•Why some people are determined to scuttle Ibadan
event – Ex-National Legal Adviser
By Kennedy Mbele
The late inimitable Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, in one of his evergreen songs, described ‘roforofo’
(rough) fight as any fight in which you are free to use any weapon as long as you think it helps you to win. This precisely appears to be what is happening in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where some of the leaders are using all sorts of weapons to fight. Some are in court to scuttle the party’s forthcoming National Convention.
Others are bickering over the genuineness or otherwise of the signature on some party documents sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) preparatory to the National Convention. A group is alleged to be working underground to ensure the party dies before 2027 so that it doesn’t constitute an obstacle to the chances of its candidate in the general elections. The situation is ominous for the main opposition party in Nigeria.
A new National Working Committee (NWC) is expected to emerge at the Convention. Last week, a group of northern leaders of the PDP said they had chosen a “consensus” National Chairman to be coronated at the event slated to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State. But another group from that part of the country disowned the “consensus” plan. On the heels of the disagreement came the disowning of the documents on the Convention sent to INEC by the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, which was purportedly signed by him.
There are also cases in court challenging the legality of the National Convention. These, among others, combine to make the Ibadan proposed event uncertain, about three weeks away. The insinuation now is that some forces are determined to scuttle the Convention and make the PDP a vehicle to contest elections in 2027 unsuitable. As these happen, a former National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr Jacob Mark, takes the National Secretary up on the claim that his signature on the documents on the Convention preparation before INEC was forged, asking him to prove his allegation. “The burden is on him to prove”, Mark charges on a live television programme.
The former PDP national officer, however, said the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Debo Ologunagba, disproved the forgery claim. Mark also speaks on many other issues in the PDP, including why some people are fighting to ensure the National Convention does not hold and the high profile defections from the party into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), pointing out that Nigeria’s democracy is gradually giving birth to “irresponsible individuals who have no reserve in throwing down anything known as integrity or trust”.
Marks also descends heavily on the judiciary. “Gradually too, the law, our courts and our institutions generally are being thrown to the dogs, because essentially, you cannot contest for an election without a political party”, he stated. Excerpts of interview:
We have many people who are in your party by only the words of mouth because what they do shows that they support APC ahead of the 2027 elections. So, what right does the PDP have to condemn Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State for remaining in office after resigning from the party that gave him the ticket with which he contested and won the election to govern the state?
Let me start by saying that, gradually, our democracy is giving birth to irresponsible individuals who have no reserve in throwing down anything known as integrity or trust. Gradually, too, the law, our courts and our institutions generally are being thrown to the dogs because, essentially, you cannot contest for an election without a political party. Section 221 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 says so very clearly.
In the same vein, you cannot also occupy a political office without a political party. Today, what we are seeing is that individuals are getting bigger than the political parties.
They are getting bigger than the court and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. They are becoming like warlords who are in charge of the territory they occupy and they take decisions without regard for anything, and nothing happens. You should recall that when former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was sworn-in in Rivers State, there was a serious issue in court and the issue was that he was not the candidate that contested the election at that time. There was another person, but he went to court and the challenge he laid was that he was supposed to be the candidate but the party sponsored someone else.
The court attempted to make a rule that would have helped, the court said the votes in an election belong to the political party, so whether Amaechi campaigned or not, he was entitled to inherit the votes that were cast for the PDP in that election. Unfortunately, we have had decisions that are different from our court too, that have attempted to say that the votes belong to the candidate who was returned as elected and who was sworn-in as governor; that the mere fact that he is no longer in the party doesn’t take away the oath he has sworn and does not make him to vacate the office that he was sworn into. Why I am bringing this up is because there is no clear decision from our courts that will hold him to his oath of office or to his allegiance to any political party. And, that is why we find governors defecting from this party to the other and the next day they can defect back, and so on.
You also see members of the National Assembly jumping, carrying flags in the television, declaring that they are members of another political party but when they go to court, they claim another thing by saying they never defected and the court says nothing or find itself in a fix. My concern is that institutions are being rubbished by politicians and the court appears to be helpless because the wordings of the Constitution make it possible for candidates sponsored by political parties to rubbish those political parties and go to other political parties without consequences.
The Constitution attempted to make clarification in respect of members of legislative houses where it says if you defect without cause and without the condition prescribed that there must be a division in your political party that makes it difficult for the national office to function, you should vacate your seat. But even at that, the courts have been very unwilling to put their feet down and make that provision functional.
So, we have a situation where politicians are enjoying themselves, they run to this market today and run to the other one tomorrow and nothing appears to happen, nobody seems to be in a position to control the political class anymore. They can do as they wish and nothing would happen
Is it legally advisable for the PDP to sue Governor Diri for governing with its ticket after resigning from the party? Also, what’s your take on the idea of independent candidacy as it is done in the UK?
Let me respond by saying that some of us have been agitating very strongly for the provisions of the Constitution to be admitted and amended to include the provisions where independent candidates can contest elections because the processes and the nature of our political parties, sometimes you don’t find any difference in terms of ideology or focus.
They just look the same and their operations appear to be the same. If you have money, you can go and contest elections. If you don’t have money, forget about it. That is where we are today in all the political parties. So, if you have a good candidate and he doesn’t have money, he doesn’t stand any chance. They must know how to take care of that and to make sure we produce credible candidates is to have the independent candidates’ provision.
So, I advocate and support that constitutional amendment in this regard. The other issue is whether the PDP has a right to question Governor Diri’s contentious occupation of the seat after leaving the party. Yes, the PDP has a right. Without the PDP, the governor would not have contested the election at all and occupying that office without a political party is completely illegal and on constitutional basis, that occupation of the office can be rightly challenged.
The law doesn’t recognize anyone to occupy an office as governor without belonging to a political party. It doesn’t exist and, of course, the court will agree that if you don’t have a political party, you don’t have any business in the office of governor. And sadly, our party is basically not… But, the people of Bayelsa have the right to question the occupation of that office because they are the ones that their governor is now without a political party. He ought to vacate that seat because unless you belong to a political party, the Constitution of Nigeria does not allow you into such position.
The Constitution is clear about issues that could lead to the removal of governors from office, including permanent incapacity. Can you clarify this? Again, what are the PDP lawmakers doing about what appears as silence that has been creating unnecessary gaps within the Constitution or are you satisfied with their performance?
The fundamental as far as occupying the seat of governor is concerned is that you must be a member of a political party to contest the election, this is suddenly disappearing and if the basis of one’s occupation of a position disappears…But, this is an assumption…It is not an assumption.
Section 221 says that before you contest an election … the Constitution does not have to provide for everything but it is implied and can convince any court that the qualification to be governor suddenly disappears from their records and you are bound not to be qualified in the first place. A governor who has no political party certainly cannot continue to govern.
For the lawmakers, the current National Assembly is one of the lowest in terms of grading and assessing their performances. When they started they pledged to support the executive; that there will be no confrontations.
Nobody said they should be confronting the executives but the system we are operating is the federal system which recognizes the power of lawmakers to checkmate the executives but suddenly, all the parties that have members in the National Assembly appear to have conspired not to do their jobs.
Infact, many of them are running to the ruling party, thereby generating fear about the country turning to one party system. Those who are supposed to hold the baton of democracy by ensuring that we have proper checks and balances have conspired against the country. They have made it impossible for the National Assembly to play its roles. For instance, everything the president proposes is approved without a single debate; they just read and sign.
Contrary to the provisions of our Constitution, a former governor that was incapacitated still led his state for over three years. Why? Again, what can you tell us about the proposed PDP National Convention?
First, the issue of former governor Danbaba’s incapacity, it is true that when institutions are compromised, such things happen. The court has also failed to play its constitutional roles; you would see things that an ordinary man perceives as correct but the court would say otherwise. The court would act blind to realities facing us.
I know there were litigations on that Danbaba’s incapacity but people were managing him, dressing him up and getting him to mutter a few words for the cameras and then, sustained and managed him until it was completely out of control and he passed on. This happened because we compromise institutions and make men demi-gods, otherwise such things can’t happen.
You asked about the convention of the PDP, certainly, the convention will hold. People are fighting to make sure it doesn’t hold because it is bound to be the tapping that will put an end to the rascality that has been going on in the party. Once a new leadership is formed the people that have been giving PDP a bad name, making sure that it doesn’t function properly will be out of office.
Nobody that has followed the trend in the party for the past few years is unaware that those disturbing the PDP are only found at the National Secretariat; all the states are doing their things without interruption but elements within the National Working Committee, NWC, are causing problems out of selfishness. So, the only way those issues can be taken care of is for the Convention to hold. I can see a lot of commitments by the sub-committees towards ensuring the success of the Convention.
What is your take on Senator’s Anyanwu’s allegation on document forgery?
That’s a criminal allegation and the burden is on him to prove. But, you are also aware the National Publicity Secretary has debunked all those things he said and I believe that the National Publicity Secretary was telling the truth. We were at the 102nd NEC. Before the meeting started, he signed off on the letters.
INEC was present when the decision to hold the convention was taken. Constructively, INEC is already aware. The communique that was issued at the end of that meeting was served on INEC. They participated in the meeting.
In fact, I sat behind the INEC officials that monitored that meeting where relevant details such as date, venue, etc of the Convention were decided. Writing formally to them does not remove the fact that INEC was already properly put on notice for the convention. We know the people who don’t want it to hold but they will fail.
PDP Convention: Court cases, Wike’s grip deepen uncertainty
By Our Reporters
Ahead of the much-anticipated National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, tension is mounting among party chieftains, deepening doubts over the likely outcome of the exercise.
From the National Secretariat in Abuja to the various state chapters, unease has replaced optimism.
Personal ambitions, conflicting loyalties, and widening factional divides have created a storm that now threatens to derail the convention before it begins. The situation has dampened the commitment of many stakeholders.
Factional
Although the National Working Committee, NWC, has held a series of consultations aimed at calming frayed nerves, Sunday Vanguard gathered that the meetings have yielded little progress. Those close to the process said the camps loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, remain sharply divided.
“The truth is that the PDP is operating in silos,” a member of convention planning committee told Sunday Vanguard. “Every group is fighting for survival, not unity. Damagum is trying to appear neutral, but his hold on the party is weak. Most of his decisions are being second-guessed or influenced by forces outside Wadata Plaza. People no longer trust that this convention will be fair, “ he added.
The camp of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, believed to be a close ally of Wike, continues to oppose moves that may weaken their grip, particularly in the South-East zone where the struggle for control has been fierce.
Wike
Wike, who spearheaded the G-5 governors’ rebellion in the 2023 general elections, remains the most dominant influence in the PDP despite serving in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. Through his allies within the NWC and some state structures, the FCT Minister is perceived to be shaping the direction of the party ahead of the convention.
“He is the factor nobody can ignore,” said a former PDP national officer.
”Even those who criticise him privately avoid confronting him publicly. He has money, influence, and access. The convention’s shape is being defined by how far Wike’s reach extends and how others react to it,” he added.
State chapters
Findings by Sunday Vanguard revealed that many state chapters are heading into the convention deeply divided, exposing the party’s structural weakness.
It was learnt that in several states, particularly those where former PDP governors defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the opposition party has struggled to rebuild credible leadership. The absence of strong control, it was gathered, has allowed factions loyal to Anyanwu and Wike to take advantage of the vacuum through loyal coordinators and parallel executives.
A top party official disclosed that the problem is most pronounced in the North-West, North-Central, and parts of the South-South. “What we have now are fractured chapters. In some states, there are two or three parallel executives, each loyal to different camps. Where governors left, the structures became easy prey for takeover. The result is confusion, and that confusion is already showing ahead of the convention,” the source said.
He warned that the disunity at the grassroots level could compromise delegate selection and voting, thereby triggering further post-convention litigation. “Without unity at the state level, the delegates you produce become questionable. That’s how post-convention court cases begin.”
Struggle
Although the remaining PDP governors are trying to steady the ship, insiders said they are fighting uphill battles. Many are reportedly wary of the shifting loyalties of key figures within their states and at the national level.
“The governors are trying, but they are not in control,” another source revealed. “Some are surrounded by people already in touch with the Wike camp. The fear that a few governors may still defect to the APC after or before the convention is real, and that fear is leaving party members increasingly disenchanted.”
A South-West party elder described the current atmosphere as “the most fragile since the PDP was formed in 1998.” According to him, “We no longer have strong governors’ coordination like before.
Everyone is just watching his back. The governors are careful not to provoke Abuja, and that’s why nobody wants to speak too strongly about the convention.”
Fears
In addition to political divisions, fears of fresh court cases are adding to the anxiety. Several aspirants and stakeholders envisage post-convention legal battles over delegate lists, zoning, and leadership contests.
A member of PDP convention planning committee told Sunday Vanguard that the party anticipates “a litigation storm.” He said: “We expect court actions from aggrieved aspirants immediately after the convention. Some have already hired lawyers. The fear is that the courts may again become instruments in the power struggle.”
Multiple sources alleged that the judiciary could be sympathetic to certain interests. “People are worried that the courts may dance to the tune of those with influence,” a North-Central PDP leader claimed. “They have enormous influence, and once the convention produces controversial outcomes, you can expect the legal fireworks to begin immediately, “ he added.
Crisis
The current tension in the PDP did not start today. It has its roots in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election and the unresolved leadership disputes that followed. After the poll, the party became polarised between those who wanted a comprehensive overhaul of the NWC and those who preferred to retain the status quo pending broader reconciliation.
At the centre of the latest flare-up was the controversy over the letter purportedly sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announcing the suspension of the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the appointment of a replacement.
Anyanwu disowned the letter, claiming his signature was forged and that the communication was a ploy to sideline him. He accused the Damagum-led leadership of acting under external influence to weaken the South-East bloc of the party.
The controversy sparked multiple lawsuits in Abuja and Owerri, with different factions seeking judicial clarification on who the authentic officers of the party were. Those cases have further deepened mistrust and stalled preparations for the convention for months.
Party insiders told Sunday Vanguard that the wounds from those legal battles have not healed. “The issue of forged signature and the parallel court injunctions destroyed trust completely,” one of them said. “That is why the current reconciliation efforts are not making progress. Many people believe that what happened then could repeat itself once the convention results don’t favour one camp.”
Survival
Analysts believe that the PDP’s troubles are being fuelled by personal ambition rather than ideological difference. “What we are seeing is a battle of survival,” said another convention committee member. He further said:”Damagum’s leadership is seen as weak, Wike’s influence is strong but divisive, and the governors are uncertain. The party’s elders have lost authority. Under these conditions, the convention is unlikely to produce peace.”
Despite the gloom, some members insist the PDP can still reinvent itself if the convention is transparent and inclusive. But as things stand, most chieftains are more apprehensive than hopeful.
“The question is no longer whether the convention will hold,” said a Northern party leader, “but whether it will solve or worsen the crisis. If it produces more bitterness, court cases, and defections, then the PDP will simply hand the ruling party an easy ride in 2027,” the party chieftain declared.
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