PDP Crisis: Now Harmonization has Failed, What Next?.

Elempe Dele, Edo.

The Edo State PDP Crisis, as it has become known in the media circle, is gradually fizzling away, although not as fast-paced as one would expect. But the most important thing is that the crisis has reached its crescendo and is descending the ugly cliff of acrimony.

We can recall before now how toxic it started after the 2020 gubernatorial election where PDP won the election. The governor, Godwin Obaseki, wanted his followers who joined him from APC to replace the Party’s Executives from the state down to ward levels; something that was against the spirit of the constitution, it was against equity, Fair-play and justice. This led to the resistance by highly committed PDP stakeholders led by the experienced and dependable former State chairman, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, now the South-South PDP Vice Chairman. His position was clear; he was opposed to the dissolution of the Party’s executives or their illegal removal from their offices to be replaced with New PDP members. The narrative then moved to compensate members that would be relieved from their executive positions with appointments in government.

About 90% of PDP LGA chairmen angered and disappointed by the deposition of the Governor, declared that they were not interested in harmonization. The governor called the DP stakeholders meeting in Benin and ordered that every stakeholder should go to their respective LGAs and wards to harmonize their excos within a time frame of not less than 2 weeks.

Attempts were made to ensure this ordered harmonization by the governor were carried out, he suspended and ratified albeit illegally, some major stakeholders in the party, and went to court to seek the removal of elected PDP LGA chairmen. He made failed efforts to stop critical stakeholders from going to the National Convention. A lot of political blunders were made at the height of the crisis.

Things were done haphazardly without probity or the resort to the constitutional provision of the Party. Provocative words were used in tyrannous manners. It was a declared unnecessary internal war.

However, the leaders of the Old PDP maintained some sense of decorum during the challenging time which spanned the whole of 2021. They went to court against some of the illegalities and restrained the government, the Party or its agent from acting hastily.

The first legal obstacle against the excos harmonization came from the court. The court stopped all forms of excos harmonization until the substantive matter is heard. The second came from the pronouncement from the text while National Executive Committee through Kola Ologbodiyan, the former National Publicity Secretary. And again, the National Convention in October 2021, ratified all the congresses held in all the states in Nigeria including Edo State.

The ratification removed vein from the illegal harmonization of excos carried out by the government and its agents. And to nail the coffin of the excos harmonization as a dead on arrival trivial issue, the Ayu’s led National Working Committee pronounced recently in the case of Ekiti that harmonization of excos is not only illegal but an act unknown to the PDP constitution. It further went on to agree that only statutory and automatic delegates are allowed to vote if indirect primaries are to be adopted.

It has become obvious that the harmonization of excos in Edo State PDP has died. A recent stakeholders meeting of the New PDP members was held in Edo North and the leader/convener of the meeting told the attendees that Harmonization of Excos has failed without mincing words. He said he thought the governor was doing much at the national level to ensure it scaled through and that unknown to him, the governor wasn’t doing anything in that regard. He added that every member should think about warming him or herself towards the elected Excos and leaders of the PDP who will eventually be in charge of who gets nominated for elective positions. It is sad because the Governor misled the Deputy Governor, who seems to be a better politician. Most of the former APC members across the State are surprised at the turn of events. They feel betrayed having been misled into believing the now failed harmonisation project.

Read also: Edo PDP Crisis Looms: The Consequences on the Old And New Members.

Now, the tempo of arrogation of power is coming down, the charged atmosphere of acrimony is gone and the hope of winning through harmonisation is dead. The reality of the Party’s position and constitution on the excos is dawning on all. Stakeholders and members of the New PDP are reaching out for peaceful resolution so that amicable coexistence can ensue just as it was before the election when all members joined hands together to defeat APC without the New and Old PDP divide. However, despite these stretched hands of friendship and peace, can trust be reinstalled? What exactly is the way forward? These are profound questions that are now on the front burner.