Between Wike’s Self-delusion And Atiku’s Legacies -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

A peep into our political history indicates that the history of party politics in Nigeria is incomplete without the mention of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And the history of PDP is incomplete without the contributions of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar (GCON) and his PDM political platform. It is on record that PDP emerged victorious in the 1999 Presidential election despite the coalition forged by All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Action Congress (AC) because of the party’s national flavor and spatial structure and the firm footing it had from the legacy group especially the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) that formed the core group within the party. Added to these is the sense of commitment and camaraderie among the party faithful then. The party structures and funding was done by the likes of Atiku Abubakar and few other individuals. Atiku’s PDM and Ekwueme’s G34 were the main legacy group that formed the PDP. But soon after, the party grew and became powerful and charlatans and political pettifoggers and mercenaries came in. And those who were not acquainted with the ideals of party politics and the party history hijacked the party machinery and then complacency set it leading to its loss of goodwill and eventual defeat at the polls in 2015 after dominating the political landscape for sixteen years.

And for the past six years the once dominant party has continued to grope and totter because those who seem to hold sway in the party have run out of ideas about how to move the party forward. This is because they seem not to understand the tenets of party politics. We are told that party politics is about working for the interest of the country through your political affiliation. Party politics is about teaming. It is about interest aggregation. It is about goal congruence. It requires the spirit of camaraderie. It is about to the party and the nation in general. Thus, when those who are not privy to the formation of the party speak, I get peeved. And it was those who knew not the history of our great party that are the problem of our party.

Olusegun Obasanjo alias OBJ, the erstwhile President was a perfect example. He was never a founding member or a financier of the party. He had neither the political base nor the wherewithal but he was favored but instead of working for the progress of the party, he worked for the disintegration of the party that rehabilitated him after his release from prison. OBJ used his position as president to antagonize the founding members of the party and his real and imaginary political opponents. Many party bigwigs like Okadigbo, Audu Ogbe were chased out of the party and many like Harry Marshal, Dikibo, Funsho William died in controversial circumstances. It was OBJ’s anti-party activities that led to the loss of the 2015 presidential election.

Today, another party man who is a beneficiary of the party and who has the illusion of power like OBJ, is Governor Nyesom Wike of River State. Wike’s rigid stand; his inability to see beyond personal interest is capable of putting the party on the part of implosion and permanent disintegration. Wike is acting like a demigod; making unguarded statements that are capable of alienating party faithful. I may not have enough space to list the many controversial statements credited to Wike in the mass media but suffice it to say that he acts and talks as if PDP was his private company. And I dare to ask: where was Wike in 1999 when PDP was formed? Why must Wike carry on now as if the party belongs to him? Why must he think that he is deciding factor on who becomes the party flag bearer in the forthcoming election? Why must he comment on every matter involving Atiku? Why must he personalize issues? Why must a harmless self-confident statement from Atiku attract vituperations from Wike?

Clearly, all these go to indicate that Wike is apprehensive of the towering presence of Atiku in the party. It all goes to show that Atiku is still the man to beat in PDP. He is still the man with the magic wand. If Wike wants to compete in the party primaries, he is at liberty to do that without rancor. Let him resign his position as governor of River State and throw his hat in the ring. Atiku has done that before. If Wike thinks that money is all he needed let him go and ask Abiola. He may win South-South region but he cannot even get his South East neighbor let alone the North without the support of personalities like Atiku. I will advise him to be circumspect, learn the ropes from the masters before he burns his finger and hastily slide into political oblivion. Leaders are not known to be flippant; they control their thoughts, words and emotions. He should learn from men like Atiku who are always articulate, reticent and circumspect. Those who forgot how they began may not know how and when they will fall.

Indeed, it is unfortunate that Nyesom Wike sees himself superior to those who created the platform that made him. Who was Wike before 1999? On the wings of PDP, Wike served under Odili in River State, became a minister under Jonathan and now a governor. He is a product of PDP but now he thinks he is the Grand Commander of PDP. This is illusion of power and self-delusion if you ask me. It is on record that Atiku funded PDP from the onset with his personal resources not state government money and yet he never carried himself with this arrogance and braggadocio with which Wike is known.

If PDP must make any meaningful impact on the forthcoming 2023 general election, Governor Wike and his ilk who think they own the party must be told the bitter truth. They must be tutored on the rudiments of party politics and internal democracy. The must be mentored to imbibe the party history, philosophy and ideology.

And as the countdown to the 2023 Presidential election begins, I expect the party hierarchy to think critically, analyze our current political situation and make the right strategic engagements instead of making thoughtless and careless pronouncements that is capable of polarizing the party. They must go back to the drawing board. They should avoid clique mentality and selfishness. Why must the governors insist that their presidential flag bearer be a serving governor? The future of the nation and the future of the party are at stake. We must learn a lesson from the mistakes of the past and how OBJ selfish insistent on controlling the party machinery led to the electoral failures of 2015.

Already a lot of negotiations and horse trading is currently going on our political sphere. There are subterranean moves and propaganda to discredit the party. The party structure has been infiltrated and they expect to destabilize the party. They are taking advantage of certain elements within the party and yet the party is embroiled with internal conflict. Internal wrangling and bickering cannot improve the party fortunes at the polls.

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK