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HomeViews and ReviewsInterrogating Suswam’s Take On PDP’s Chairmanship Contest And Disruptive Forces

Interrogating Suswam’s Take On PDP’s Chairmanship Contest And Disruptive Forces

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By

Hon Rahman Owokoniran

Just recently, former Benue State’s Governor Gabriel Suswam stated in an interview that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was being undermined by external forces. In my opinion, this is a calculated attempt to cast aspersions on the legitimacy of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, particularly that of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Illiya Damagum.

In a desperate attempt to substantiate his assertion, Suswam alluded to subterranean forces influencing the affairs of the party. In reality, His Excellency, failed to substantiate his assertion in any way to justify his claims.

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Secondly, he expressed his regret that the leadership had failed the party for its inability to resolve the fallout of the 2023 presidential primary election, which saw a group of five governors (G5) work against the party’s Presidential Candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 general elections.

Suswam is one of the leaders of this party. He has openly expressed his aspiration to serve out the remaining period of the tenure of the deposed Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, who is from the same region and state as himself. Could this be the reason for his claims?

The former Governor gave his opinion on how the fallout of the presidential elections should have been resolved. However, he neither spoke of having earlier made his suggestion to any of the leaders being accused about the subject matter; nor did he, during his interview, offer any specific advice or guidance on resolving the rift. Instead, he condemned the Damagum-led leadership’s perceived inability to discipline erring party members. Suswam is of the opinion that the G5 governors and their allies, who openly declared that they would remain in the party and worked against its interest, should have been sanctioned.

But the question is: By whom exactly and with what mechanisms would these sanctions come?

This is an afterthought now that the deed is done, closing the cage after the bird escaped. Where was the former Governor when the G5 was formed? Isn’t it interesting that one of the members of the G5 –former Governor Samuel Ortom– is from the same state as Suswam? I didn’t hear Suswam mention his role in any mediation effort. At no time throughout the period of the conflict did the party set up any mediation panel. Nor did the National Executive meeting of the party pass a resolution on the matter.

Therefore, instead of dwelling on the past, we might as well focus on the future of this party. It is true that many things went rogue in our party but they can only be corrected by our conscious effort to change our perspective on contemporary politics.

Suswam’s emphasis on sanctions is misplaced because it calls to question a very narrow perspective of the issues at hand. The G5 was a product of the rebellion against injustice that created division. This is not strange in a complex organisation like ours. The inability of the party to resolve this particular issue should be addressed, first and foremost. We lost the elections because of the significance of this conflict that split our party down the line. Apart from our missed opportunities to win elections in some of the states across the country, we also didn’t maximize the number of votes in many states that were won. Therefore, our party has a lot of work to do to ensure better standard practices for our party members.

However, I agree with the former Governor that any organisation that wants to succeed must enforce discipline. In this instance, the party that wants to enforce discipline must have instituted a system that allows for standard procedures to prevent abuse of trust. This is the reason why conferences and congresses are organised in advanced countries to address critical issues, such as resolution of conflicts and security concerns that are critical to their success at the polls.

Thirdly, Suswam accused the Acting National Chairman of the party, Damagum, of occupying the position of the North-Central Zone, following the removal of the substantive Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from that zone. According to the former Governor, the party’s constitution provides that the Deputy Chairman from the same region as the Chairman should take over, in the event of the latter’s removal from office; but Deputy Chairman is not permitted by the same constitution to occupy the position belonging to a zone other than that of the deposed Chairman.

This may well be the case; but the party may need to have another look at this section of the constitution. Our constitution states that occupants of each organ of the party must be elected. For reasons of death or removal, Section 47(6) of the constitution states that replacement or filling of vacancy must be made from the constituency of the expired officeholder. The constitution might be well intended, but the method of replacement has not been by election. It is usually done by selection. And experience has shown that the result is usually mostly controversial.

Going by the case of the National Chairman of the party and the previous experience of this party (take Ali Modu Sheriff’s case and those of many occupants of the National Chairman’s position between 1999 and 2007), why take a chance with a new member of the National Executive to head the institution of that magnitude, given the limited time frame under which he or she would operate?

It is my humble opinion that the decision to have the 1st Deputy Chairman from the same zone replacing the exited occupant is laudable and brilliant. It enables the 1st Deputy Chairman to serve under tutelage and acquire the needed skills and experience for continuity in the administration of the party.

In Conclusion:

Does PDP need help?

Yes, urgently so, for it is common knowledge.

Does the PDP constitution require review?

Yes, it does.

Is it correct to say that the G5 rebelled against the party, and its members didn’t support the Presidential Candidate?

Yes, that is correct.

Has it made the party unsettled since the 2023 elections?

Yes, it has created distrust between the two sides involved.

Other than the above mentioned, do other problems exist in PDP?

Yes, PDP is a huge, complex and dynamic organisation and naturally fraught with visible and invisible issues.

Bracing up for the challenges ahead is a task for all members and leaders of the party. Be part of the conversation to get PDP out of the woods, instead of wasting time encouraging division in the party. Running the victory lap is sweet and that should be PDP’s vision. Leaders must stop fanning the embers of disruption that will only lead to flops and failures.

Your Excellency former Governor Suswan, it is my humble opinion that you should reach out to the stakeholders about your interest and let them know why you should be considered for the job. I wish you best of luck.

HON RAHMAN OWOKONIRAN WRITES FROM LAGOS.

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