Politics
PDP looks toward Saraki for its future
Ousesan Laoye
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, once a formidable party, since the current political dispensation started in 1999, is now a shadow of its old self, and in search of a future.
After APC’s unimpressive eight rule under Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the 2023 election was considered PDP’s to lose. However, self interest and internal crisis ensured that it lost the polls, creating for itself a major situation of self doubt and political irrelevance.
The political party produced the first three presidents of this dispensation and remained in power for 16 years.
Since losing power to the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2015, the party has struggled for relevance, due to what one would primarily say, was the greed and self centredness of the leaders.
With the debacle of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, whose chairmanship of the party, caused the crisis with the four governors that ultimately caused it the election, PDP struggled for leadership and direction. The search seems to have berthed on Dr. Bukola Saraki, former senate president, to steer the party out of its quagmire and reposition it for the future.
But his choice, observers say, may not produce the expected elixir for the party not on account is of his lack ability but the likely geopolitical implications inherent in it. Beside President Tinubu, Saraki is arguably the most formidable political juggernaut and strategist of this generation. Well educated and exposed, he is calculative, ambitious and unpredictable.
However, his chairmanship would pose immediate problems for the party. It is common knowledge that he has his eyes on the presidency, which could be a source of crisis. Again, with former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, indicating his continuing push for the presidency in response to the Supreme court verdict recently on his appeal against the election of President Tinubu, it would produce a similar situation that scuttled the party’s bid in the 2023 polls, when both chairman and presidential candidate were northerners. With Atiku still in the political picture, Saraki as chairman would be a poisoned chalice.
Following wide consultations, the generality of the members and leaders of the party had agreed to its reform, and those the cap fit for the kind of tedious assignment. This then, brought into focus, three names, Bukola Saraki, Professor Jerry Gana, the foundation member of the party, right from 1999, and Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger State. They are all from North Central as Ayu, and portend the same political consequence for the party.
The three names were actually picked to favour all the warring groups, though, at the back of the minds of all of them, they knew that only one person that is most acceptable, would emerge.
While Saraki, who to some extent, has shown neutrality, right from day one and now behaving that way, stands on his own, believing that he can’t align with any group, Jerry Gana, an elder statesman and former Minister, has always been a forward looking leader.
He and former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose remained intact with Nyesom Wike and his G5.
Gana remains a father to the group because he knew as a founding father of the party, that they were fighting for justice and equity. So, he was picked to represent that group and Babangida Aliyu, picked from Atiku, Ayu’s group.
Right from the inception of the party, there had been mutual understanding about zoning and arrangement on which the zone to gets what. That arrangement had informed zoning of political positions at the National level, according to the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Of all the political parties, it is the PDP, which never deviated from this, till when the sacked National chairman, Iyorcha Ayu, came on board and truncated it.
The PDP has been operating a system, which gives room for all the zones to be relevant and as such, it is believed that if the presidential candidate happens to be from the North, the South, then gets the chairmanship, and the other way round, as well.
But things changed, when Ayu, refused to vacate the chairmanship for the South, when Atiku became the flag bearer of the party.
This brought some agitations for the mere fact that Ayu himself declared openly that peradventure, the North got the presidency, he would relinquish his position to the South, the promise which he failed to keep, ostensibly backed by Atiku.
It was clear that both were working together because they had the notion that probably it may be the way out for the party to come back but they miscalculated.
However, of all the three names Saraki seems the most favoured, who could do the job. Babangida Aliyu was considered not to have very wide exposure enough for the job, while Professor Jerry Gana, was considered old for the big task, as he may not have the zeal to move energetically, pursuing the major reconciliation, which the party needs now.
For Saraki, he has been a man widely accepted, who is believed to be articulate with the ability to mobilise with zeal. The general consensus is that with Saraki’s qualities, he is actually fit to lead the PDP at this crucial period.
Saraki has the experience, as a two term governor, Senate President, presidential candidate and someone, who has been championing the reconciliatory process of the party, as well the leader of the reconciliation committee, which had tackled several problems and proffer solutions.
This positions, actually helped his exposure, understanding and ability to deal with people from all shades of the society all over Nigeria.
Saraki, no doubt, has been an house hold name in Nigeria, for decades.
Bukola’s father was a famous politician, right from the second Republic, as a Senate Leader. The father too, aspired to be the President of Nigeria, which he was unable to achieve, before his death.
Bukola is therefore, from a political dynasty respected in Nigeria. It was observed by public affairs analyst and former Chief Press Secretary to the late Oyo State governor, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, now a stalwart of of the APC in Oyo State, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, that what has been working for Bukola is the legacy of his father, Olusola Saraki, popularly know as “Oloye”
Chief Saraki’s activities too, during his political days, cut across all the ethnic nationalities, across Nigeria and he was known to be a detribalised politician, loved by his people and very generous as well.
Bukola, however, has on his own merit too, worked hard to build on this and sustain it. He now has the same accolade going for him, like his father.
With him, it is believed that the party would be solidified. He has now become the most acceptable to both Atiku and Wike, all of who had been at the battle field for the presidential ticket of the PDP.
Atiku understands Saraki and the Wike group now know that there is pressure for Saraki to lead the party in rebranding the party. This may explain Saraki’s recent visit to Wike house in Abuja. It is believed that with the support of the Wike bloc, Saraki is likely to cruise home. Observers say that the stakeholders are determined to salvage the PDP, a party that was instrumental to their political rise and the need to sustain it’s legacy. However, it was hinted, that with Wike and his team being in favour of Tinubu, to strengthen PDP and work for its repositioning under Saraki to form a stronger opposition party, may jeopardize Tinubu’s second term.
And with Wike in his cabinet, this would be a big threat to Tinubu and he, being a strategist, may not waste time in showing Wike out of his government, a situation which people say could derail the group.
Now that the PDP is on the verge of being re-branded, with Saraki being favoured, the hope, is that the party would bounce back as an effective opposition, which can work towards coming back, in full force to get back to power.
Osita Chidoka, former Aviation minister, believed that the only way to save the opposition party from being extinct is to embark on its reform without delay.
He was baffled that the Labour party, which came out at the last minute, with Peter Obi as its presidential candidate, who could not be given a chance in PDP, made so much waves in the last elections, which made both the ruling party and the PDP lose some of its strongholds in the last general elections.
Chijoka argued, “the PDP is a party that was in power for 16 years. Its instinct is that of a government party; not an opposition party. And it has taken us eight years to begin to realise this.
“We smell the coffee; that it’s not four years and we are back, or we are coming back the next day.
“Now, we are beginning to see that PDP itself needs to be reformed. It needs to renew and re-imagine itself to be able to begin to play the role of opposition, knowing full well that we have a politician as president.” If PDP doesn’t get its acts together, it will be an extinct party.”
“So, we need to wake up, smell the coffee, find the kind of leadership that will represent us in an opposition atmosphere, and begin to do the work of the opposition.
“We must do the work of mobilisation and imbibe technology. The last four years have taught us a bitter lesson that a young party can come up and take away PDP strongholds in an election,” he posited.
Osaro Onaiwu, national coordinator of Saraki support group recently said, “he is the only one that can bring everyone back to the table; he is a unifying factor, the bridge between the old and the young, South and North.
“He has done it before during the reconciliation of the party, he went round the country, so he will do it if he accepts the job. People are putting pressure on him to come and do the job,” Osaro, argued.
Also one of the party’s leaders, Gbenga Ogunleye, who is also a communication strategist, pointed out that Saraki, as a consummate gentleman and an excellent bridge builder, is good for the rebranding and rebuilding of the PDP.
Ogunleye was of the view that “Saraki will make a perfect fit to lead the rebrand project for the PDP.
“He is a leader that is well acceptable to leaders and members of the party across the countries and divides.
He has the mental capacity and the set of skills required. His emergence will be a step in the right direction.” he further argued.
However, some people think that Saraki may not want the position and would rather still want to go for the presidency.
It was said that in going forward he must not make the same mistake which Ayu made, which has now spelt “doom” for the party.
It was argued that if the future of the PDP is to be sustained, whoever would lead it now, should concede the presidential ticket of the party to the south, and Saraki is expected to tow this line if he eventually emerges as the National Chairman.
