Political commentator, Chibuzor Okereke has said it’s unconstitutional for one person or just a few group such as the G-5 to give the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), conditions outside its own constitution to be able to hold a convention.
He argued that the aim was to continue to push for the growing influence of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in the party.
He stated this on Friday while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme.
Okereke explained that the party’s current crisis is essentially a struggle for control.
“Yeah, absolutely, I think the political party at the heart of it is political power contestation and maneuvering, and that is what we see playing out,” he said.
He noted that the G5 group is demanding recognition of certain party officers and internal congresses as a way of reasserting their role in the party.
“For the party to keep going to the level that this G5 group are now saying, ‘Oh, you have to recognize Vice Chairman South; you have to accept certain congresses that were done,’ that shows that the party has mustered courage to try to use their constitutional means to overcome the challenges they’ve been facing, especially from the FCT Minister and his team,” Okereke said.
According to him, the influence of individuals within the party has reached a worrying level. He described it as “unfortunate that the party has deteriorated to a point where certain individuals are stating conditions for even a party national convention to happen.”
Okereke also acknowledged the National Executive Committee’s (NEC) efforts to reassert authority, pointing out that while the FCT Minister has secured a boost through NEC resolutions, the body itself had earlier struggled to meet.
He described the situation as fragile.
“For now it’s a balance, and let’s see how they’re able to overcome this kind of condition. It’s actually unconstitutional for one person or just a few group of people to give a party conditions outside its own constitution to be able to hold a convention,” he added.
