After the G-7 patriotic consultations across the country and the unfortunate decision of G-5 to leave for the All Progressives Congress (APC), torrents of comments continued to tumble in questioning the continued stay of the Chief Servant, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) in the PDP – after all wasn’t he the leader of the defunct G-7?
Interestingly, only the dramatis personae will attest to the position of the Chief Servant, which was to fight impunity in the party, systemic rot in governance of which defection was never on the agenda. For a politician like the Niger state governor, maintaining political consistency is key to holding party structure in place.
His theory proved a resounding success as streams of problems spewed off from every conceivable orifice in the shaky structure of the opposition party as politicians became threatened, interest became a matter of personal estate and ambitions became coveted property of ambitious party members – a very serious twist that led to a slide show of defections following the G-5 party cross over.
For the G-7, the partnership will continue. It may not be on party bases but will certainly endure through ideological interface which would be harnessed for greater use if they close ranks under the umbrella of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) free of faction, free of hate and full of love as prescribed by Dr. Aliyu.
Therefore for the sake of those who are either misguided, limited in knowledge or mischievous in desperately changing history, it is indeed instructive for posterity sake and comprehensive historic analysis to dissect the issues and properly delineate between patriotic championing of true democracy, patriotic emulsification of impunity and patriotic resolve to save Nigeria from a looming political implosion from self-propelled intuition to change party platform.
The Chief Servant just like any other member of the G-7 had a mindset, a focus a predetermined agenda. His interest was primarily situated within the premise of the erupting political topography to engage dialogue towards saving the PDP and mitigate the raging tempest of disunity, vengeance and crave for blood to protect selfish cleavages.
Therefore the major reason the G-7 rose to the occasion when they did was to correct an era where state governors were treated like farm hands, where
the sanctimonious position of governor was reduced to nothingness under the fiefdom of a very overbearing leadership at the center. Unfortunately, however, some members of the G-7 had their own agenda despite the Exit of former chairman of the ruling party, BamangaTukur.
While no one is in any sanctimonious position to blame the aggrieved erstwhile PDP governors for taking the decision of crossing over to the opposition, it wont be historically correct or analytically proper for some observers to concluded that the Chief Servant will soon join the APC or has stabbed the G-5 in the back by choosing to remain in the PDP.
Once again, the projected value worth of the G-7/ new PDP struggle was to force sanity back to the high-octane level in the polity reeking of all forms of impunity, which as at that time had reached its critical mass just waiting to explode. The defection was the alternate idea of those whose only better political option was to leave the ruling party haven felt marginalized.
It is therefore heartwarming there are traceable results as the battle royal that characterized relationship in the PDP has proved. The embattled party chairman was removed, replaced by Adamu Mu’azu who is presently building bridges, restoring immediate sanity to the PDP, also some executive criminals were shown the exit door from the administration at the center. Sadly, those who fought for the new improved PDP, who also fought against administrative impunity in government, will only have to savor their efforts from another party platform.
For President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, the task of rebuilding the PDP is now a lot easier on account of the sacrifice the G-7 made, regardless of what has become of 5 out of the whole bunch. At least the teething problems in the ruling party have been effectively dealt with and the party despite the Tsunami of defection is on its way up the cruising height of political prosperity.
In Niger state, PDP remains the symbol of democracy on account of the Servant Leadership style of government introduced by the Chief Servant. The PDP would have flaked off in the direction of the hot air before and during the 2007 election. Olive branches were extended, hatchets buried and the dying party restored to its most flourishing status.
The strength of the party however has a resultant negative on the opposition who are mostly operating in piecemeal as very uncoordinated factorized formation. It is therefore not possible for the Chief Servant to jettison his political family, with attendant goodwill he had so far enjoyed for a state opposition having slippery grip on its fragile strand that tie it as a fragmented group just to satisfy the calculations of some political mathematicians. Politics therefore isn’t a game of bandwagon syndrome but a game played knowing when to deal your card and when to count your cash prize.
It is therefore instructive to once in a while understand that even members of same family fight only to come back again stronger with better love, better understanding under same aspirations. Governor Aliyu has been able to achieve a struggle for change, a struggle that will forever set a roadmap for better democratic practice in Nigeria with exceptional results that has gone a long way in re-branding the PDP in Niger state and indeed Nigeria.
Ebije is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aliyu on Media Analysis
