The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), penultimate Saturday, gathered to review the 2023 General Election and to foster unity, which had deserted the party in the build-up to the election.
The party was highly polarized, going into the general election, with five of its state governors (G-5) and other aggrieved members of the party forming the ‘Integrity Group’.
The Integrity Group refused to cooperate with the party. It failed to participate in the electioneering campaign of the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The result was that the opposition presidential candidates won the elections in the PDP states under the control of these five governors.
The party is currently contesting the outcome of the presidential election in court alongside Atiku. It is trying to prove that Atiku won the Presidential election and challenging INEC on its declaration of the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the election.
The leadership of the party believes that going forward, there is a need to bring unity into its fold. Based on this determination to foster unity, it sent out invitations to governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives elected on its platform to attend the mandatory retreat in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital.
This was made public via an announcement signed by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, who was sighted in Abuja, penultimate Thursday.
Those invited to the event include all former Presidents, Vice Presidents, governors (who are still members of the party), all National Assembly members (for which attendance was mandatory), chairman and Secretary of the party’s Board of Trustees and one zonal representative from each of the six geo-political zones.
Others include all members of the National Working Committee and all former presiding officers of the National Assembly (who are still members of the party).
Also invited were the Chairman and Secretary of the Chairmen’s Forum, one representative per zone six ex-officio members (one each per zone.
The one-day retreat presided over by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, was attended by state governors and members of the National Assembly elected under the PDP, and members of the PDP National Working Committee, members of the Board of Trustees, and other PDP Stakeholders.
While welcoming the delegates to the retreat, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State urged members of the PDP to take cognisance of the importance of unity.
According to Mohammed, the strength of the party lies in the ability of the members to remain united in the face of adversity.
“Despite the challenges we face as an opposition party, we must remain resilient and united in our pursuit of the interest of our constituencies.
“We must also exchange this unity to both people we agree with and the people we differ with.
“Conflicts with the governors and within our ranks, serve only to divide us and undermine our shared objectives.
“Our governors are partners in progress and it is by working with them not against them that we can effect the desired change,” he said.
Mohammed said the retreat was aimed to strategise on how the members could drive the party and the nation toward a prosperous future and development.
The retreat, he said, would allow them to engage in open discussion about the current position of the party, its strength and areas that required improvement.
Also speaking, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said that PDP’s members-elect were not the majority in the National Assembly, based on the results of the 2023 general election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku charged members of the party to work as an effective and constructive opposition while also preparing for the possible role of the majority party when the cases were resolved at the courts.
“Don’t ever lose hope, the role of the opposition is holding the government in majority to account and in doing so, you demonstrate that you and your party are ready to govern at the shortest possible time,” he said.
Similarly,Toby Okechukwu (PDP) – Aninri, Awgu, and Oji River Federal Constituency), who spoke on behalf of PDP Reps caucus, said that members in the opposition must be united and work in consent with the party.
He said, “If you manifest an incident of disunity, we will do so at our own peril and if we are united, no matter the circumstances, no matter the challenges, we will eventually manifest good opposition,” he said.
On his part, Sen. Philip Aduda, who spoke on behalf of the PDP Senate caucus, urged PDP governors to interface with their NASS members, to work in synergy with each other and see each other as partners in progress.
“It is only when we work together and the National Assembly members also work together with their governors that they can escalate it to the national level,” he said.
The key points of discussion and resolutions from the retreat include the need for unity in the party, partnership in development, united opposition, legislative priorities, inter-party alliance and the issue of removal of petroleum subsidy.
There was emphasis on fostering unity within the party and across the nation. Members of the party agreed on the need for constant engagement and focus on issues concerning the welfare, stability, economy, and security of Nigeria.
On dominant topics, the retreat featured discussions around good governance, democratic accountability, the party’s role in opposition, the recent removal of Petroleum subsidy, prevalent poverty, the decline in the quality of life of Nigerians, ongoing post-election judicial processes, and the necessity of returning Nigeria to proper constitutional governance.
Following these discussions, the participants resolved to congratulate all elected PDP officials and urge them to deliver quality governance to the Nigerian people at all levels.
The party also decided to support party members and candidates in various tribunals to seek redress for electoral injustices and defend victorious candidates.
The judiciary was urged to respect and apply the Electoral Act impartially.
On Partnership in Development, the party charged the PDP legislators and governors to collaborate as partners in development and avoiding conflict that undermines party effectiveness.
The PDP also identified key issues for legislative focus to include insecurity, unemployment, inflation, fuel subsidy removal, and strategies for national development.
It encouraged coalition-building with other opposition parties to form a minority caucus and strong alliance for effective national development.
The retreat called on state governors and legislators to respect and contribute to the success of the party.
It stressed the need for improved communication and synergy between the elected National Assembly members and the PDP; ensuring lawmakers fulfil their responsibilities in line with party values and national interest.
As part of its resolution, the retreat expressed concerns over the quick removal of the Petroleum subsidy and the lack of adequate consultation. It urged the Federal Government to engage in genuine dialogue with organised labour and other stakeholders to reach a fair and reasonable solution.
PDP also resolved that support will be given to candidates that promote unity, independence and viability of the legislature, necessary for good governance and democratic accountability.
A call was also made for members of minority political parties in the National Assembly to unite on issues of national concern.
The retreat concluded with a commitment towards prioritising gender equality and inclusion, as it said it would strive to ensure equitable representation and active participation of all genders in every aspect of its operations and governance.
The retreat expressed its gratitude to the leadership of the PDP for initiating the event and to the host, Governor Mohammed, for providing a peaceful and conducive environment for the retreat.
Some of the dignitaries at the meeting include Senators Dino Melaye, Ahmed Makarfi, Adolphus Wabara, Aminu Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi, among others.
Also present were the entire 13 PDP governors, except Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Philip Shuaibu.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
