As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) races to an ignominious cul-de-sac, former Jigawa State governor and founding member of the party, Sule Lamido, has urged members to pick the pieces of what’s left and rally behind the caretaker committee linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in a last-ditch attempt to stop the eventual collapse of opposition party.

After losing its bragging right as the minority party in the Senate owing to last week rash of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) as well as overtures to its last two standing governors – Bauchi and Oyo – increasing by the day, all hopes for a final reconciliation today in a crucial meeting between the camps of the FCT Minister and the PDP governors seems dashed after the Wike faction made a complete routing at the weekend in the congresses held across states of the federation to uproot the last vestiges of the Turaki-led faction of party.

In Oyo State, a professor in the Department of Food Technology at the University of Ibadan, Abdulrahman Akinoso, emerged as chairman of the faction loyal to Wike. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members during the factional congress of the party held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium.

Other members of the newly elected executive include Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as secretary; Latifah Latifu as women’s leader; and A. Adeleke as youth leader.

The congress was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, as well as prominent members of the party.

The same situation played out in Kano State, where strong supporters of Wike emerged as new state executives. The 36 new members of the state executive council of PDP in Kano emerged through delegates’ consensus that certified their leadership under the Mohammad Abdulrahman-led National Caretaker Chairman of the party.

The Abdulrahman-led faction of the PDP also conducted a state congress in Borno State, where Abbas Aliyu emerged as the new state chairman.

Aliyu was elected alongside 34 other members of the state executive committee during the congress held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The newly elected executives were sworn in shortly after the exercise. The congress was monitored by INEC officials.

Also, an ally of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, Lanre Omolase, emerged as the PDP Chairman in Ekiti. The congress, monitored by INEC officials, also produced a former commissioner in the state, Tunde Ogunleye, as the party’s Secretary.

Other members of the State Working Committee elected at the congress include Babatunde Akande as Deputy Chairman; Femi Philips as publicity secretary; Lawrence Odunayo as Organising Secretary; Olugbenga Agbede as legal adviser; Mrs Ayodele Bosede as Women Leader; Banji Femi as Youth Leader; and Gani Bakare as Financial Secretary.

But chaos erupted during the conduct of the exercise in Taraba State after two different candidates were announced as consensus winners for the party’s chairmanship position.

The congress, organised by the Mohammed Abdulrahman-led faction of the PDP, initially began peacefully before descending into confusion following the announcement of two separate consensus lists. Trouble started when a member of the congress committee declared Victor Falack as the consensus candidate and winner of the Taraba State PDP chairmanship position.

The announcement sparked outrage among party members. Moments later, another committee member contradicted the declaration, announcing Ibrahim Sale as the consensus candidate and winner of the same position alongside other executive members.

The official argued that Falack had only served as the caretaker committee chairman of the party in Taraba and was appointed to oversee the party for just 30 days. Following the announcement, Sale and other executives were immediately sworn in.

The development angered Falack’s supporters, who reportedly confronted the chairman of the congress committee for announcing a different candidate. The disagreement quickly escalated into chaos, forcing security operatives to intervene. Police officers eventually whisked the congress chairman away from the venue in a patrol van to prevent further violence.

A dispute also erupted in Anambra State, with party chieftain, Amaechi Onowu, already petitioning the FCT Minister, alleging that the exercise was hijacked. At the heart of the controversy are concerns about the conduct of the process meant to elect new party leaders in the state, particularly the sale of congress forms and the participation of party members in the exercise.

Onowu, who is an aspirant for the position of state chairman, raised the allegations while addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja. He noted that the position of state chairman had been zoned to the Anambra Central Senatorial District, from where he hails. According to him, certain individuals within the party have allegedly taken control of the process in a manner that prevents other interested members from participating.

The Ondo State PDP chapter has, however, raised the alarm over an attempt to destabilise the party following claims that the State Executive Committee had been dissolved. While describing the purported move as a ‘political coup’, the leadership of the party stated that the move is unconstitutional and misleading, emphasising that the state leadership remains intact and fully operational.

According to the state chairman of the party, Dupe Aisida, during a press briefing held at the party’s secretariat in Akure, the state capital, at the weekend, no formal communication had been received from the national body to warrant the purported dissolution of the executives of the party at the state level.

Aisida stressed that the state leadership emerged through duly conducted congresses monitored by relevant authorities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, and the Department of State Services.

While acknowledging that internal disagreements sometimes occur in political organisations, he insisted that such challenges were not insurmountable and were already being addressed within the party. Aisida, however, criticised what he described as attempts by some individuals to destabilise the party through unconstitutional actions.

The PDP chairman also questioned the legality of the group claiming to be a National Caretaker Committee, describing it as unknown to the party’s constitution and therefore incapable of taking binding decisions. He also referenced recent rulings of the Court of Appeal, arguing that the judgments had been misinterpreted by some individuals who were celebrating what he described as a non-existent victory.

AMID the ongoing wrangling, the former Jigawa State governor, Lamido, counselled party stakeholders in dispute with Wike to sheathe their swords, noting that reconciliation remains the only option to salvage the party.

The former governor described Wike as a politically strategic figure who took advantage of the leadership vacuum created after the expiration of the tenure of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC). According to him, “Wike is someone who is really, really clever. I think he realised the situation and moved to form a caretaker committee. By the time the tenure of the existing NWC ended, the only structure in place was the one backed by Wike.”

Lamido acknowledged that disagreements exist within the party but stressed the need for dialogue among key stakeholders, including Wike, to ensure unity and stability in the PDP. “Even though many people may not like Wike or may disagree with him, we should still invite him in the spirit of Nigeria, in the spirit of brotherhood, in the spirit of PDP unity and reconciliation,” he said.

The former governor also cautioned that Nigeria’s electoral timelines leave little room for prolonged political crises within parties, noting that delays in resolving leadership issues could affect candidate nominations and other critical preparations.

Meanwhile, an APC faction in Benue State, backed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has gone into alliance with the PDP.

Eyebrows were raised when key members and contestants of the party loyal to the SGF attended the expanded caucus meeting of the PDP, which was held at the residence of the leader of the PDP in Benue, former governor Samuel Ortom, in Makurdi on Sunday.

The PDP expanded caucus meeting had Frontline APC governorship aspirants in attendance in what Ortom described as “strategic partnership”, like former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa; Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Pius Akutah; and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Sebastine Hon, among others.

Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, in his address at the meeting, said that Benue APC and the PDP have formed a strategic partnership in the state. He said that the state has witnessed unprecedented security challenges and is under development.

“We are putting in everything against bad governance in Benue. Something is not just adding up in Benue. We are all filing behind Chief Ortom to ensure that the strategic partnership between the PDP and APC works. We are partnering on ideas to rescue Benue state.” Any candidate that emerges should be supported,” he said.

He said PDP was on the move and urged party members to massively turn out for the forthcoming party e-registration.

Earlier, Samuel Ortom urged party stakeholders, local government party chairmen and aspirants to mobilise massively for the forthcoming e-registration of the party.

Ortom said only the new membership card would guarantee members to participate in the coming party primaries. He explained that the new electoral act had made it mandatory for all political parties to conduct direct primaries. He also called for the unity of the party in the state, adding that all pending court cases were ruled in their favour.

On the strategic partnership between the PDP and APC in Benue, Ortom said the current circumstances in the state have forced them into entering the agreement. (The Guardian, but headline reworked)