SDP CRISIS: BECAUSE
IYORCHA AYU AND ATIKU ABUBAKAR ARE INVOLVED – 30 YEARS’ HISTORY RESHAPING ITS CAPRICIOUS SELF
(1992: Ayu/Atiku Vs Nzeribe/ Ojukwu. 2022- Ayu/Atiku Vs WIKE)
BY CHIEF FESTUS OKORIE mnimn, cmilt (uk)
The present Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Senator Iyorchia Ayu had placed the SDP the erstwhile foremost political party in danger of extinction. This is replaying his script which is attributable to the failure of the 3rd Republic experiment which is generally a logical consequence of the failure of the political class.
In today’s PDP he’s playing same scrip that will eventually draw the party into its waterloo. In 1992-1993 horsetrading and gerrymandering leading to the national convention and presidential primaries of Social Democratic party, SDP, it was in Benin, he abused the zoning/power sharing concensus arrangements that robbed the South-East Chairman of the party when he presided over SDP NEC. He insulted Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who insisted that Senator Ayu should respect his word on consensus and zoning agreements of having former Governor of Imo State Chief Sam Mbakwe as Chairman of SDP. This was to assuage the man from that zone who single handedly founded and fonded CARIA – old (Anambra, Abia,Rivers, Imo, Akwa Ibom) MOVEMENT that metamorphosed to become the formidable structure that formed the base for SDP in the whole of South East and South South and middle belt regions. Incumbent Military President Ibrahim Babangida had banned and restricted certain cadre of politicians including Senator Nzeribe and Gen. Yar’adua – the founders of the party from partisan politics ostensibly to make way for his friend, MKO Abiola. There were series of banning and unbanning which later saw Yar’adua and Nzeribe taking part in the primaries. Yar’Adua came first, while Nzeribe came second. Babangida seeing the progress being made by these two powerful critics of his government and continued military regime , again banned the duo from taking part. Having come second Nzeribe would seek for the Chairmanship of the party but Ayu and his caucus plotted against him and slammed him with suspension from the party shortly before the NEC meeting. In alternative the south east bloc had met and introduced former Imp state Dr Sam Mbakwe whom the party now accepted as the concensus candidate for Chairmanship position. This was not to be at the NEC meeting.
Senator Iyorchia Ayu in his characteristic manner talked down on Ojukwu who persistently reminded them the need to uphold the zoning agreement ad a prnacea for peace and unification of the country…”Sit down”! Ayu addressed Ojukwu The erstwhile Biafran warlord went for his pipe and left the hall in grave anger. All the representatives from south east and some from South South including Sam Mbakwe, except Dr Chuba Okadigbo followed suit and left the venue. It did not bother Ayu that the a whole region/ geo political zone left the meeting but rather his grand design and orchestrated conspiracy to exclude the south east from the national affairs manifested. That meeting ended up introducing Chief Tony Anenih who consequently emerged as the Chairman of SDP. Unfortunately Chief MKO Abiola and his HOPE ’93 issued a historic declaration: ” ..we can do without the Igbos..” The legendary Marverich politician Senator Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe who founded and funded the party along with Gen Musa Yar’adua embitered by the developments made some serious remarks : “only those who’re not truthful will deny the fact that I am a principal shareholder in SDP Plc. I am one of the three legs that hold SDP” warning that he was watching how they would correct this serious error of slight and marginalization. Ayu, rather than play his role as an umpire chose to play the part of partiality and favouritism as demonstrated in Tony Anenih and Abiola’s HOPE ’93 without recourse to assuaging the aggrieved Nzreribe and South East and some from south south. Senator Nzeribe grieved. Ojukwu wept. Sam Mbakwe cried. Whole of South East and South South mourned being kicked out from the affairs of the party they built under the excruciating prohibitive military regime all to no avail. Abiola joined the party and in fact only a few months to the election. Senator Nzeribe followed it up with a widely published advertorial in Nigerian dailies and news magazines: “Can the Yorubas play the card? You want President, We want Chairman of the party, ordinary Chairman. If the Yorubas do not support the Igbos for the Chairmanship of the party, they can kiss goodbye to presidency… “I tell you no one is going to enter that Aso Rock without the support of the Igbos otherwise there’s no unity yet….”. They promised Nzeribe and his group of juicy appointments after the election. But Nzeribe would not buldge. He observed; ” I do not have anything against Abiola. But my Igbo patriotism tells me that Abiola has nothing there for the Igbo man.. Anyone who tells you that Abiola’s candidacy has something for the Igbos is day-dreaming, the posts have already been shared”. It was in this mess and crisis that Senator Iyorchia Ayu and Chief Tony Anenih led Chief MKO Abiola and SDP to 1993 Presidential election.
This same mentality led SDP leadership in flagrant abuse of the constitution of the the part. Same dramatis personae. During the primaries, three candidates were fielded: MKO Abiola, Abubakar Atiku and Babagana Kingibe. Having been banned and restricted, Nzeribe went for North East to pick and support Kingibe and pulled all resources to support his election. While the election was going on, Abubakar Atiku turned his election speech to withdrawal from the race and imploring his supporters to vote for Abiola contrary to the constitution of SDP (did you watch Gov Aminu Tambuwal during the recent PDP primaries?
He condescended from his speech to withdrawal and urged his supporters to vote Atiku) Did you wonder why the man who was supposed yo be an umpire proceeded to congrstulate Governor Tambuwal as the HERO THE CONVENTION. That was a replay of what happed at SDP presidential primaries. Senator Nzeribe cried foul reminding them it was against the party’s constitution to step down at that stage and further alleging that money exchanged hands at the last staged. He accused Abiola’s camp of using money to influence the last minute change. Rather than assuage and pacify Nzeribe and his group, the leadership of SDP ignored and called them bluff. Nzeribe went to court to seek redress praying that MKO Abiola’s election be nullified because he was not properly elected. He got judgment that nullified the primary election of MKO Abiola. Unfortunately, Rather than proceed to court to challenge the judgment of Hon. Justice Ikpeme, neither Abiola nor SDP as party did! They played into yhe handd of the Military that never wanted to relinguish power. The rest is history.Following the crisis shaking the People’s democratic party , PDP, and conflict between the national chairman of the party, senator Iyorchia Ayu, and legislative leader of Rivers the reason that the official applicant of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, picked the legislative head of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate over the Governor Okowa of Delta state.
Talking during the Northern Christian Youth Assembly summit in Abuja recently, Ayu said Atiku, picked Okowa as his running mate over his Streams partner, Nyesom Wike, in view of modesty .
Of recent, Ayu and Wike have been at daggers drawn over the former’s refusal to resign as Chairman of the party as agreed upon.
Wike, feeling shortchanged had blamed the rise of Atiku as the official flag bearer, Iyorchia Ayu as Chairman and Director of the party, and Sen. Walid Jibrin, Chairman of the board of trustees , BoT, all from the northern part of the country as flagrant abuse of the constitution of the party and unethical conception of the federal character principle of federal republic of Nigeria. Wike blamed the party for disregarding the standards of value, decency and equilibrium, noticing that the regulations directing the party has been grossly abused and jettisoned.
He demanded that Ayu ought to respectably make the best decision (leave), and permit a southerner become the party’s director(chairman).
Ad if it were s deliberate attempt to add insult to injury , the national executive council of the People’s democratic party , PDP, passed a vote of confidence – demonstration of positive support in the national chairman of the party, senator Iyorchia Ayu.
Responding to the above mentioned, Wike opined: “I was tuning in and watching, they said there is one man they call Secondus. They said he was dancing, commending that NEC gave their individual demonstration of positive support. He fails to remember history.
“Ask him a similar NEC through Aliyu Babangida moved a movement of demonstrating positive support upheld by a similar individual, Ndudi Elumelu. They gave you (Secondus) a vote of confidence of positive support, what was the deal? You left office!”
He continued:
“We don’t battle and return. On the off chance that you like you can have as numerous 20 demonstrations of confidence of positive support, it’s not my business. My business is to ensure the proper thing is done, and the correct thing should be done. Whether today or tomorrow.
“I won’t play party with the interest of my kin. Rivers State is foremost to me first before some other individual or gathering. Thus, the eyes can see what we have done. Up till today, we have never deserted administration.
“Such countless individuals are as of now gathering together, taking the last they have yet, we are as yet serious in appointing, and commissioning of o projects. Due to the adoration we have for our kin, we will keep on serving you till May 29, when by the grace of God, Siminialaye Fubara will be introduced next Governor of Rivers.”
( Festus Okorie was the News Editor of NIJ ECHO 1992-1993 News Tabloid of Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos)
