The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has found itself in an unending imbroglio 5 months to the general elections. To the unsuspecting many, the crux of the tussle may seem to be a quest for fairness and justice. But a more circumspect analysis shows that the charade is nothing but a clash of egos, one the PDP isn’t new to.

In 2014, a similar scenario played out. Atiku Abubakar and a host of PDP governors staged a walk-out on then-President Goodluck Jonathan who wanted to return unopposed as the party’s presidential flag bearer. In the events that followed, they ensured that PDP rather lost the election than have Jonathan return as President. The rest they say is history.

Fast forward 8 years, Atiku is being paid back in his own coin. Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike has become his pain in the neck having successfully divided the party into two factions: those loyal to him and those loyal to Atiku. Unfortunately, the party chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu has been caught in the cross fire.

So far, Wike’s grouse has been incoherent. I have heard at least 5 different reasons why he wants the chairman gone, all of them preposterous. First he said Ayu must go because Ayu is quoted to have said he would step down if a Northern candidate emerges as the party’s flag bearer. Then Ayu has to step down because Atiku told him so. Then Ayu has to step down so that a Southerner can occupy his seat. Then Ayu should step down because he showed a bias in favor of Atiku at the primaries, by tagging Tambuwal the hero of the convention. Then Ayu and Atiku being the chairman and the presidential flag bearer respectively, contravenes the constitution of the party.

The reasons listed above are ridiculous. If Wike had emerged as the party’s presidential or vice presidential candidate, none of these will be an issue today. It should therefore be made clear that this is nothing but a personal and self-centered fight for Wike, one that has nothing to do with justice for the South.

Starting with the last reason, it is patently false that the PDP constitution states that the party’s presidential candidate and chairman cannot come from the same region. There is no mention of this in the party’s constitution. You can take a look for yourself here, http://peoplesdemocraticparty.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/PDP-CONSTITUTION-2012-AMENDMENT1.pdf

Rather what people are misquoting is a verbal agreement among the founders of the party that the President (not the presidential candidate) and the chairman shouldn’t be from the same region. At least Chief Bode George confirmed this on Channels TV last night. Atiku isn’t President yet, so the issue of same region shouldn’t come up (yet).

That Ayu should resign because of what he said or what Atiku said is as risible as it is absurd. If any person should call for politicians to be held accountable to their utterances, it definitely isn’t Wike. Anyway, the PDP constitution lists conditions in which a Chairman may resign or be sacked, reneging on his words isn’t one of them.

Wike’s main anger is that he missed out on both the Presidential and Vice Presidential tickets. But that is a battle he lost a long time ago, even before the primaries. PDP had the option of zoning the presidency to the South but declined. Ironically, the committee that took that decision was headed by Governor Ugwuanyi, a Southerner. That is where Wike should have pitched his battle. But he couldn’t because Atiku had him cornered, by asking that either it is zoned to the South East or not zoned at all. Wike, Jonathan’s kinsman, was willing to throw justice and fairness to the wind by contesting. Today, he asks for the same justice and fairness. No, his hands are not clean.

In all this, I think Ayu is being scapegoated. The battle is between Wike and Atiku. Why is Ayu’s office being unfairly singled out? Why are the pro-southerners not asking for Atiku’s resignation so that a Southerner takes his position? After all both offices were democratically contested. Moreover it will be shameful if the Southerners, who should be throwing all their weight behind a southern presidential cause, should settle for a mere party chairmanship as consolation. Who knows, if Ayu resigns and Atiku wins tomorrow, he could make him SGF.