MY REFLECTIONS ON PDP RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE, Otunba Segun Showunmi

Reading through the Saraki Led National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee Report which concluded and handed in its report in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, one is compelled to thank the former Senate President and his 6-member committee made up of HE Senator Bukola Saraki, HE Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, HE Senator Liyel Imoke, HE Alh. Ibrahim Shema, HE Alh Ibrahim Dankwambo, Hon Mulikat Akande-Adeola. 

The work was so painstaking, the agreements were fair and equitable. 

One is bound to ask what more must be given for the 2023 general elections which left the party much more divided than at any time in its history. 

As we embark on this new effort, we must not waste each other's time for if we do not desire honest, genuine and commonsensical approaches to our issues we will achieve a worse outcome. 

None is all right and none is all wrong. 

The scapegoating of an individual for what ought to be a matter that shows that there is enough blame to go around is unhelpful.

There is no messiah anywhere and as such all must purge themselves of any messiah complex they may have, for it is incontrovertible that our reasons for losing 2015 stem from indiscipline and lack of far-reaching reflections on what is in the party’s interest and there are living players who though may have seen the wrongness of their actions and must not pontificate as though 2015 did not happen, the limping of the party and the management of the consequences of that action was very serious. We managed to get to 2019 which most consider our best outing in recent history, but we still came short, at the heart of this too, say what you will is the fact that the complete commitments of those who can work were absent for the altar of personal hurt and using party elections to settle the personal scores and private grudges. 

We surely need not lie to ourselves that 2023 was not a self-inflicting injury, preventable, avoided but allowed to happen because somehow we have refused to allow the party to be supreme in all circumstances and I find this hard to understand, however you prime the argument, at the heart of the excessive behaviour are persons who this great party made but forgot that but for this party they might have made it in life but not on the altar of fame, wealth, privilege and opportunities granted by the platform that is now in tatters. 

Everyone can jump ship for the holy book says every man’s gifting will find him or her space at the table of kings, so we all must get real, after all those who sat through the reconciliation of yesterday have all but left with the exception of Sen Saraki and Sen Dankwambo, where are the others, this should speak to the complexity of our situation.  I believe we must at the onset speak to ourselves and be ready for compromises, apologies where necessary and some punishment where it is unavoidable. 

A political party is a free joiner and free exit organization but notwithstanding for a political party to be efficient at all times, it must adhere to its constitution, its rules, its regulations, its guidelines and its culture. 

These cannot but be reformed from time to time to reflect that culture itself is not static and as such political parties must make themselves attractive from one generation to another, the excessive scream of “founding father” to pay obeisance to great men like Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, Adamu Chiroma and members of the original G-8 which opened up to become G-34 should never become raison de tete why pragmatic understanding that with each new generation, we are entitled to the right to impose our will on the party for that is what keeps fresh hands coming in. 

There has to be a time when the father steps back and allows the next generation to take over so that the baton is passed effectively, and the organization is preserved. 

Those who must run the party affairs today must be aware that history will adjudge them for any misadventure that they allow, we nevertheless must allow those with constituted authorities to act their roles. 

No one must appropriate to themselves greater love of the party than others. 

The activities of politics have their challenges and those who cannot stand the heat might just do everyone a favour and get out of the kitchen. 

I will end by singing a song “PDP is marching on, PDP is marching on, the gate of destabilization will not prevail for PDP is marching on. 

Prepare your issues for the reconciliation team will be open to hear, and make far-reaching recommendations to the party. 

Everyone must sweep the dirty floor from where they are standing. 100% of Zero is worthless. 

A New Party Must Emerge from the Old. 

Otunba Segun Showunmi.