By SHEDDY OZOENE
The crisis that has plagued the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in recent months, finally blew into the open last Wednesday as the party’s 79th Board of Trustees meeting turned into a ring for a physical fight. The bitter contest for the position of the party’s national secretary between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye had turned into fisticuffs as loyalists of both men engaged in a free for all. The forceful removal of Ude-Okoye from the BOT meeting, which had Anyanwu in attendance, had incensed his supporters who engaged Anyanwu’s loyalists in a fruitless effort to return him into the hall.
The video clip of the encounter shown on major television outlets, may have amused leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, but it is yet one of the most disgusting displays by a political party in Nigeria. It is simply the symptom of a deeper decay caused by the festering internal crisis in the main opposition party, a situation that underscores the challenges the PDP faces in fulfilling its role in Nigeria’s democratic process.
There are reasons to believe that the crisis in the PDP, like similar ones in the Labour Party and the NNPP, are hatched by the ruling party of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The manner in which he has consolidated power since becoming President in May, 2023, continues to raise concerns about the health of Nigeria’s democracy and the PDP, with the connivance of its conscienceless leadership, has been used as the experimental guinea pig. The contestation for the office of national secretary has been an opportunity to foster internal divisions and manipulate its political structures.
The controversy started when Senator Samuel Anyanwu vacated the National Secretary role to contest as the PDP’s candidate in the November 2023 Imo State governorship election. Following his departure, the PDP’s South-East zonal executive committee nominated Sunday Udeh-Okoye as his successor. However, since after an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid, Anyanwu – a close ally of former Governor Nyesom Wike who now works for the ruling party’s federal administration as Minister of the FCT- has sought to reclaim his former position. His assertion that his four-year tenure remains valid until December 9, 2025, led to legal challenges, culminating in a ruling by the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal that recognized Udeh-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary. Though Anyanwu contested this decision, resulting in a subsequent judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja affirming him as the rightful officeholder, this has raised competing legal interpretations and another legal hurdle at the nation’s apex court.
Beyond Wednesday’s shameful display lies a deeper concern that some unseen hands are working very hard to ensure that the party never recovers to mount a reasonable challenge to Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections. A significant point of contention is the belief among some party leaders that Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu are acting as proxies for Nyesom Wike. This perceived allegiance has led to a factional split within the PDP, with some governors and party members supporting Wike, Damagum and Anyanwu, while others vehemently propose a new direction for the party. Though Wike continues to refer to himself as a card-carrying member of the PDP, he does not matter to him that the internal strife he helped engender in the party has diverted attention from its primary role as an opposition force.
If the failure of PDP to mount the opposition against the ruling All Progressives Congress has become obvious, the likelihood that the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) will pick the gauntlet is far-fetched. Like the PDP, both parties have since been plagued by internal crises, factional disputes, and leadership struggles, making them ineffective in challenging the ruling APC. The Labour Party, which posed a significant challenge to Tinubu in the 2023 elections through Peter Obi’s candidacy, has been riddled with infighting since the election ended. Many observers believe that elements linked to the ruling APC have played a role in exacerbating these conflicts. Similarly, the NNPP, which made remarkable inroads in the North, has suffered from internal discord. The party’s leadership crisis, which saw Kwankwaso suspended and then reinstated, has been linked to political interference as many believe that the APC has fueled these divisions, recognizing NNPP’s potential to erode its influence in northern Nigeria.
By systematically weakening opposition parties and meddling in their internal affairs, the ruling party has created an environment where it dominates without meaningful resistance. And since a strong democracy thrives on vibrant opposition that holds the government accountable, the ruling party’s actions surely reduce democratic competition and limit alternative voices. If this trend continues, like several prominent figures have warned, Nigeria risks sliding further into a one-party system where opposition is rendered ineffective. Surely, that will be a sad commentary on our march in the democratic journey.
This piece was first published in New Telegraph on Sunday, February 2, 2025.
