PDP Crisis: GEJ had opportunity to have fixed the problem —World Bank consultant

Efio-Ita Nyok|21 February 2017

As part of his contribution to the debate bothering on the ongoing crisis rocking the internal affairs of Africa’s erstwhile biggest political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a political pundit, Mr Princewill Odidi, who is based in Atlanta in the United States has revealed that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan while he was still in charge of Aso Rock had the opportunity to have fixed the problem still gnawing at the now opposition party but failed to do so based on the thinking that he needed more of the Governors to secure his reelection in 2015 general elections.

The social entrepreneur made this position known yesterday via his social media account while delineating the social media thread he titled ‘Short Genesis of PDP crises’. According to Mr Odidi a former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, namely, Mr Ibrahim Mantu, who incidentally was deputy president of the Senate between 2000 and 2007 who was also a delegate to the concluded National Conference on the platform of the North-Central zone confessed that Jonathan had the opportunity to have resolve the present internal political wrangling while he was still president but left fixing it because he thought he needed the governors to deliver their various states in view of his reelection bids.

His words, ‘Now with a new party at the center in Nigeria , PDP as a party has lost its soul. The power structure at Party level finds itself at variance with the power structure at the Governors forum. Jonathan had the opportunity to have fixed the problem, but he thought he needed the Governors more to help him deliver their states during last election. So what you are seeing today is consequence of a power play gone wrong over a decade now.

‘This was the explanation PDP strongman and Jonathan loyalist Senator Mantu gave me when he invited me for a business dinner sometime in November last year. Whether he is right or wrong, Africa’s largest political party barely a few years ago, is in turmoil and eventual disintegration’. 

Earlier, Odidi a UNN graduate of Political Science while tracing the origin of the problem noted that in the first term of the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo the structure of the party was localised in the party’s leadership. This time witnessed peace according to him. But, when Obasanjo sought for a third term during his second term he overhauled the extant culture by making Governor’s more powerful than the leadership of the party. That change heralded the crisis the PDP is facing today.

‘Obasanjo first term as President witnessed relative peace in PDP, then the structure of the party was situated in the party’s leadership, appointments into positions of power in the federal executive was often recommended by the party leadership.

‘During Obasanjo second term, because he wanted a third term, he intentionally changed the equation and made the Governors to be all powerful. At a point state Governors even determined ministerial nominees from their states. This was the genesis of PDP problems’, Odidi said.

It will be recalled that three days ago an Appeal Court sitting at Port Harcourt declared the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP as authentic against Senator Ahmed Makarafi. This has incited a lot of debate from pundits on the subject.

Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org