The number of Kwarans that have indicated interest to run for the office of the president swelled during the week with the addition of former aide of ex-General Theophilus Danjuma, John Dara into the race on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This coming amidst the leadership crisis rocking the state chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. HEAD POLITICS, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM writes on the issue.
For the Kwara state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), this seems to be a conflicted scenario. Still reeling in the protracted chairmanship crisis that has rocked the party since the announcement of the Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo as the state chairman following the emergence of Prince Secondus at the national level, presidential bells have continued to ring back home from former party leaders and apologists alike in the state.
First was the announcement by the only female aspirant yet in the presidential race who is incidentally from Kwara, Professor Mercy Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davies, that she is encouraged by the position of women in the country regarding their encouraging voting population to go for the ticket.
The Professor of Language and Communication Arts at the Rivers State University of Education added that she was thrilled the state will be making history as setting the early pace on the issue of female presidential race.
According to her, “I am aspiring to be the next president of Nigeria. I am out to put laughter and joy on the faces of all Nigerians. The tension is getting too much. The agenda is almost fully mapped out. Moreover, we have paid the price in Kwara state as the “State of Harmony” and it is going to happen from the North Central by the grace and mercy of the Almighty God.”
Although the Ira-born Adesanya-Davies is not known to be a member of the state chapter of the PDP prior her declaration, she has however decided to contest the presidential ticket under the platform of the party at the national level.
She further advised the “electorate to concentrate on the background, personality, integrity and credibility of the individual contestants or candidates rather than money-politics, ethic, religious, gender or even the platform as they choose their candidature adding that “the decision of the Federal Government to make all positions open for women aspirants also boosted her interest in the race.”
The public, especially the Kwara electorates, while still struggling to digest the import of her aspiration on the fortunes of the local chapter was treated to another presidential bouquet when news flew in that the Ipee-born and a leading gubernatorial aspirant in 2002 under the PDP has threw his hat into the ring for the presidential ticket under the platform of the Social Democratic Party.
Dara’s alleged entry initially unsettled some supporters and apologists in the state chapter of the PDP many of whom had reportedly wanted him to be a value added to the gubernatorial contest in the state. His tent with the SDP has however added another dimension to the whole issue.
While Dara may have to slug it out with other contenders at the national level across the country, his aspiration may further polarised the PDP over talks that his supporters and loyalists leaving with him may further deplete and reduce the influence of the party. But his crossover to the SDP may not weaken his support base, at least not in the realm of the SDP.
Speaking on the issue with Pilot Politics last night, the state chapter of the party said they are fully in support of the presidential ambition of the gubernatorial aspirants, adding that it believes Dara has the pedigree and wherewithal to challenge for honours come 2019 as SDP’s presidential aspirants. He added that for now, there is no merger talk with anybody.
But this scenario may not be said about the female professor who has not been a visible party member in the state and reportedly lacking strong grassroots structure.
As the entry of the Kwara gladiators continues to generate debate, many political pundits have questioned the credibility and authenticity they are bringing into the picture especially following past woeful efforts of other party members in national politics.
The case of the former minister of National Planning, Professor Suleiman Abubakar, readily comes to mind during the last national convention of the PDP where he contested for the national spokesman of the party. Although if he had won the race, that would have constructed a historic scenario of having two Kwarans as the mouthpiece of both the ruling and opposition party simultaneously, it however was a disastrous outing for the Okeleru born minister, who had to even threatened to challenge the issue in court alleging that his name was wrongly spelt by the national caretaker committee then.
Following this and similar failed attempted political contest of the PDP and other fringe parties at the national level, there are already insinuations bordering around talks of misplacement of priority by the Kwara national gladiators and others who may want to cash in on the rave of the moment to attract national relevance. The question has been asked whether these “presidential contestants” are just out to complete the numbers or want to ridicule their party at the national front. How can a party that have refused for instance to get its act together to unite and pursue unified gubernatorial race have somebody talking about presidential ambition.
In the light of the above, the protracted leadership tussle between Prince Sunday Fagbemi and Iyiola Oyedepo readily comes to mind.
When there seems to be hope that the party’s protracted leadership jinx was heading for the dustbin, latest developments have heavily punctured that glimmer of hope following the institution of a legal action against the former by the latter.
Fagbemi in his suit filed at the Kwara State High Court, sought for perpetual injunction on the matter and had asked the court to among other things determine whether the State Congress Planning/Electoral Committee had the right to add, subtract or substitute the approved list of delegates given to it by the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the purpose of conducting congress of Kwara State Chapter of the said party.
It also asked the court to determine the act of the State Congress Planning/Electoral Committee of amending the approved delegate list given to the said Committee by the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in respect of Kwara State Congress held on 13th November, 2017 is not ultra vire by the power conferred on the State Congress Planning/Electoral Committee and whether report of the State Congress Appeal Panel dated 17th November, 2017 in respect of the Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the State Congress election held on the 13th day of November, 2017 has not invalidated results of the Congress held on the said date.
Fagbemi further asked whether by virtue of guidelines for the conduct of the State Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the decision/report of the State Congress Appeal Panel is not final on the State Congress and whether there was not over voting in respect of the State Congress of the Kwara State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Congress conducted on 13th November, 2017 whereby declared results into some of the offices contested for were higher than number of delegates accredited for the Congress, among others.
He therefore urged the court to among others, declare “that the State Congress Planning/Electoral Committee did not adhere strictly to the Delegate List as approved by the National Executive Committee for the Kwara State Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on 13th day of November, 2017.
Although Iyiola seemed to have had the upper hand when the case came up for hearing in court, feelers is rife from top quarter among members of the party that the case is heading for the appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court.
But while the leadership crisis at home in the PDP has very much affected and drastically reduced the party members to a nest of disunited political gladiators at home, the presidential ticket bug that seems to be catching some Kwarans may further add to the disturbing narrative of the opposition leaders and national officers. There is the argument however whether this may not be another avenue to wash its dirty linen in the realm of national consciousness if urgent steps are not taken to put these parties on a sound footing back at home in terms of grassroots appeal and reach.
This is the only way, analysts believed; the PDP and other opposition parties can harvest the benefit of its human and material resources to pursue a unified agenda both at the state and national levels instead of dissipating it on needless political crisis in an era that the ruling party’s popularity has dwindled to an exit.
