When I read somewhere on social media platforms that the Wike group had triumphed at the NEC meeting due to the extension of time accorded to the stakeholders of North Central to put their house in order and bring forth a successor to Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to enable the zone to complete the tenure of the ousted National Chairman I chuckled knowing that the outcome was a no victor no vanquished situation.
The viral video of the Wike group dancing naked in the market square on their supposed pyrrhic victory of the outcome at the NEC meeting is ludicrous. The expectations of party members that the Ag National Chairman will revert to his status quo ante and that Nyesom Wike and his gang will be disciplined at the meeting are misplaced. Dr. Iyorcha Ayu did not withdraw his litigation in court until a few days before the scheduled NEC meeting, NEC must be informed of his withdrawal and a case made for his replacement from his supposed zone before the zone will be directed to undertake the necessary due diligence and submit an alternative for NEC’s ratification.
Similarly, the party had not constituted a disciplinary committee that will be saddled with the responsibility of recommending disciplinary actions to be taken against erring members especially those who have openly boasted of committing anti-party with a commitment to a future anti-party against the party’s future interest. The party had directed state chapters to come forward with names of those accused of working against the party for a fair trial and recommendations.
I must not end this piece without acknowledging the statesmanlike attitude of Atiku Abubakar who after the NEC meeting wrote “PDP has shown political maturity and leadership. The Ag. Chairman has been acting for almost one year. It was a Consensus to replace the Ag. Chairman with a nominee from North Central. They have been given three months to put their house in order and bring a candidate”
~Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
Even when he used late Chief Raymond Dokpesi to foil their attempts to deny him the opportunity of a fair contest in the 2023 presidential primaries, he not only summarily dismissed their machinations but roundly defeated their armature plot hatched against him by the then PDP Governors led by Nyesom Wike. He never made any fuss about it. His style of politics is what Machiavelli summed as the end justifies the means. His strategy is simple, employing the art of patience, and engaging in decent politics devoid of thuggery. As the saying goes empty vessels make the most noise.
Umar Sani was the Spokesperson PDP Presidential Campaign Council 2019.
