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.
"I know how painful it is to experience crisis in your party. So, I feel it is absolutely important for the national leadership to understand that anything that will bring disunity in the party in the state should be avoided; we need sincere and honest reconciliation. If people cannot accept themselves or work together, if all party leaders in the state cannot manage their differences, there is no way we can claim to have unity in our party," he said.
Salisu Buhari, also a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, however sees the new step as capable of stoking a fresh round of crisis. His words: "This action is capable of promoting another round of conflicts in the state branch of the party. Kano PDP presently is solid, united and intact with the recent reconciliation of feuding groups. So the dissolution will do us no good."
Indeed, the crisis apart from leading to electoral woes is said to have also robbed the state of some benefits from the ruling government or at best delayed them. For instance, the emergence of a candidate for ambassadorial slot from the state, which obviously had to go to the party, was delayed for several months after other states had filled their slots. This followed a sharp disagreement among party leaders and stakeholders over the list of three nominees for the position presented to Yar'Adua for endorsement. On the list were Kwakwaso, Usman Alhaji and Wada Waziri.
Matters reportedly got to a head when Kwankwaso withdrew his name and allegedly attempted to substitute it with that of his loyalist. Other stakeholders blocked the move, insisting that since the former governor was no longer interested, the replacement must either be Alhaji or Waziri. Kwankwanso reportedly did not want to hear of the proposal. As the issue degenerated to open controversy, the PDP Elders Committee (PEC), Chairman, Alhaji Aminu Baba Danbaffa also wrote the NWC, warning that any candidate for the office from Kano drawn out the list would not be acceptable to the party. Daily Independent reliably gathered that Yar'Adua's desire not to offend any of the parties, put him in a sort of quandary, having reserved China for the state.
Eventually, he had to settle for Wali, who was not one of the three initially favoured. A source said he was fed up with the endless crisis in the party, especially as it delayed his sending an ambassador to a country regarded as strategic to his government.
But even now, questions are still asked as to how far the current measure could go in stemming the tide of discontent in the various camps and prepare the party for 2011.
Last year, Rimi had rejected a congress in which Kwankwaso's camp gained upper hand producing 17 members in the exco, leaving his camp with a mere five members, while Wali, believed to be Kwankwaso's ally got seven.
Besides, Kwankwanso also produced the chairman of the party in Yusuf Chiroma Kutama, Youth Leader, Woman Leader, and the Public Relations Officer among other juicy positions. Dissatisfied with this, Rimi had led seven other aggrieved chieftains and leaders of the party in an organised protest. Those in the delegation that visited Abuja headquarters of the party, to deposit a strongly-worded letter demanding immediate rescinding of the exercise, included Aminu Dabo, former Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority, Senator Isa Zarewa, Dan Hassan, Yusuf Kibiya all governorship aspirants of the party at different times. They claimed that Kwankwaso manipulated the congress in violation of the party's internal democratic process regarding the election of party leaders.
In what looked like their determination to pursue their course to the letter and ensure that the leadership at the state level was nullified, the group had suggested the interim executive arrangement as a precondition for peace.
Rimi in the thick of all these, had actually defected to the Action Congress (AC), where he held key positions until the recent reconciliation exercise initiated by Yar'Adua, facilitated his return to the PDP fold along with his loyalists including Na'Abba. Efforts by the party chieftain in the state to woo back Gwadabe, who also defected to AC with Rimi and co have not been successful.
However, the gains of the reconciliation exercise appeared to have been rubbished by the maintenance of the Kwankwanso structure, while the party appeared headed for a repeat of the 2003 and 2007 fate, until the recent development. Indeed, the ANPP, which had remained the major beneficiary, has not only been enjoying the show in the rival party, but actually digging in the more to gain better mileage from the feud. With majority of the seats in the state and national assemblies as well as local government offices in its kitty, the party looks too good to beat at the moment.
In fact, political pundits in the state had since written off the PDP as a major threat in 2011, so long as the bad blood among the godfathers continued. Their only saving grace, according to them was that the party must re-organise and reposition itself.
It is against this backdrop that many have seen the current development in the party as not only a good omen, but imperative to its survival. Dampass was emphatic that if the unpleasant situation was allowed to persists, the PDP would kiss the state goodbye for a long time or even forever. In fact, he traced the past and present crises in the party to what he described as Kwankwaso's rabid desire to have total control of the party leadership so that he could manipulate it to suit his purpose and interest.
"Kwankwaso had won the election after all. All he wanted is to be seen in Abuja as the leader of the party in Kano. He also wants to show off as one who has conducted a successful congress in Kano. But what Rimi wanted is for the party to have a leadership with credibility that can give the party victory from councillorship to governorship in the state even to the presidency. Kwankwaso has been in full control of the party refusing to give others the chance to contribute towards the progress and success of the party, yet his so-called leadership has been losing in all elections conducted in the state. He is holding the party to ransom. PDP under him has suffered serious setbacks in this situation. If care is not taken the party will go into extinction in Kano. It will be wrong for the party stakeholders and leaders especially the founding members to fold their arms and watch the former defence minister destroy and destabilise PDP in the state. So there is the need for the people to come together strongly united against some of his negative antics which could lead us to self-destruction," he said.
He added: "What we want is to see a strong united, rancour-free PDP in Kano, which will be the pride of every member and which will wrestle power from ANPP. But for one man to see himself as overlord and the party as his own personal property is totally unacceptable to us. Can you imagine that he went to Abuja for the convention with those he called elected leaders from Kano, when there was no election? This is a deceit. If he had gone to Abuja with credible leaders, no quarrel, but for him to have selected people in the name of leaders is fraudulent and we will not take that. We see the whole exercise as a plot by Kwankwaso and former President Olusegun Obasanjo to appropriate the party to serve their selfish interest. Thank God for the kind of leader we have in the country today who does not believe in cheating, injustice and the kind of manipulation the party the witnessed under Obasanjo. The former President from 1999 to 2007 gagged the party thus frustrating its progress in a design to manipulate it in favour of his ambition for the failed third term. It is obvious that Kwankwaso is acting Obasanjo's script all in an attempt to have total control of the party so as to frustrate any opposition against his position as BOT chairman. I think the whole plan is to isolate other key members, those considered as threats and whose influences are a source of concern to Kwankwaso. Unfortunately these are the people who have the interest of the party at heart. Of course, the sole aim is to kill the party because if you alienate the founding members in pursuit of selfish interest, you are jeopardising the soul of the party."
But Wali did not see anything unusual in the controversial congress, which Rimi ands others were complaining about. He also denied any personal rift with the former governor. "I don't suppose we have fallen out. We may have some differences. It is expected in polities. That doesn't mean we are at war with one another. We are certainly very good and close friends. People are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. I don't' think there is anything serious that could warrant that kind of noise. Of course in any party there must be differences and we try to sort it out. It is not particular to PDP," he said.
Wali insisted that the consensus option adopted by the party in choosing the dissolved executive was popular decision and was agreed upon by all the leaders. "Well that was what we all agreed before we embarked on this exercise. There was a meeting and lengthy discussions, which took us days before we finally agreed to go for consensus approach at all levels from the state to the wards. That was what was agreed and that was what was adopted and implemented. Of course you find a situation like that; there may be some complaints here and there. It is not strange that when people go for election or adopt a consensus option there is some kind of disagreement, it is a normal thing in politics.
He did not see the composition giving Kwankwaso an upper hand. "I don't think there is anybody taking upper hand once we agreed on consensus, which means we have a common stand to give us a common leadership. I don't look at it as anybody having an upper, except for those who want to create problems. As for me, I am not subservient or subjected to any individual. We all believe in the PDP and supremacy of the PDP and we have agreed to give a collective leadership. I wouldn't say the situation is perfect. It is not perfect. I see it as an on going process where rooms are given for adjustments here and there; we will continue to work together to loving everyone on board as we forget ahead," he added.
To Doguwa, the decision in favour of consensus option was obviously to avoid any situation that would create further problem for the party. "We also know that some of the problems the party had passed through came about as a result of protest over election of leaders and I think they want to avoid re-occurrence. Again a situation where party leaders sit and dialogue and take a decision in the interest of the party, nothing can be more democratic than that. Everybody was accommodated in the position sharing. We were able to share key positions to the three senatorial districts in the state with the chairman coming from the South, the deputy chairman from Central, the secretary from the North," he said.
The former chairman praised his tenure pointing out that as a leader he had achieved a set goal. When I took over in December 2006 the party was in shamble. There was nothing like organised PDP. We were in total disarray but today through concerted and cooperative efforts we were able to put the party together again and gave it a direction. At least we have what we can call PDP today, which everyone will be proud to be part of. We have also given hope to be our members. It is also during my tenure that we introduced internal democracy in the selection of candidates for elective offices at all levels. People were allowed to make their own contributions, take decisions on who their leaders should be; chapters and wards as well as the local government were allowed independence in their choices of candidates from their respective areas for elective offices and those actions greatly promoted peace and harmony in the party."
Doguwa, was categorical that if by December this year, the crisis in the party was not resolved to allow for proper reorganisation, then PDP should forget about Kano. He remained the feuding members that it was the task of everyone in the party to make PDP great by being strongly united for greater efforts.
Presently, it is difficult to achieve this, since the committee's tenure ended yesterday without achieving the target. In fact, Daily Independent gathered that it may not be able to conduct any congress, due to the fact that the stakeholders are still holding to their guns. Kwankwaso still sees himself as a target and is not likely, therefore to give in to the enthronement of an executive, which would strip him of the iron-grip control he has been enjoying in the party for so long. Others, however, believe that doing just that, is the only way the party can move forward. Now that there seems to be no end in sight, it is difficult to ascertain whether the party would extend its tenure as it did in Zamfara State, where there is a similar situation or whether the NWC, would look for other means of arriving at an acceptable situation. For analysts watching from the sidelines, nights would continue to turn to days and soon the final words would be heard. It is then that it would be known whether the party would have been infused itself with the fresh energy to challenge the ANPP and probably regain power again or whether it would relapse into another regime of crisis.
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