Chuks Okocha on this report explains that the Peoples Democratic Social gathering’s Board of Trustees below the management of former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, speaks reality to the occasion as the principle soul and custodian of its belongings and liabilities.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Social gathering (PDP) like each different political occasion is the soul of the occasion and is constitutionally empowered to intervene when there are disputes and disaster within the occasion.
Within the PDP structure, Half IX mandates the BoT because the soul of the occasion to intervene when there may be any dispute, and can also be vested with the custody of the occasion’s belongings and liabilities.
And above all, the BoT is to make sure that the occasion has not solely good picture earlier than Nigerians however good political well being.
It’s anticipated that the BoT guides the PDP when points go mistaken as is at present the case with the absence of a substantive nationwide chairman and questionable circumstances across the nationwide secretary who resigned to contest governorship election in Imo state whereas nonetheless clinging on to workplace as occasion scribe.
Different stakeholders of the PDP from the South east is asking that Anyanwu can not occupy the nationwide secretary’s workplace in addition to contesting for governor on the similar time. However the embattled Anyanwu claimed that the institution guide of the occasion gave him the constitutional proper to take action.
By implication, the BoT, speaks reality to the powers that be within the occasion, regardless of whose ox is gored.
It was according to the aforementioned constitutional duties of the occasion’s BoT that its Chairman, Senator Wabara, spoke reality just lately to members of the Nationwide Government Committee (NEC) of the occasion, warning of the implications of disobeying such recommendation.
Wabara had in the course of the NEC and BoT conferences held on April 18, 2024 expressed concern that the Performing Nationwide chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum has over stayed in workplace. He additionally stated the problems surrounding the workplace of the nationwide secretary presently occupied by Senator Anyanwu needs to be amicably resolved as it’s producing unhealthy controversy within the occasion.
Earlier than he made the place of the BoT identified on the NEC assembly, there may be the road of thought that the nationwide secretary, Anyanwu must have resigned earlier than turning into the occasion’s candidate within the final gubernatorial ballot in Imo state.
There was additionally uneasy calm uneasy among the many occasion of us over the continued keep in workplace of Damagum and perceived denial of the North Central zone of it’s rightful place of nationwide chairman.
Wabara whereas talking as chairman of the soul of the occasion and custodian of its properties clearly acknowledged that the performing nationwide chairman of the occasion, Damagum has over stayed in his performing capability to the detriment of the North Central zone of the nation.
As an elder, who won’t enable the goat give beginning in bonds, Wabara stated, “the paradox surrounding this place has led to confusion and inner strife, hindering our collective efforts to pursue our noble aims.
“The options to those two challenges are clearly imbibed in our occasion’s structure however deliberate litigations have made the applying of those constitutional options unattainable.
“It’s incumbent upon us to resolve this matter with utmost urgency, guided by transparency, equity, and the very best pursuits of our occasion and its members.
“As leaders, we really feel the heart beat of Nigerians and significantly members of our nice Social gathering of their demand and quest for path at this crucial time within the lifetime of our Social gathering the PDP and pricey nation, Nigeria.
“Nigerians are at present passing via a dangerous time and their earnest expectation is for us as a Social gathering to place our home so as and successfully lead the cost to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
“We should due to this fact go into this assembly with the willpower and resolve to urgently provide you with sensible options to the challenges going through our Social gathering presently.
I have to handle a matter that weighs closely on our collective conscience, the management of the occasion because it stands.
‘’Recalling the occasions that led to the ousting of the previous Chairman of the Social gathering in individual of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the present Performing Chairman has spent over a 12 months in workplace whereas as the standard apply of the occasion, the area from whence the nationwide officer hails from ought to have produced a viable candidate to finish the tenure of the previous nationwide officer.
“Moreover, the contentious challenge surrounding the workplace of the Nationwide Secretary has regrettably sown seeds of discord inside our occasion.
“As we stand on the cusp of a brand new period, marked by the upcoming expiration of the Ward and LGA govt constructions of our occasion throughout a number of states, we’re offered with a pivotal alternative to reinvigorate and reposition our occasion for the challenges and alternatives that lie forward.”
In keeping with him, the forthcoming congresses at varied ranges ought to function a beacon of hope, providing us a platform to reaffirm our dedication to democratic beliefs, grassroots participation, and inclusive governance.
His phrases: “Allow us to seize this second to embrace change, foster unity, and chart a course in the direction of a brighter and extra affluent future for our occasion and our nation.
In conclusion, he stated, “allow us to strategy the deliberations of this assembly with a spirit of fellowship, mutual respect, and unwavering dedication to the beliefs and rules that bind us collectively as members of the nice Folks’s Democratic Social gathering (PDP).
“Collectively, we have now the facility to surmount any impediment, overcome any problem, and notice our collective imaginative and prescient of a stronger, extra resilient, and extra inclusive occasion able to take over energy on the centre in 2027.”
Wabara spoke on the final NEC assembly however the occasion didn’t heed his recommendation. This has led to the mass exodus of occasion trustworthy from the PDP in Imo state since final week when the previous deputy speaker of the Home of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha resigned together with different members of the occasion. Most if not all of the Government at each the ward and native authorities ranges of the PDP resigned their positions and membership of the occasion in solidarity with Ihedioha.
Unresolved grievances within the PDP have in latest instances led many outstanding members to dump the occasion, particularly within the South-east geo-political zone, leaving the occasion in a shadow of itself.
Probably the most affected states embody Abia, Ebonyi and Imo. Within the newest gale of defections, which occured in Imo State, no fewer than 13 occasion officers of PDP at zonal, state and native authorities ranges stop the occasion.
The previous deputy speaker of the Home of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, had opened the flood gate of resignations when he resigned from PDP on April 23, 2024, citing dispute over the difficulty of the Nationwide Secretary of the occasion as purpose for leaving the occasion.
In the identical vein, former Governor of Katsina state, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, additionally just lately defected from the occasion to the All Progressives Congress citing management insincerity as his principal purpose for leaving the opposition occasion.
Nonetheless, the occasion’s BoT Chairman has given assurance that these nonetheless having grievances in opposition to the occasion could be pacified to stem additional resignations and defections, saying: “the BoT did it (reconciliation) as soon as and shall do it once more irrespective of whose ox is gored.”
However his earlier warning in the course of the NEC and Bot conferences, Wabara, has once more stated the gale of defections in the principle opposition occasion is being orchestrated by the ruling All Progressive Congress.
He acknowledged that APC was instigating defections in PDP with the intention to destroy the principle opposition occasion to pave the way in which for its grand design of turning Nigeria right into a one- occasion state.
Wabara stated APC discovered some “self-serving characters in PDP” who provided themselves as prepared instruments for use in executing the obnoxious agenda of 1 occasion system.
“The BoT won’t ever enable the APC to make use of some characters within the PDP to show this lovely and candy nation right into a one-party state,” he assured Nigerians.
Wabara stated the BoT of PDP received heightened alert and would transfer in directly to nip within the bud the inter occasion destabilisation plot of the APC by tackling the foundation reason for defections in the principle opposition occasion.
In keeping with him, the BoT of the previous ruling occasion comprised “array of distinguished women and men of invaluable expertise and integrity (who) will certainly salvage the occasion”.
The previous Senate President, who represented Abia South within the purple chamber of the Nationwide Meeting from 1999 to 2007, expressed confidence within the potential of these piloting the affairs of PDP to resolve the interior challenges confronting the occasion.
In keeping with him, very quickly, all grievances within the occasion could be amicably resolved, making it very tough for APC to search out prepared instruments to destabilise the principle opposition occasion.
Wabara has not wavered in his perception that the occasion would climate each storm and are available out stronger on all fronts together with the supremacy tussle between former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
