As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) struggles to reassert itself as a force to reckon with in the politics of Nigeria, stakeholders have been reflecting about how best to position it. Notwithstanding the turbulence which enveloped the party following the controversy in the build up to the 2023 polls, prominent party figures believe the time has come for the PDP to heal itself and move forward and take its rightful place in the politics and governance of the country.
Segun Sowunmi, one of the prominent voices in the party, voiced his concerns over the apparent indifference of the party’s founding fathers as its internal conflicts continue to escalate. During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Sowunmi expressed his expectation that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan would intervene to resolve the ongoing disputes that have beset the party since the 2023 elections.
His remarks come in the wake of demands by some PDP legislators for the resignation of the National Chairman, Umar Damagum. The lawmakers, led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, have accused Damagum of acting in ways, which favor and play to the advantage of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The discord in the PDP has been attributed to what Sowunmi refers to as the “Wike problem,” alluding to the challenges posed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, whose activities after the emergence of Atiku Abubakar at the primaries leading to the 2023 elections, undermined the party.
The continuation of the crisis within the PDP, including calls for Damagum’s ouster, is seen as an extension of the Wike problem. Sowunmi expressed his disappointment, even as he reflected on the legacy of the PDP, which led Nigeria for the first 16 years since the advent of Nigeria’s democracy. His words: “I’m disappointed that the founding fathers, the Jonathans of this world, the Obasanjos of this world and co, are looking at the platform that gave them the opportunity to lead, I am disappointed that they are looking it bleed.” He therefore called for reconciliation in the PDP, while underscoring the need for unity and strategic leadership to consolidate the party’s achievements and navigate through its current predicaments. Whether the squabbling factions within the PDP will listen, is another matter altogether. But as the PDP approaches its 25th anniversary, the actions or inactions of its founding fathers could be pivotal in shaping its future trajectory and restoring its former glory.
