Daily Independent (Lagos)
Augustine Madu-West
1 July 2009
analysis
Kano — The dissolution sometime in March, this year of the Kano State executive council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the constitution of a caretaker/election committee to work out modalities for a hitch-free, transparent and all-embracing election into the next executive in July, seems to demonstrate the concern of the National Secretariat of the party to the protracted crisis that has robbed it of victory in the state since 2003. Elections since then have been won by the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), which has capitalised on the feud in the PDP to consolidate its grip on power.
Today, the PDP, which was the pioneer ruling party, appears determined to regain control. The new body is headed by Saidu Pinder. It was given the mandate of re-positioning the party for the challenges of 2011 general election. There is therefore no doubt that the fate of the party by that time lies in the fresh effort through the committee. Though all eyes were on the committee, which is expected to have wrapped up by yesterday, the last day of June, the day has come and gone without a new executive.
Before now, former Minister of Defence and the first governor of the state in this dispensation, Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso, obviously, had wielded so much power. This was at the detriment of the likes of Governor of old Kano State, Abubakar Rimi, former Labour Minister, Musa Gwadabe, former Speaker House of Representatives, Ghali Na'Aba and the host of others. For this, they had former President, Olusegun Obasanjo to thank. The ex-President, it was, according to them, who played up the personality of Kwakwaso to undermine their influence even when they were the founding fathers of the party in the state.
The intervention of the party's National Working Committee (NWC), has, however been generating different reactions for and against. Rimi's presidential campaign coordinator, Gambo Dampass hailed the move as a welcome development. In fact, he sees the action as long overdue.
Dampass, a key member of the Rimi political bloc in the PDP, Social Progressive Party (SPP), recently accused Obasanjo of sacrificing Kano during his tenure to keep his crony, Kwankwaso in control of the party. According to him, the ex-President used the former Defence Minister to undermine the influence of the founding members, including Gwadabe and Nigeria's immediate past Representative at the United Nations (UN), Aminu Wali. "I think the best that has ever happened is the recent sacking of the Kano PDP exco because everything points to the fact that PDP was heading for another disaster in 2011, owing largely to the same conflict that robbed it of victory in the two previous general elections. The former defence minister heavily backed by the then president became a dictator and single handed decided who got what in the party during the reign of Obasanjo. Without mincing words, I want to say categorically that Kwankwaso was the target of the dissolution of the Kano PDP exco, which is largely controlled by his camp," he said.
Dampass, who was former Action Congress (AC) Director of Publicity and Public Relations, challenged the caretaker committee to gear up efforts towards minimising dominant factional influences in the party by the different political devices, pointing out that what is required to move it forward is the enthronement of internal democracy, where every member would not only have a say but allowed to make valuable contributions on issues.
"What is more important for now than anything else is to put the PDP house in order to enable us win the forthcoming general elections in the state namely, senatorial, governorship and House of Representatives. We should prepare towards this by burying the hatchet and supporting whoever emerges the new leader of the party in the state. Let all the factions dissolve into one solid PDP that will work as a team and speak with one voice. Factional blocs, Rimi, Kwankwaso, Aminu Wali and the rest leaders are no doubt very important but I would want them to see themselves now as people pursuing one fraternal interest - victory at the polls in 2011," he said.
The party's NWC had cited persistent internal wrangling for the prostrate condition of the party. Pindar, who regretted the situation, told newsmen that the national leadership was not comfortable with the turn of events, especially with indications that the leadership conflict might not abate before the 2011 elections. He pointed out that it was the same conflict that reduced the party to a mere political starter in the state.
His words: "This action was a clear demonstration of the concern of the national leaders over the growing disunity in the party in the state caused by factional influences put together by leaders of the major political divides in the Kano chapter. We have been able to trace PDP loss to ANPP in 2003 and 2007 to this unfortunate leadership tussle, which is still dragging into 2011 and which must be checked for now. Kano PDP has been rocked by a lot of internal crises, which have dragged for too long resulting in the party performing woefully in the elections of 2003 and 2011, the most recent and the worst being the local government election conducted in the state. We have realised that the key factor to our failure was the absence of internal democracy and the promotion of anti-democratic antics as well as negative factional influence by the key political divides in the state.
"Instead of consolidating its victory of 1999, this phenomenon rather divided the party and internal wrangling became very pronounced. It became so bad that all attempts to reach a consensus to reconcile their differences to put aside their selfish interests so that the general interest of the party would be considered failed."
The caretaker committee boss recalled how a recent reconciliation effort hit the rock, which prompted the NWC into immediate action. "The most appropriate thing to do is to go out and implement the guidelines of the PDP as being practiced in most states and which was never given a chance in Kano State, which is to allow majority of party supporters and members to have a say and choice of their own leaders through a democratic process. Kano PDP has never been subjected to an election; a situation which has deprived our people to exercise their wish through someone they believe could lead them because the leadership believes they can share positions among themselves. We are going to elect and not select or nominate because we want the people to endorse those they want through election."
However, whether this action would bring about the much needed peace and unity required in repositioning the party could be another kettle of fish.
Na'Abba, for instance, said he was not aware of the caretaker committee that is now in place. He told Daily Independent: "As a member of PDP Board of Trustees, I should know what is happening in my home state. I am not aware of the dissolution or the constitution of a caretaker committee to replace the Kano state exco. I have not been informed of any change in the leadership by the national body, either in my private capacity or as a member of the Board of Trustees, as it has not been brought to our notice. I am supposed to know of any such development, and since I am not aware and have not been informed, I want to treat the whole issue as speculation until I am duly informed."
Alhaji Usman Alhaji, Chairman of the Kano PDP Unity Forum, who has been relentless in his efforts to ensure the return of peace in the party, however described the resolution as a necessary evil. "It has happened and there is nothing anyone can do about it. No opinion can change the situation. For me, I hope our party will make the best use of it while the members also see how best they can manage the situation. It is obviously a distraction because we have two years to the election and needed to cement the party's unity rather than dissolution and constitution of committees." He regretted that the time that would have been invested to get the party properly positioned would now be used for party campaign for congresses, which is some kind of a setback.
The immediate past chairman, Senator El-Jubril Doguwa, agreed. He noted that the issue should not generate controversies as it had happened arguing that the best thing to do now was to work out a way forward for the stability of the party, so that it could recapture the state in 2011. He admitted that lack of internal democracy was the bane of the party.
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