I can accept failure, everyone fails at something but I can't accept not trying. - Micheal Jordan
In
January 2014 when PDP announced that Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu was taking
over from Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, members of the party looked forward to
having a chairman who would galvanize the party ahead of the just
concluded general elections. Party members and supporters hoped for a
chairman that would unite the party and woo back disgruntled members who
were already seeking succour elsewhere. Being a two term governor of
Bauchi state and having remained in the party since 1999 despite losing
his senatorial bid in 2007, it was believed Mu'azu had all it takes to
lead the party to 'battle' - this believe earned him the nick name 'game
changer'.
Did he actually change the game? Yes he did, but
obviously not in favour of his party and certainly not in accordance
with the expectations of its members and supporters. As a matter of
fact, members of the party are still wondering what hit the green,white
and red umbrella. The 'political tsunami' has torn the umbrella almost
to shreds and even the 'game changer' could/can do nothing about it.
On
his resumption at Wadata Plaza, the number of states with PDP governors
were eighteen(18), with the defection of governor Mimiko and election
of governor Fayose the number increased to twenty(20). This number
excludes states like Adamawa and Rivers that had APC governors but with
an active PDP population. Governorship elections were conducted in
sixteen(16) of the twenty(20) states, when the dust had settled PDP had
lost eight(8) of the sixteen(16) plus Adamawa. The most embarrassing, is
the party's defeat in Bauchi state - the home state of the party
chairman, FCT minister and with a sitting PDP governor. I do not know
what else would define failure, if this does not.
In Kogi
state, the PDP lost ALL senatorial sits to the opposition. In Benue,
Senate President David Mark is the only senatorial aspirant from PDP to
pull through - a sitting governor inclusive. The party under Mu'azu has
lost its majority status in both chambers of the national assembly. All
of these point to the fact that the PDP under Mu'azu performed woefully
at the polls.
As Micheal Jordan stated in the quote I used to
begin this piece, 'actual' failure is in not trying at all. The 'game
changer' tried his best but obviously it was not good at all, not to
talk of being enough. It is therefore expected that he steps aside for
another person to try and rebuild what's left of the PDP.
A
lot of factors have contributed to the PDP's present predicament. Even
the immediate past chairman has acknowledged that “the lack of adherence
to internal democracy was responsible for the PDP's defeat”. There is
hardly any state where this did not manifest. From Kano to Adamawa,
Benue, Plateau, Lagos, Nassarawa etc. Popular candidates were
substituted with friends and allies of party chieftains. In some cases
even the panels set up to handle post-primary issues were also hijacked
by the chosen candidates. In some states primaries did not even take
place, while some others had theirs conducted in Abuja in accordance
with the wishes of 'powers that be'. Some of these aggrieved aspirants
left the party and ended up defeating the anointed candidates of the
PDP. Those who stayed back and whose complains fell on deaf ears, worked
against the party from inside. All of these is past tense now.
With
the elections concluded, the PDP needs to be repositioned to be a
serious opposition not one of those 'aligning' parties and having failed
in his previous assignment Adamu Mu'azu should step aside for someone
else to take up this task - but knowing our leaders, I have my doubts.
I
have listened to people say he should be allowed to rebuild the party -
this is laughable. If eight(8) states with PDP governors were lost
under him as chairman of the ruling party, I wonder how many more will
be lost under him as chairman of an opposition party. Mr chairman may
still have fresh ideas but he can contribute same from the sidelines.
For some of us who watch football, form matters a lot; a good player can
be benched by his/her coach simply because he is not at his/her best at
the moment. The game changer lost his form at a time his party
desperately needed his dribbling skills, the HONOURABLE thing to do is
to step away from the scene accepting that he did the best he could.
Alhaji
Mu'azu should follow the footsteps of party leaders in recent history
who resigned after leading their parties to landslide defeats:
* In November 2014: Taiwan's premier Jiang Yi-huah announced his resignation after his party lost a number of strongholds
*In
September 2014 Scottish Nationalist Leader Alex Salmond resigned after
Scottish voters rejected independence and decided that they wanted to
remain in Britain
*Neil Gordon Kinnock resigned as (British Labour
Party) leader and resigned from the House of Commons,following Labour's
defeat in the 1992 general election.
*John Major former prime
minister of United Kingdom announced his resignation(immediately after
the election) as party leader after losing by landslide to Labour party.
Sincerely
I do not see Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu quitting his position without a
fight(I really hope he proves me wrong though), but if he loves his
party(as he claims) he will not wait for the agitation for his removal
to take another dimension because what his party needs right now is a
united front to confront what is coming and prepare well in advance for
2019. Having failed woefully in his first and much simpler assignment,
the second one will be too big for him.
For the PDP members
who believe he should step aside, inasmuch as I share your sentiments,
caution should be applied so as not to pull the entire house down.
Chasing the chairman and his crew out of the party will be a wrong move.
His experience will still be needed by the next person in order to
avoid the 'landmines' he missed this time.
I hope the PDP
does the necessary 'house cleaning', restrategizes and reposition itself
well ahead of 2019 and most importantly avoids the mistakes of the
past; but before that can be done, those who led the party to its worst
electoral outing need to take a bow and leave.
Mr 'game changer' you came(to Wadata Plaza), you saw but did not conquer. It is time to pass the torch to another.
Enenim Ubon tweets from @EnenimUbon
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