It’s no longer news that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is under crisis since the emergence of its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar after the primaries in May, 2022. The crisis is said to put the party in asunder as they are factions being created within the party. This is leading the party astray seeing the elections are coming up in February and they have few months left to resolve the issue.

The fight started when the present Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike with the support of four other governors and some prominent leaders of the party declared that according to the PDP’s constitution, there should be rotation in the leadership of the party and since the presidential flag bearer is from the North, the National Chairman should be from the South.

Nyesom, Wike has stated that in order for equity and justice to remain in the party, the current National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who is from the North, is meant to resign for a Southerner to take over as the National Chairman. The problem at hand is that Ayu has refused to resign from this position even after being aware of the party’s constitution.

The text below is from an interview with the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and his opinions regarding the ongoing crisis in the party.

Anyawu when asked how he was managing a party like PDP under crisis stated that “Well, first of all, by my character and conduct, I work very well under pressure. So, no matter the circumstances, I don’t lose my mind and I don’t lose focus, because I know that in everything you do in life there must be distractions, even when you are reading in your library your little child can distract you. I don’t get distracted and I don’t talk too much, because when you open your mouth so wide, you make a lot of mistakes. That is my guiding principle, and that is why I’ve been able to manage the situation.”

He also stated that everywhere he went, he was known for action and as one who made impact on the lives of people. Anyawu is known to be on the side of Wike in the party’s faction.

Wike, according to Anyawu has the interest of the party at heart. Wike being a man of his own is a very close friend to Anyawu. This doesn’t mean that Anyawu knows the mindset of Wike but says that all he knows is that Wike doesn’t pretend. He shows strength and is one who doesn’t hide his feelings. He says that “If he is angry, you will know he is angry, if he is happy you will know he is happy, but to go and backbite or be inside PDP and destroy PDP, that can never be Wike that I know.”

Some promises were made before the convention by Dr Iyorchia Ayu that he was going to resign if a Northerner emerges as the presidential candidate. With what is going on, these promises have not been fulfilled.

When Anyawu was asked if some people want to be new owners of the party, Anyawu replied that “Well, I am at the helm of the administration of the party secretariat. We have conducted a convention, a candidate has emerged and the presidential campaign council has also been rolled out. Our job, more or less, is to be midwife, we have midwives at the convention and we have been able to get a presidential candidate. So, whatever appointments that have been made so far, have nothing to do with me.”

“As we speak, my job is to concentrate to ensure that the secretariat, nationwide and things are moving smoothly, any other thing that has to do with side politics; I am not part of it”.

PDP has changed from what it used to be. Back then PDP had its standard followed from the time it started ruling. There was rotation in the affairs of leadership, but its standards wants to fall apart by what is going on.

Anyawu supported this claim by saying “Well, to be honest with you, it is not going to be business as usual. In the past, when you get a PDP ticket you go home and sleep, but a lot of interests are coming up. A lot of new political developments have evolved and to be honest with you, all our prayers are for our party to win.”

“But, we need to work hard, the party needs to be together, there should be understanding, there should be tolerance and there should be sacrifices made. So, that way, I think that if I sleep, I can wake up and say PDP is heading somewhere.”

Due to the recent crisis, the PDP camp is said to not have the support that it has before. While some are going in one direction, others are going in the other direction. These factions can be a deciding factor as to who will support who if the problem is not resolved in other elections such as the governorship elections or the local government.

Ayanwu said that “I am the PDP National Secretary, I belong to no camp. Wike is my friend, Atiku is my candidate and my friend too because we all knew each other even when I ran for the first governorship election. So, my job is to play the role of statesmanship, to ensure that people come together.”
 
“Wike is not in enmity with Atiku, Wike is not in enmity with the party, he has his own message [which] he is sending. So, it does not mean anybody who is associating with him is an enemy of the party.”

Ayanwu believes that things will eventually get better and the problems will be resolved. He also said, “But, I can never predict doom for the party, I am at the helm of affairs. I am already optimistic that we are going to win and I believe that there is no quarrel that cannot be reconciled. The process of reconciliation is in progress and I believe at the right time everybody will come together so that whoever gets the party’s ticket, of us will put their hands together to ensure that PDP gets the victory.”

“One thing is to get the ticket and another thing is to win the election, because like I said before, if you get the ticket of the PDP, just like NPP (Nigeria Peoples Party) in those days, you will go and sleep, just like in the last few years when APGA (All Progressives Grand Alliance) came on board in Imo.”
    
“I knew a colleague of mine, who was in the House of Assembly, APGA just fielded his name, they were looking for people to fill out their forms and he was in Port Harcourt. He was called that he has won the election, he didn’t even campaign.”

“So, the time for such has gone. There is a lot of political awareness; people are now beginning to choose who they want. People are picking individuals who they will support, no longer about the party.”

“Therefore, if your party has more credible candidates, that means that that party is going to sweep the entire place. That is why it is good to bring out people who can win elections for a party. It will be devoid of sentiments, because when you bring in the issue of sentiments and this idea of going for boardroom conspiracy to accuse somebody, backstab, blackmail, gossip, to grab a ticket, when you get that through that means, it will not stand when you go back home. Politics is not played in Abuja, politics is played back home and that is what I think.”

The south-east is well known to be in support of PDP and though the entire south-west apart from Oyo was APC, changes are occurring as Osun State have joined the PDP.

Anyawu commented that ”Now, we have Osun State and we are hoping to get Ogun and Ondo. We are determined to regain them back, apart from Anambra which was just concluded. Of course, everybody knows that Anambra State is actually an APGA state based on sentiments and issues about (Ikemba Emeka) Ojukwu matter and all that.”

“In Imo, we are working hard. If we recover Imo, we have gotten back four states, so we are working on that, nobody is sleeping. We understand, as a people, that the South easterners love PDP. They prefer PDP at all costs, but you see, things have happened over the period and that is why I said it is about the person. If a party brings out a good product people will buy it, that is the truth.”

PDP is known to be handling the current issues and though the progress seems slow, and the crisis is as a result of politics, its members know the problems will be over soon.