From Anthony Nwachukwu, Lagos
As solution to the festering crisis threatening the party, and in the interest of fairness and balance, a former National Vice-Chairman (South-West) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has advised the party’s national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to relinquish the position.
On the worsening insecurity across the federation and the recent statement by the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Monguno, that the Presidential Guard was “decimated” by terrorists, he asked him to resign for his acceptance of failure.
“Nigeria is in a dire straits of utter confusion. We have never been in this situation where people are so despondent, where security has been a major issue,” George said.
Stressinh that security is the number one assignment of any government, he wondered why Monguno has remained the NSA: “I am also a retired general. That is absolute garbage; an acceptance of complete failure.
“Where is the encouragement? If he is that convinced, and has no solution to it, I want to beg Monguno, what the hell is he still doing there? It is more honourable for him to bow out.”
The retired military general, who spoke Wednesday in Lagos, said he expected Ayu to honourably resign, in order to guarantee equity in the party’s zoning structure.
“I remember what Ayu said, and want to take him on his words because for honourable men, your word must be your bond,” Olabode said.
“He said ‘once a presidential candidate emerges from the north, I will resign.’ I want to take him on that because I know him to be a respectable and responsible man.
“The founding fathers decided that once the presidency comes from the northern zone, chairman of the party must come from the southern zone, and vice versa. They created six geo-political zones for inclusivity, whether you are majority or minority.”
Unhappy with the scenario that led up to the present acrimony now threatening the party’s chances of success in the 2023 general elections, Olabode said that something confusing happened during their meeting prior to the national convention.
“We had a meeting and the party said they have zoned only party positions,” he recalled. “Where is the presidential position to be zoned?
“It created so much mayhem. That was how (Uche) Secondus was removed, and then Ayu became (chairman). They have zoned chairman to the north. It was at that time they should have pronounced that the presidential candidate must also be zoned to the south. They refused.”
Stressing the importance of zoning, which some party stakeholders had jettisoned, he explained that “at the NEC meeting, we agreed to revisit the report of that zoning. With what the APC (All Progressives Congress) has done to Nigeria, the zoning is even more important now than in 1999.
The compromise then was to accommodate an open contest for the presidency since zoning was not so clearly pronounced six months earlier, and people had gone ahead to spend money preparing, he said.
According to him, at inception in 1998, the founding fathers had come together in the interest of peace and equity to curb friction by giving a say and a way to the minorities in the north and south, who were until then “perpetual onlookers.”
Going forward, he appealed to all parties to sheath their swords in the interest of the party and rather work to achieve common ends, stating: “In democracy, you must always exchange ideas, agree and disagree without being absolutely disagreeable.
“No matter the organisation, once made up of humans, you must have disagreements, all kinds of positive and negative issues. The ability to manage those crises and arrive at a positive destination will be a measure of your capacity.
“As we prepare for elections, those problems are not insurmountable. I want to appeal to all sides to sheath their swords. We must convince the people that we have the capacity to manage the resources of this country for the benefit of all.”
He urged an end to all “tantrums, statements that are not necessary and have absolutely destroyed this party; statements of arrogance, innuendos, name-calling.
