A Paradox: PDP House In Contradiction

By

Ekanem Inobong

Calabar

emmanuelkwache@yahoo.co.uk

Last year on 10th October 2005, when some members of the National Executive Council and National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the names of Engineer Godie Ikechi, Abubakar Gomina, Salisu Abba, Yemi Ajayi obtained favorable judgment against the Peoples Democratic Party led by Col. Ahmodu Ali (rtd), Chairman and Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Secretary: where the Honorable Court held that with regards to both the 1999 Constitution and the PDP Constitution which is itself a product of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, no where were the words affirmation or popular acclamation used. That the instructive and mandatory words used is election.

The Honourable Court presided over by Honourable Justice S.E Aladetoyinbo of the Federal Capital Territory in the Abuja Judicial Division suit NO. CV/735/05 held that the decision of the National Executive Committee to conduct non-elective congresses is null and void and restrained them from holding non-elective congresses. The Honourable Judge held that the congresses held by the PDP must be elective as provided by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Court held that the plaintiffs’ case succeeds. The Court also noted that it would be more credible for the defendants to comply with the Constitution in the interest of justice, and that their attempts to hold non-elective congresses is in contravention to the Constitution could result in anarchy. Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN) with O. Jolaawo, Esq. were for plaintiffs and Ayorinde (SAN) with Kantiok, Esq. were for the defendants.

Therefore the surprise package for reasonable Nigerians from the quarters of the Ahmodu Ali-led faction of the PDP against the Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar-led faction is the crux of the matter.

While the suit CV/735/05 held documented evidence before it indicated that the applicants and Plaintiffs were/are fee paying members of the PDP and that they had locus strandi to institute the action. The big question today in the Ahmodu Ali-led faction of the PDP has taken the Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar led faction to court claiming what is not known.

Following to that, when one Alhaji Umar Shittien, a lawyer, founding member of the PDP issued a press statement on 15th October 2005 cautioning the National Working Committee against illegality by going ahead with the congresses and National Convention, the PDP faction of Ali demonstrated their no respect for the rule of law, the Constitution of Nigeria and the Constitution of the PDP. They were simply antagonistic to democratic tenets, principles and practice.

Subsequent to these illegalities including the refusal of Mr. President to order for the release of local government funds to Lagos State, even when Supreme Court ordered for its release, only N20 billion out of N34 billion was released. There were other cases which space may not allow here. Retired Chief Justice Mohammed Uwais disclosed this according to Bashir Umar and Godwin Tsa of Daily Sun Tuesday June 13, 2006. Page 4 entitled “I Regret Not Ordering Obasanjo’s Arrest.”

Therefore, it was a surprise to read in the Daily Independent Tuesday June 13, 2006. Page A4 “PDP sues Lar, others over parallel party.” In the suit No. FCT/HC/CV/735/2005, Ali and PDP National Secretary, OJO Maduekwe dragged Lar and 26 others before an Appeal Court in Abuja in the suit filed on their behalf by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN). The applicants are praying for order restraining the PDP factional members from parading themselves as officers of the party. The Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar faction on the other hand has sued the Col. Ahmodu Ali faction and its National Working Committee of the party for trespass. They are accusing Ali and the NWC of masterminding the vandalisation of property and the sealing up of the National Secretariat of the Lar faction of the party at the Jabi Area of Abuja.

Armed Policemen had on the 9th June 2006, sacked the Secretariat of the splinter group after allegedly manhandling and abducting the guards on duty says Daily Trust Vol.14 No 8, Wednesday 14, 2006 front page report.

The question on the lips of most political analysts and democrats is that why the Ahmodu Ali faction refused to comply with Justice S.E. Aladetoyinbo of the Abuja High Court order which quashed the decision of PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of September 9, 2005, which adopted an affirmation otherwise called non-elective convention and congresses- it is wondering today that they are going to Court now to seek for restrain. That is not all as to add salt to an injury apart from Col. Ahmodu Ali’s uncouth language which he has been using in recent times like calling Senators “Idiots” and when he was summoned by the distinguished Senators to explain, he refused to turn up and after total refusal, wrote them at his own discretion and time. Up till the time of filing this piece, Ahmodu Ali has not turned up at the National Assembly. He recently described Presidential Aspirants as “empty barrels” which Alhaji Ahmed Sani Yerim Bakura, Governor of Zamfara, and an ANPP presidential aspirant replied him while on a working tour in Ilorin describing the comment as the outburst of a drowning man according to Leadership Newspaper June 14, 2006. Page 11. Yerima Bakura lashed at Ahmodu Ali saying PDP is collapsing and therefore his comment was a face saving only.

It may be true because another report in the Daily Trust, Wednesday June 14, 2006. Page 4 says “PDP Crisis: Another Splinter Group Emerges Soon.” This was the assertion of Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim. While speaking, indicating that these splinters are those who are neutral in the on-going feud between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The third group would consist of the other eleven political groups who formed the party. Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim, a founding member reiterated that the group will pull the party together as it is made up of the original founders of the party who have the interest of the PDP at heart.

Still on Col. Ahmadu Ali led faction, while his views described the Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar faction as rats. The Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar while reacting to this statement described Ahmodu Ali’s saga not only as a controversial person that started in 1978 when he was Minister of Education that introduced “Ali Must Go” to the appointments of his wife and son as board members. The confusion did not stop at Courts as Senator Bonaventure David Mark who during General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime said telephone is not for the masses and the third term Prophet added another bombshell to the ramshackle falling house of the Ahmodu Ali led faction when he said only those with background of military should rule the country.

Those who have not paid salaries of workers for six months now to his airline workers, or those who still have answers to provide to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or those who have been running away from Baba Iyabo now that third term and tenure elongation has ended.

Some of the contradictions witnessed in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP were, whereas some of the Reconciliation Zonal Committee Chairmen are soft in their utterances in the reconciliation process, others are arrogant, belligerent and brutal in their language further diminishing hope of any reconciliation.

The PDP has destroyed itself with this affirmative non-elective congresses and convention held last year on December 10, 2006.

Other reasons that tore the PDP apart which were long expected were its dictatorial tendencies, abduction of a Seating Governor, consorting with semi-literates and money miss-road called money bags, thuggery and hypocrisy.

The President himself is not excused from this ugly palaver like withdrawal of excess crude oil money from the reserve several times without obtaining approval from the National Assembly and the Israeli Defense scam.

They have deregistered most pioneer members and marginalized most of those who fought Abacha. Amongst the G-34, Pioneer Members of the PDP, only 3 are remaining there, while the rest have been frustrated. Today, the PDP is about to sink completely. Saturday Tribune June 10, 2006, Page 6 according to Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar faction enumerated 26 other members of the Interim Management Committee apart from 27 Governors as Alhaji Ibrahim Safana, Barrister Orji Nwafor Orizu, Alhaji Umar Kareto Lawal, Emmanuel Ibeshi, Mr. Bode Ojomo, Chief E.C Akpobi, Dr Abbas Aidi, Alhaji Inuwa Labaran, Mr. Bala Dala, Mr. Innocent Agbo, Mrs Chike Ibeneme, Alhaji Aminu Ahmed, Abubakar Magaji, Ahmed Song, Mutawalin Hadeja, Abiola Morakinyo, Sam Eke, Mr. A.A Okara, Mr. Bashir Sheriff, Mrs Hauwa Ande, Olorunfemi Bashorun, Joe Agaba and Baffa Jauro amongst others.

With all these factionalizations, frictions and conflicts: Weep not for PDP is what one Ikechukwu Amaechi entitled his column on the back page of Daily Independent Tuesday June 13, 2006, while New Age had on its front page of June 12, 2006 “PDP Panics.” But like I said earlier, it has for long been predicted by political watchers that the PDP may not form the next government next year. What next? Which party?

The administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has thrown spanner in the works and it has deviated from what democracy is all about. Intolerance of opposition, disregard for justice, selective handling and hunting of perceived enemies through EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC), blackmailing of dissenters, prevalent poverty, unemployment, insecurity, armed robbery, political assassination, listening to 419ners and their likes, worshipping of mediocrity, confusion, crisis and lack of order of civility in governance has grounded the so called largest political party in Africa.

Unfortunate enough for the Ahmodu Ali-led faction of the party, the Shuaib Oyedokun/Solomon Lar faction according to a top official, who spoke under anonymity with National Mirror Wednesday June 14, 2006. Page 3 and I quote “the immediate past NWC of the party who constituted the parallel body did not include the party registration certificate in the handover note to the Ahmodu Ali-led faction, when it took over affairs at the party secretariat.

He explained that the action was deliberately carried out by the immediate past NWC based on its conviction that the election of Ahmadu Ali-led faction violated laid down constitutional procedures of the party when it took over proceeding at its National headquarters.

According to the paper, the source said: the new Executive Committee of the party would stop at nothing to ensure that the principle of due process would be applied in the running of the affairs of the party.

With all these happenings, whither is the PDP?

As a country, as a nation, as a people, where do we go from here? I am about to go back to my constituency to give back my old registration card of the PDP to my ward Chairman. There is nothing left in the PDP other than selfishness, self-aggrandizement, greed, gluttony, confusion, abracadabra, contradiction, paradoxes, disorderliness, theft, hatred, disillusion and dastard regard for law. If not tell me where in the Constitution a Governors’ collegiate has been slated to choose presidential aspirant? Or is it another diversion for tenure elongation as INEC fixes general elections a month before swearing-in in 2007?

Woe betides me! PDP Government has ceded Bakassi to Cameroun Republic and natives say they will not be Cameroun citizens. This is more than enough. Let us choose someone who is a democrat next year as our President please! Someone, who would right all these wrongs, someone, who has laboured enough for party politics-someone, who knows give and take, someone, who should be naturally there by choice-not these type of people who trample on peoples’ right and turn around to seek the same interpretation they have ignored.