Six months after it lost the governorship of Nasarawa State to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is probing what went wrong. The party has promised to quickly engage a new gear with a view to regaining control of the state. Correspondent JOHNNY DANJUMA reports.
The failure of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State to clinch the governorship seat which it lost to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the last April elections jolted leaders of the former ruling party. Its leaders are now re-organising towards becoming a potent opposition force and winning future polls. The party has now sent out a wake-up call to members.
Its first strategy is a tour of the 13 Local Government Areas of the state by the PDP leadership, ostensibly to say thank you to supporters who helped fight the electoral battle.
Leaders of the party who spoke with The Nation hoped to take advantage of the grumbling within the ruling CPC.
Governor Tanko al-Makura is confronted with managing discontent within his party over the recent selection of executive council members.
Some party members and loyalists have expressed worries on alleged neglect because they have been “sidelined” by the administration.
The inability of the CPC government to put in place a cabinet early left as possible, thus leaving decision making in the hands of one man for almost 180 days and that created a vacuum that became a weapon in the hands of one man, the governors.
During the tour of the local councils by the PDP that ended last week, its Chairman, Yunana Iliya, acknowledged the defeat of his party especially the gubernatorial seat of the state, but expressed optimism that supporters of the party would not get weary.
Having also known that there were enemies within which they were unable to identify earlier, Iliya pledged that such members would be weeded out during the coming elections at the congresses from the ward to the state level between January and February next year.
The Chairman who said the party is aware of attempts by the CPC to plant weeds among the plants by placing its members among them to disorganize and destabilize the party, Iliya said that is one of the reasons the tour took place as they decided to sensitize the people. He said those who played anti party in the last elections are going to be weeded out.
“That is the more reason we have to go round to sensitize our people of what happened. Those who worked for the interest of CPC are known in their respective units, wards and even their respective local government areas, so you cannot be a member of the CPC and at the same time be a member of the PDP. We are already aware and we are taking measures against that”, he said. Pledging that the coming congresses in the state will take care of some of the lapses that gave the party away during the last elections, Iliya said that the tour would enable it know the level of preparedness of its people saying that out of the 13 councils in the state, only two have PDP representation.
The appears to have flagged off preparations for council polls even when the date has not been fixed, its attention has also been on the Appeal Court in Makurdi where it is still challenging the declaration of Tanko Umaru Almakura as winner of the last governorship elections.
Iliya also adduced reasons why he remained hopeful that Governor Doma will return.
He said the minority Judgment at the Gubernatorial Election tribunal in Lafia gave victory to the party and with the level of evidence at the party’s disposal; they believed that the appeal court will upturn the tribunal’s verdict.
On the performance of the CPC government since May, Iliya said he wouldn’t want to talk about it because he may be accused of sour grapes, being an opposition leader. He accused the CPC of concentrating attention on Lafia, the state Capital.
“If one road that we constructed even in my zone is brought down to Lafia and cut into measures of what is happening in Lafia, it will cover the entire Lafia,” adding the only reason that the Al-Makura administration is grading the Lafia road now is because of the case at the tribunal court.
The next political battle in the state may be over local councils. Both parties want to demonstrate their supremacy. While CPC is relying on the performance of the 18 commissioners just sworn-in, and 13 Special Advisers yet to be appointed to take its gospel to all nooks and crannies of the state, the PDP is doing all it could to consolidate at the grassroots.
The test of PDP commitment to building a strong party will come in January next year when congress will be held at the ward and local government levels.