PDP On Trial In Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo Gubernatorial Elections After Setbacks In NASS Polls

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finds itself in a challenging position once again as it prepares for the off-season gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states. After suffering significant defeats in the National Assembly election of principal officers, the party is grappling with leadership crises at the state level, particularly in the states where the upcoming elections will take place.

All elected lawmakers that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) picked and announced as its preferred choices for the NASS offices were massively voted for except Godswill Akpabio, whose margin of victory was slim.

As the off-season governorship elections approach, the once ruling PDP is again beset with leadership crisis.

In Bayelsa State, a traditional PDP state since 1999, accusations of poor leadership have been levelled against the governor, Duoye Diri.

The governor has been accused of selling state assets without replacement while embarking on nothing visible since his ascension to power.

According to Dennis Otiotio, Bayelsa APC Chairman, “What people need is water, light and housing. He has not built one single estate.

“House of Assembly Quarters has been sold, no replacement. Commissioners’ quarters have been sold, no replacement. The Judges’ quarters have been sold, no replacement. It’s all deception. He’s just deceiving people.”

He pointed out that while there’s no water for the people of Bayelsa “even as the state ministry of water resources” gets water supply from “aboki”, everyone in the state sinks boreholes to draw water.

But Diri said his “first term performance would get him reelection” in the November 11 election.

Also, the Director General of Kemese Political Front, Ogiriki Dennis Eradiri, agreed with Diri that he would get the people’s support for a second term.

Eradiri said Diri’s second term bid is based on his “tremendous achievements and strides, which are geared towards the development and prosperity of the state.”

Diri’s fate lies beyond his performance if the schism in the national leadership and Bayelsa State chapter of the PDP is anything to go by.

First is the acrimony between Diri and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, which would tilt the latter’s support to the APC again.

The Bayelsa-Rivers acrimony dates back to the politics of the party’s presidential ticket which Nyesom Wike, then Rivers State Governor, lost to Atiku Abubakar.

Wike was aggrieved that he did not get the support of his closest state, which was carved out of Rivers in 1996 by the government of the military head of state, Sani Abacha.

The political differences escalated in the twilight of the Wike administration when he demolished the Bayelsa government property in the state despite repeated pleas. It was met with anger and condemnation further raising the tension between the two states.

Due to the post presidential primary crisis, Wike went ahead to support Bola Tinubu, who was the candidate of the APC.

He is again rumoured to likely mobilise resources to support the APC governorship candidate in Bayelsa, Timipre Silva.

Also, the Bayelsa State chapter of the PDP are accusing the governor of running a one-man show.

According to party sources, Diri’s defeat might start from ignoring the party structure as he is hoping that his fortuitous emergence as governor will reoccur.

The national party leadership, which is on interim basis, is equally beset with crises that it can barely monster anything meaningful to help Diri.

Besides that is the seeming lack of a national figure to lead the party by galvanizing and uniting the once giant which promised to rule the country for 50 years in a stretch.

Atiku Abubakar’s leadership role has come under increasing scrutiny as he ages, with many PDP senior figures looking beyond him.

Similar tales of confusion and dissension is the state of affairs in Kogi and Imo chapters of the party.

In Kogi, the PDP is particularly under criticism for its choice of candidate in the person of former Senator Dino Melaye.

Dino as he prefers to be called has had endless running battles with the law enforcement agencies with a battered image both in public and private, according to many PDP supporters.

His emergence has set the stage for defections of party members to the APC. Also, stakeholders in the state are unhappy that PDP did not look beyond Dino despite suffering a bloody nose in the 2023 general elections.

They have also frowned at the party leadership for allegedly exporting the Atiku-Wike feud to the state, instead of allowing someone with an unblemished record to emerge for the November 11 election.

There are fears that the crisis in the APC is nothing compared with PDP’s, with several notable figures vowing that “Dino would campaign alone.”

The lack of support with the accusation that Atiku imposed the controversial politician on the party in the state may cause a serious defeat as the party tries to bounce back from defeats on many fronts.

Similarly, the story from Imo State is not better as defections have hit the party. About 7 Executive Members of the Imo State chapter of the party defected in the past week to the APC.

The seven State Executive Committee members of the party accused the PDP governorship candidate, Samuel Anyanwu of running a one- man show, dividing the party and causing polarisation that would cause the defeat of the PDP on November 11.

The state governor, Hope Uzodimma, has promised them a fair deal. The APC said its arms are opened to receive more defectors from the PDP.

Wike, alongside his national structure of the party which includes the G-5 governors and members of his Integrity Group, are said to have queued behind APC’s governorship candidates in the two states.

Just before he left office on May 29, he conferred a state honour on Uzodimma, who is seeking for reelection in Imo State.

At the national level, the PDP has received lukewarm support from members in its pursuit of its petition before the presidential election petition tribunal, a sign that Atiku is no longer the cherished and unifying figure he once was.

This division has put PDP on trial just as it wobbled into the national assembly election. It failed to unify the opposition parties despite repeated boasting that it would cause other opposition parties to determine who gets what in the June 13 elections to principal offices of the second arm of government.

While it may be several months yet to the elections, the increasing defection across states especially where the off-season elections would hold is a worry for many PDP stakeholders.

The party’s interim national chairman, Illiya Umar Damagun, had promised unity and reconciliation but has so far failed to do so. This impacted negatively on the outcome of the 2033 general elections.

As the party begins to take stock of its performance in the last elections with its recent meeting of the leadership and stakeholders, Damagun is expected to chart a new course to ensure reversal of its performances in recent elections.