The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Adamu Mu‘azu has gone abroad to relax his muscles and obtain medical relief from the tension and thorns of the last election.
By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
Election loss is apparently an insipid pill that could demoralise the strongest of politicians. But some were muttering yesterday that it could have been worse for the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Adamu Mu‘azu, after his party’s historic loss in the recent general elections.
Recent whispers about the whereabouts of Dr. Mu‘azu were confirmed first by his office, and subsequently by the national secretariat: Mu‘azu is abroad on a medical.
However, against the suggestions of political detractors, Mu‘azu affirmed that his medical flight abroad was not on account of heartache arising from the PDP’s loss of his ward, local government, state and the country in the recent general elections.
“The fact is, following the rigorous campaigns and its attendant toll on my health, I had to yield to the advice of my doctor to take a two weeks bed rest for proper checks and recuperation,” Dr. Mu`azu said in a statement issued from the office of the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
In noting his resort abroad for “PROPER CHECKS AND RECUPERATIONS,” the PDP national chairman inadvertently laid bare the fact that 16 years of PDP rule have not been able to provide Nigeria and ordinary Nigerians, the needed health infrastructure to obtain proper medical check and recuperation.
The national chairman was, however, quick to reassure confidants and supporters of the party that he was “responding to care and will soon return to the country.”
The timing of his return and what he would do on returning, have, however, been the butt of intrigues at the national secretariat of the party and the presidency.
Besides Mu‘azu, his deputy, Prince Uche Secondus is also out of the country leaving the now demoralised troops of the party wandering in the political wilderness that they have been thrust onto after their unprecedented election losses.
The absence of the number one and number two party officials are, however, the subject of many intrigues. It was easily being stated by concerned officials that the absence of the two men has removed them from the sustained pressure for the dissolution of the National Working Committee, NWC.
Mu‘azu and his officials in the National Working Committee, NWC, have been the subject of many criticisms over their alleged handling of the elections. There have been direct calls even from some of their former friends including Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Chief Olabode George, a former senior party official for the resignation of the NWC.
Fayose’s attack
Fayose’s attack according to sources at the national secretariat has been especially provoking, given what party insiders claim as the direct role played by the NWC in ensuring his return to the governorship of Ekiti State.
Besides Fayose, a number of state governors had also sought for the dismissal of the NWC. The moral pressure on the NWC was reinforced last weekend when the leaders of the Labour Party in Britain and the Liberal Democratic Party, LDP both resigned after the humbling victory of the Conservative Party in that country’s parliamentary elections.
Fayose and a number of others said the resignations in Britain were examples for Mu‘azu and his NWC to heed. However, in making the calls, they put aside the fact that Ed Miliband, who resigned as Labour Party leader, was the de facto leader of Labour, and was comparable in Nigeria’s PDP, to President Goodluck Jonathan who is in every respect the leader of the PDP.
Indeed, senior officials of the PDP had practically laid the blame for the election loss on the steps of the president citing his failure to empower the NWC and the party, and the concomitant empowerment of his campaign organisation marshalled by Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Femi Fani-Kayode.
Whatever, the bad blood spilling from the loss inevitably led to the campaign for the sack of the Mu‘azu led NWC. That was besides reports of Mu‘azu’s alleged refusal to partake in the hate campaign marshalled by Fani-Kayode, First Lady Patience Jonathan and some others accountable to the president.
It was in the midst of the onslaught against him that Mu‘azu went abroad for his medicals. His decision to go abroad was also reflective of the telling state of the nation’s health system managed by the PDP over the last 16 years, to wit, the incapacity to treat the least of shocks arising from election defeat.
Meanwhile, in his absence, Mu‘azu’s associates say that the campaign for his removal is almost futile given the fact that he is unavailable to summon a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party, the only body apart from the National Convention that can dismiss him from office. Even more dicey for the likes of Fayose leading the campaign for the dissolution of the NWC, Mu‘azu’s deputy, Prince Uche Secondus, is also out of the country.
The only other option is to mobilise a signature campaign of members of NEC for such a meeting. However, sources in the party say that party elders are so deflated that they are unable to unleash such a campaign.
Mu‘azu in his statement issued yesterday, acted like the potential leader of the party that he is destined to become after President Jonathan’s exit on May 29 as he called for unity despite the significant loss.
“I wish to charge all members that though we have had our setback, we are not down and out. The PDP remains the largest political party in this country. What we need now more than ever before is to unite as therein lies our strength as a family. Fighting ourselves will not yield anyone any good. Our members, therefore, must remain focused and join forces with their leaders at all levels to actualize our collective quest to rebuild the PDP and repositioning it to regain power in 2019”.
Mu‘azu’s prospects of regaining power from the All Progressives Congress, APC in 2019 would depend on how the party can coalesce the various tendencies that are now seeking for dominance in the party after the loss. It would also depend on how the APC is itself able to manage its victory.
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