BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
Last Friday, a new chapter opened for Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, as a new National Working Committee to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years was inaugurated.
Iyorcha Ayu, a former Senate President, minister and long-running politician, took the oath of office as the National Chairman, along with 20 other members of the NWC at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The other NWC members include Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum; Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; National Treasurer, Ahmed Mohammed; National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro; National Women Leader, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe; National Youth Leader, Muhammed Suleiman and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.
Others are National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; National Auditor, Okechuckwu Daniel; Deputy National Secretary, Setoji Kosheodo; Deputy National Treasurer, Ndubisi David; Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Ighoyota Amori; Deputy National Financial Secretary, Adamu Kamale; Deputy National Women Leader, Hajara Wanka; Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha and Deputy National Auditor, Abdulrahman Mohammed.
The Ayu-led NWC is coming to pilot the affairs of the party at a time when it is still suffering from after effect of serious leadership crisis involving the immediate past national chairman, Uche Secondus. Indeed, the erstwhile national chairman is still on appeal at the Supreme Court.
Tagged the ‘rescue team’, the Ayu-led NWC already has its work cut out for it as some stakeholders, while effusively expressing joy at the ability of the party to recreate itself, have set agenda for the new leadership on the direction they would want the party to go.
Speaking to The Point moments after they were sworn in on Friday, Anslem Ojezua, a chieftain of the party in Edo State and former state chairman of the APC before he joined Governor Godwin Obaseki to defect to PDP, noted that the inauguration was a bold statement by the party. He stressed that what happened on Friday should send a clear message to other parties that the PDP meant business and that it would not be business as usual.
He, however, advised Ayu to keep his promises to the party and restore confidence in the teeming members of the party.
The lawyer-turned-politician said, “What has just happened today is a very good development. Many people thought the party would go under and that Nigeria might end up experiencing a one party state. But the PDP has been able to weather the storm and reinvented itself. It is a bold statement of intent regarding 2023. This is indeed a ‘Rescue Team’. You listened to him; you heard him. You can see sincerity of purpose and the hunger to steer the party to winning ways. Look, Nigerians are obviously happy that the PDP is there for them as a ready alternative come 2023.
“Personally, I would advise him to keep his promises by restoring the confidence of members of the Party and, by extension, the Nigerian people, and by managing the activities of the Party in strict obedience to the Constitution of the Party in a transparent and dispassionate manner.”
Another chieftain of the party in Abia State and a former two-time commissioner, James Okpara, harped on the necessity of ensuring internal democracy to reign supreme in the party. In addition, he stressed the importance of free and fair primaries and lastly fairness to all.
“It is a good thing that the party has negotiated the bend which seemed to pose some problems to it a little while ago. Having successfully negotiated that bend, the party has declared loudly that it is capable of managing, not only its own affairs, no matter how seemingly knotty they may appear, but that it can also manage all knotty problems facing the country today.
“My prayer is that God will enable Dr Ayu and his team to succeed. And let me add that as a lawyer, I want to see justice, fairness and equity in NWC dealings with all and sundry. So I would say the new NWC should pursue with vigour the following: ensure that there is internal democracy in the party; ensure free and fair primaries and be generally fair to all.”
“I would tell him to sustain the reconciliation committee of the party to build politics of inclusion instead of exclusion. He must clean up the books and set in place a transparent financial accounting standard that would elicit the support of critical stakeholders
“
“Truth is, Nigerians are looking up to the PDP to rescue this country and I am very sure the party won’t fail them. Nigerians want a positive change from the present hardship and they know the PDP can bring it to pass. I wish the new exco well,” Okpara added.
Kazeem Afegbua also tasked the new helmsman and his team to be fair, promote internal democracy and ensure probity and accountability. He said the National Chairman had “what it takes to reposition and refocus the party and ultimately wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress.”
An obviously elated Afegbua said, “No doubt, the new national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, is a tested hand, having been Senate President, minister and a member of the G34 that confronted the military to birth democracy and by extension, the PDP. He knows the party so well. He’s on a familiar terrain. Listening to his inaugural speech at the exchange of baton today, does appear to me the chairman knows exactly what to do.
“If I were to advise him, I would tell him to sustain the reconciliation committee of the party to build politics of inclusion instead of exclusion. He must clean up the books and set in place a transparent financial accounting standard that would elicit the support of critical stakeholders.
“The party must get back to those good old days when proper party administration was the norm and every party member had a sense of belonging. He must commence nationwide tour to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the present fortunes of the party, in order to stimulate and motivate the members across board.
“States, where there are no governors, must be given a life of their own to be able to sustain the momentum that would herald the 2023 contest.”
Afegbua harped on an area that is less talked about in party administration. He called on Ayu to immediately commence the process of ensuring dues are paid by members.
He said, “Of utmost importance is the agenda of ensuring that membership dues payment is effectively commenced to generate resources from members and not from some big men. You make more money if you can guarantee a workable system of dues collection in a seamless fashion. With the way things are, Nigerians are craving for an alternative which I think the PDP can offer.
“He must resolve lingering issues and set in motion the process of ensuring that every member is given a listening ear when it comes to party matters. Internal democracy must be promoted in an atmosphere of transparency and accountability.”
Ayu had told party leaders and members at the inauguration what the new NWC would do differently so as to be able to reclaim power at the centre.
He assured that the NWC would be guided by consultation, teamwork, internal democracy and national interest.
He said, “We shall endeavour to reach out to all party members, young and old, male and female. This NWC will create alternate platforms within the party to actively engage the young people and our women.
“They will be engaged, not only for mobilising and winning elections but for advocacy, policy formulation and the design of a new development agenda for the party.”
“We shall return the party to vigorous discussions; pay serious attention to new thinking and the implementation of policies and programmes that will secure and improve the quality of life of all Nigerians,” Ayu noted.
The inauguration was attended by party leaders, including serving and former governors, National Assembly members, and two former vice presidents, Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo.
