Let us give it to the pundits who believe that the election of Mr. Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will inject fresh blood into Nigeria’s politics. Yes, it can. The new party chieftain had earlier served as the acting Chairman of the party and appears well suited to lead it into the 2019 general elections.
One of the contestants, Chief Olabode George from the South-west zone, declined to join the crowd in creating the impression that the party was truly united heading into the convention in Abuja, last weekend. But fielding seven contestants from one zone hardly created the impression of consensus, a philosophy that was badly required at the event. Reports say the large number of contestants from the South-west affected the underground moves to include Chief George’s name in the so-called unity list.
The Office of the National Chairman of the party was zoned to the entire South while the presidency was zoned to the North, which means that all the 17 states in the South were eligible to vie for the office of the national chairman. In this wise, the South-South which fielded Mr. Secondus and media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, was also on a strong legal wicket to feature the candidates. Therefore, the argument that the South-west is the only zone that had not yet produced the party chairman and should have been given the opportunity amounted to raising a sentimental issue which is not supported by the legal arrangement put in place by the PDP.
It will be recalled that in the South-south, all the states were won by the party unlike in the South-west where only one state, Ekiti, is controlled by the PDP. Why should the party’s highest office be ceded to a zone that largely did not vote for the party? But in politics, legal arguments do not win votes.
While those who relied on the above legal arguments have had their way, as they realized their intention, they must however await the consequence of their choice. This is because their decision appeared to have resulted in a situation where the South-west was punished for voting APC. The implication is that the PDP leadership now says the people of the zone should be free to continue to vote APC. The problem with this line of thinking is that, under the scheme of things, it will be tough for the PDP to win the presidency in 2019. The reason is quite obvious.
?Many Nigerians believe that winning the presidency is contingent on winning the South-west.
Since it is now known that both the PDP and APC are preparing to field candidates from the north for the presidency in 2019, given the fact that both the South-south and the South-east are PDP terrain, the South-west is now the beautiful bride waiting for the right suitor. Analysts who say that whichever party wins the South-western states will undoubtedly produce the next president in 2019 have a point.
Now that the chairmanship of the PDP has gone to the South-south, the party has indirectly allowed the South-west to go to the APC. This may be really unintended, but for all practical purposes that is how the situation looks now. It can be easily said that the South-west does not see any dividends in voting for the PDP, at whatever level.
