3 secretariats on one subject vividly reflects the dilemma of the largest political party in Africa.

Who could have caused this dilemma? Put differently, who are the real enemies of President Jonathan who are about to destroy the party during his tenure? Could it be the break- away Governors? To put so much blame that way appears simplistic because everyone saw it coming. The now captioned break-away Governors gave more than ample notice as their complaints were not secret-they openly articulated them and consulted widely.

They visited some elders including formers heads of government and at no location did any of their hosts condemn either the content or posture of their visit. Neither their plan to hold a factional convention on the same day nor the venue of their convention can be described as spontaneous. The same is true of the list of members of their interim national executive. All these issues appear predetermined in what can be called ‘Plan B’.

The situation could have been prevented if the coordinating engine of the “loyalists” around the President had sought to dialogue rather than overwhelm. It would really have been a different ball game if those grievances which the chairman of the parent board of trustees thought could be genuine were isolated and a few concessions made here and there. Many of the so-called contentious issues could have been put on the family table where some members could have been persuaded to see reason.

If Governor Amaechi is ambitious as alleged, elders of the South-South family should have used every avenue to draw his attention severally to the common good of a united zone. Instead, everyone behaved as if the man was not entitled to his own ambition. At the same time, the anti-Jonathan groups should have been constantly reminded that not being unconstitutional for the President to contest the 2015 elections, it is only fair to allow him enjoy an advantage as they, the opponents would have done if they were in his shoes.

It is unfortunate that those in the corridors of power did not see this apparent superiority of give and take approach as well as dialogue to the use of force. Instead, they sought to overwhelm dissension. Even critics were not spared. El Rufai, Oby Ezekwesili, Ben Nwabueze etc were abused without providing concrete evidence to remove from the public domain some solid criticisms they raised.

The Ezekwesili case was the worst poorly handled as government officials merely indicated that she too was not clean while in government. Does it mean that her ‘wrongs’ would have been overlooked if she said nothing? It is thus not uncharitable to suggest that the friends of government have been more of a problem than the opposition. For instance, although the President has pleaded many times not to be distracted from governance emphasizing that he would not speak on his next political option until 2014, it is those closest to power that are holding rallies for 2015 in breach of the electoral law.

I therefore heartily congratulate President Jonathan on the opportunity which the current PDP uprising offers him to outlaw every youthful exuberance, adult rascality and proactive senility from his supposed admirers because such unwholesome behaviour derogates from his popularity daily. It is also a good time for him to lead his own cause notwithstanding the setting up of ‘elders group’ to resolve the crisis. This is because, in these times, trust is dicey. As our people say, if one thief is among a group that is helping a man find his lost item, it is probably lost forever

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/hearty-congratulations-to-pdp/