There is Science in History because of the repition of conclusions from the similarity of variables.Similar actions of man at different times will yield same results.History is Social Science and it shares in the characteristics of natural science.
This should be a lesson for the leadership and members of PDP in Edo State.Any organization or it’s leadership that is not interested in the values and lessons of Science and History is bound to fail.
This is the path that few members of Edo State PDP State Executive committee members and minority elements in the leadership of PDP in Edo State are taking in their efforts to frustrate the harmonization of the Executive committee members of PDP at the Wards,LGAs and the State level.
It is important to note that majority of PDP members in Edo State are not willing to accept the failure of the party neither are they interested in the leadership that is deliberately heading for failure because of their personal ,(not PDP) interest.
It is from this clear premises above that the majority of PDP members draw the condemnation of the letter sent to the National Chairman in furtherance of the personal interest of minority element in Edo State PDP to frustrate the harmonization of PDP Executives in Edo State.
The letter which was signed by the State Chairman,Dr.Tony Aziegbemwin and the Secretary,Mr Hilary Otsu,was rude,contrary to the majority opinion of PDP members in Edo State and it represents the inordinate ambition of few person’s to keep Edo State PDP as a personal property.
In a meeting of PDP,Edo South Senatorial District, that was called by the Senatorial Chairman,Mr Nosa Ogieva,held on Sunday,18th April, 2021at the PDP Edo South Senatorial District Secretariat,a resolution was reached on the harmonization of PDP Executives in Edo South Senatorial District.
Subsequently,a committee was constituted with a mandate to visit the seven(7) LGAs in Edo South to meet with the members and leadership of all sides of the party to discuss and collate the recommendations and formula for a peaceful harmonization of the party Executives.
Senator Mathew Uroghide was appointed to be the Chairman of the committee and other members of the committee include Chief Osaro Idah, Dr.Isaiah Osifo, Hon Ogbeide Ihama, etc.
It will be administratively naive for Edo State Chairman of PDP and the Secretary to assume that their rash letter to the National Chairman on the subject of Edo State PDP Executives harmonization will be Superior to the decision of a Senatorial Congress represented by the stakeholders of PDP in Edo South Senatorial District.
The April 18th, 2021 decision by Edo South Senatorial District to constitute a broad based committee to meet with the members of the party for the collation of recommendations and formula for the harmonization of the party is the most reasonable and realistic approach to achieve the unity and peace among all members of PDP in Edo State.
It is not within the legal or political powers of the members of the State Working of PDP to rule out the obvious desire of majority of PDP members to Harmonize the party Executives aimed at the harmony of all members and the stability of the party.
The request for harmonization is a decision of the Congress, (ie majority opinion of party members), and the outcome will be ractified by the National.
The State Chairman and members of the State Working committee that are interested in the peace and stability of PDP in Edo State should support inclusive procedures and activities that will unite all members instead of the pursuit of an exclusive agenda aimed at appropriating personal ownership of the party.
The selfish and quick reference to tenurship and Constitution of the party is legally and politically unsustainable. There is no tenure of public or party office that is permanent in the Constitution of any party or the Constitution of Nigeria.
There is no provision in the PDP Constitution that forbids harmonization of party Executives after the conclusion of a circle of Congress. The doctrine of precedence is evidently clear in the several decisions of PDP to Harmonize party Executives or dissolve party Executives after the conclusion of congresses.
We have sufficient examples in Edo State PDP that harmonization does not constitute violation of the party Constitution. The former Chairman of Edo State PDP, Chief Dan Orbih became the State Chairman of PDP in 2009 without participating or contesting in the 2008 Edo State PDP Congress.
Dan Orbih and many other members of the Wards, LGAs and State Executives were products of the harmonization of the 2008 Edo State PDP Congresses.
The National leadership of the PDP approved the harmonization of Edo State PDP executives that brought into the Wards, LGAs and State Exco of persons that did not participate in Edo State 2008 Congresses in order to prevent the exclusion of a vital segment of party membership.
Why should the same person’s that witnessed and benefitted from the previous decisions of the political party to Harmonize the Executives of the party ever contemplate the exclusion of the in-put of His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State, Deputy Governor, Speaker and members of the State Assembly from the Executive members of the party?
Even if the Governor and this other vital segment of the party do not request for an in-put into the Executive members of the party at the Wards, LGAs and State level, a reasonable leadership of the State Working Committee should approach the Governor with a proposal to Harmonize the Executive members of the party in Edo State.
This is the approach of Edo South Senatorial District stakeholders and the desire of the majority of the members of PDP in Edo State that the self serving minority element of the party in Edo State is trying to frustrate by their hurried letter to the National Chairman without consultation with the members of the party in Edo State.
Due diligence and patriotism of the majority of the membership of PDP in Edo State must apply to stop the negative Science in the history that destroyed the PDP in Edo State.
The landslide victory of PDP in the Edo State September 19th, 2020 Governorship election would have been impossible without the compined forces of the Governor and high percentage of former APC members in Edo State that joined the PDP.
The old and outdated slogan of,” take your government and we keep our party” by this usual and known minority element for the purpose of personal ownership of the party for trading during Party primaries must be condemned and resisted by the majority of members of the PDP in Edo State.
Members of the State Working committee or few person’s elected to represent Edo State in the South-South Zonal Executive Committee of PDP are not the owners of Edo State PDP.
The party is collectively owned by all members of PDP in Edo State. The majority decision and desire is to keep the party and support the government to succeed in the effective administration of Edo State.
No political party is formed for the purpose of selecting party Executives and delegates to trade in the political party primaries. Political party is formed to organize and win elections to form government. PDP had reclaimed Edo State after 12 years of selecting Executive members and delegates to trade in Party primaries.
The few electoral victories in the past were recorded in federal elections that were held on the same day with the presidential elections. Those who castigated Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe and Chief Raymond Dokpesi for not winning elections in their wards in their letter to the National Chairman, have equally no records of electoral victory in isolated Edo State election to represent any State Constituency.
Edo State PDP victory in the September 19, 2020 Governorship election is a big achievement that must be acknowledge and appreciated by all PDP members in Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general.
The arrogance of few self serving leaders of PDP in their continuous reference to a favour for Governor Godwin Obaseki in his victory as the gubernatorial candidate of PDP is a further justification of their orientation of deliberate personal interest in the party.
A good party leader and a patriot that is interested in the victory and growth of the political party should see the entrance of the Governor, his supporters from the APC into the PDP and the subsequent PDP gubernatorial candidacy of Governor Godwin Obaseki as a victory for the superior strategy of PDP to win Edo State Governorship election.
It is not simply a favour done Governor Godwin Obaseki, rather it should be broadly seen as an effective party organization of the National leadership of the party to attract ingredients of electoral victory and growth into Edo chapter of the PDP.
It is expected of all good party men and women to support the Governor and the government of Edo State to succeed and the reciprocity of the governor as a party man in supporting his party to grow and be successful in subsequent election cannot be by keeping the governor and other vital segment that joined the PDP outside the organs that are vested with the day to day organization of the political party.
There is always a conflict of law and politics in the affairs and organizations of political party globally.When there is such a conflict, the resolution is guided by the collective interest of the majority of the party members in line with the Constitution and political precedents of the political party.
There is no gainsaying the obvious that the majority of PDP members in Edo State are grateful and congratulate the National Chairman and National leadership of the party for attracting Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, Secretary to Edo State government Barrister Osarodion Ogie, the Speaker and majority of the members of Edo State House Assembly and other important political personalities from the APC into the PDP in Edo State.
The PDP members equally congratulated the Governor in his victory in the party primaries and the victory in the Governorship election. The governor should not be distracted in his pursuit of good governance and efficient administration of Edo State.
The harmonization of PDP executives at the Wards, LGAs and the State level is a patriotic responsibility that will promote the stability and growth of the party and it is a priority in the party organization that should receive urgent attention and implementation by the leadership of PDP in Edo State and at the National level.
Dr. Isaiah Osifo, JP is a university lecturer and writes from Benin City.