By Rabiu Doma
Things fall apart, the centre can no longer hold, Is the best description of the internal squabbles that embroiled the opposition political party in Nasarawa state, a staunch member of the People’s Democratic Party, Retired Captain Ibrahim Aboki stated this while advising the National working committee of the party in an interview with our report at his residence in Keffi recently.
The former council chairman of Keffi Local Government under the auspices of the ruling PDP aver that history will repeat itself if the Peoples’ Democratic Party go ahead and endorsed unpopular candidate against the will of the people, Member of the PDP friction attributed the defeat of the PDP in 2011 Governorship election to the endorsement of the defeated Governor, Akwe Doma.
The astute politician and grass root mobilize cautioned the secretariat of the party to take preventative measure by endorsing a consensus candidate or else the party will again failed appallingly, Aboki aver that the executives at the state level of were misguided by people with parochial interest that has no concern for party insisted on the support of the erstwhile which he said cannot deliver his polling at his country home of Doma.
“in 2011election, we won twenty (200 seat out of the twenty four (24) at the state house of Assembly while the ruling party in the state clinch four seats, but still go ahead and won the Governorship election, what they people of Nasarawa state did was a protest vote against Doma whom he said has disregard to party executive both at wards, Local Government and state Level”.
Captain Ibrahim buttress that the decision of the party at the state level to denied popular candidates access to the Governorship ticket in 2011 is the beginning of our crisis, “according to him,” The internal wrangling no doubt give rise to series of legal battles ,division, and claims of all sorts.
He further said any attempt to endorse the likes of Akwe Doma or Labaran Maku will not yield any meaningful result to the party in Nasarawa state, endorsing Doma or Maku is like putting an old water in a new pot, adding that concerned group of the PDP will defy any attempt to revise the hands of the clock, He insisted.
He said the lingering rift has taking another dimensions, saying the internal crisis has been extended to both ward, Local Government and state, calling on the national chairman of the party to ensured the retrospection of the party ahead of 2015 general elections.
while fielding questions on the merger of some opposition political party ahead of 2015 elections, Retired Captain Aboki said the PDP is a political party that every political party will like to challenge, adding that,’ except we put our house in order, “The inter party rift has taken the party aback and if not well handle the forthcoming Local Government council will be a herculean task on the party to won any chairmanship seat”.
Keen observers in the PDP fold attributed the genesis of the exigencies to a disagreement between the two time Governor of the state,Abdullahi Adamu and his anointed candidate in 2007 PDP primaries held in Keffi, Adamu single highhandedly endorse Akwe Doma against the wishes of the contenders and delegates at the party primaries.
stakeholder in the PDP family chastised the first elected Governor for endorsing Doma who decamped from All Nigeria People’s Party few months to elections was given an upper hand than those that paid the ultimate price for the success of the party in 1999, heavyweight in the PDP maintained that nemesis caught up with the first Governor for insisting to endorse Doma.
Onlookers are watching with keen interest on the future of the PDP, The question people continue to asked is what will be the future of a house that was build on a fortress of deceit, mistrust, selfish interest and amongst, while others continue for how long will the internal wrangling continue and of what gain is the brawl that continue to bedeviled the only and strongest political party in the state?.
