2015: Jonathan, Anenih, Clark And The PDP Crisis

[Shola Sholaz]

WIthin the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, events of the last two weeks have indeed brought out the worst among its leading lights. Some of them who have shared ideals and political camps for decades are now at both ends of the political divide, which was created by the August 31, 2013 factionalisation of the party.
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First, some elements within the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, believed to have been sponsored by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, clandestinely registered the political pressure group, which is an integral part of the PDP as a full-fledged political party.
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Then the aggrieved seven governors of the party, who had earlier walked out from the party's Special National Convention of August 31 in Abuja, converged on Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, not too far away from the Eagle Square, venue of the PDP convention, to announce they were splitting from the mainstream PDP.
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To say that these are challenging times for statesmen within the party, is to state the obvious.
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Two of them, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chairman of the party's Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih, have since led the efforts to reconcile all sides and return the party to oneness.
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While the initial meeting brokered by Obasanjo did not produce much result, Anenih was caught in the crossfire for daring to state the obvious-that some of the G-7 governors leading the new faction have genuine grievances, which would be resolved and the party, thereafter would emerge stronger from what he described as a "minor" crisis.