PDP’s Festering Crisis and the Trials of Brother Ayu

PDP’s Festering Crisis and the Trials of Brother Ayu

By Idris Umar Feta and Nafisat Bello,

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is one of the major political parties in the country, with a strong presence in Nigeria’s political landscape.

In the last eight years, and still counting, the party is battling for survival. Intra-party feuds among members of the main opposition, in recent time, have persisted.

The fallout of last May’s special convention where Alh. Atiku Abubakar emerged as the party’s presidential candidate in the just-concluded general elections, further polarized the party’s unity and cohesion.

Ahead of the 2023 polls, a section of the PDP led by the G-5 Governors and some party members demanded the ouster of the National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, to support Atiku’s aspiration.

However, Ayu, spurred by a vote of confidence passed on him by the PDP National Working Committee, would not acquiesce to his detractors’ call. Hence, he held on to his position, amid mounting pressure.

This decision by Ayu to remain as PDP National Chairman would later prove costly for the party, as they were defeated in the 2023 presidential election. Many political analysts and party members believed that Ayu’s refusal to resign was a major factor in the party’s loss.

Recalled that the PDP had been plagued by internal divisions and power struggles in the months leading up to the election, and Ayu’s continued leadership was seen as a hindrance to the party’s efforts to present a united front.

As a result of these issues, the PDP was unable to mount a strong challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election.

While Atiku and the PDP have rejected the outcome of the presidential election won by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by going to court, another court in Makurdi, Benue State, over the weekend, affirmed the suspension of Ayu from the party over alleged anti-party activities.

The court ruling was based on a petition filed by some members of the PDP in the state, who accused Ayu of engaging in actions that were detrimental to the interests of the party.

The court held that Ayu had violated the party’s constitution by refusing to step down despite the party’s call for his resignation. The court also found Ayu guilty of engaging in actions that were detrimental to the interests of the party and ordered his suspension from the PDP, for a period of six months.

Following the ruling, there were mixed reactions from party members and stakeholders. Some members of the PDP welcomed the decision, arguing that Ayu’s suspension would pave the way for much-needed reforms within the party.

Others, however, criticized the court ruling, accusing it of being politically motivated and aimed at furthering the interests of some factions within the party.

Politics Digest can authoritatively report that Ayu has continued to maintain his position as PDP chairman, despite the Makurdi court’s judgment.

The embattled PDP National Chairman argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to suspend him. He also accused some party members of working against him and the interests of the party.

Ayu also stated that the purported announcement of his suspension is an exercise in futility, stemming from the crass “ignorance and desperation” of his ‘political foes’.

It is believed in some quarters that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his supporters, are behind the current travails of ‘Brother Ayu’.

A little over a month after their party lost the presidential election to the APC and Tinubu, Wike and his cohorts have returned to the trenches to fashion out new strategies on how to remove Ayu.

Hence, they are instigating every necessary legal mechanism to actualize their sole ambition.

The intra-party altercation to axe Sen. Ayu has highlighted the internal fragmentation and power tussle within the PDP, a major factor in the party’s defeat in this year’s presidential election.

However, it remains to be seen whether the PDP will be able to resolve these internal conflicts and rebuild itself ahead of future elections.