In the past couple of weeks there appears to be an orchestrated campaign of calumny targeted at the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu. The antagonists of the PDP leader started the negative campaign against the PDP chairman shortly after he succeeded Tukur during the turbulent days in the ruling party.
In the early days of his administration, the anti-Mu’azu elements went to town with reports that he was not the substantive National Chairman but merely acting in that capacity. The national leadership of the PDP was prompt in dismissing the report saying it was the handiwork of those who are uncomfortable with the reversal in the fortunes of the PDP since Mu’azu took over from Bamabga Tukur.
According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, the PDP national secretariat said that it was aware of a funded plot to use a section of the media to attack and discredit the person and office of the National Chairman of the party. The aim of this according to the statement is to cause disaffection among PDP leaders and ultimately, destabilise the party and the nation ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The statement read, “We wish to state categorically that the claims made in the said article are totally false, malicious and sponsored by disgruntled elements that have not been happy with the stability and wide-spread popularity our party has continued to enjoy since Mu’azu emerged as National Chairman.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our National Chairman has maintained very healthy and robust working relationship with all our leaders at all levels across the country, resulting in the impressive performance posted in the last three months.
“It is common knowledge that since assumption of office, our National Chairman has continued to deftly apply his wealth of experience, his far-reaching connections and profound goodwill among Nigerians to stabilise and reposition our great party to the admiration of our leaders and members, including President Goodluck Jonathan, members of the NWC, PDP caucus in the National Assembly, PDP governors, and our teeming supporters nationwide, a feat for which he has been popularly dubbed the ‘Game Changer’.
PDP said that in just three months of assumption of office, Mu’azu has succeeded in shaming the enemies of the party by achieving unity among PDP members, restoring the confidence of the members in the leadership and regaining the trust Nigerians have in the PDP, as the only vehicle to deliver democracy dividends to them, a development which would not have been possible without a good working relationship with the President and our governors.
Accordingly, the party said, “The daily expansion of the support base of the PDP, return of defected members, influx of influential Nigerians from other parties and the rousing support witnessed at the nationwide unity rallies, all testify to the gains of Mu’azu’s leadership style.
“Since assumption of office, the National Chairman has continued to run an all-inclusive administration while ensuring that the PDP remained a well structured organisation with well established departments where laid down administrative rules and regulations are strictly adhered to, resulting in unprecedented transparency and higher productivity.
“Mu’azu remains an authentic substantive National Chairman of the PDP as his appointment in this capacity met the requirements of the PDP Constitution. Those seeking to sow seeds of discord in our party must understand that they have already failed as the PDP has emerged from its challenges stronger and more united, and shall not in any way whatsoever, be taken off-course by such evil machinations.
“The PDP under Mu’azu as National Chairman is completely on course and shall remain the pre-eminent party wholly committed to the national interest and the welfare of all Nigerians in line with our manifesto and visions of our founding fathers”, the party insisted.
In spite of the robust defense of Mu’azu by the national leadership of the PDP his detractors remained unmoved. Moreover, shortly before the Osun governorship election they went to town again with reports that there is crisis within the PDP National Working Committee, NWC, and that Mu’azu is having a running battle with other members of the NWC just like his predecessor, Dr. Bamanga Tukur.
Mu’azu, through his Special Assistant on ICT, Mr. Akin Oyegoke, promptly denied the speculations that there is rift within the National Working Committee saying, “the rumour is the handiwork of the opposition to distract us from campaigning in Osun State and to also change our focus in our quest to regain all the loss of the PDP.
“You can see the numerous achievements the PDP has recorded so far since I assume office as Chairman, and, I want to promise you one thing, we will not stop, we will not be deterred but will continue to work for the interest of all Nigerians.”
In the past few weeks, the campaign of calumny against Mu’azu took a new twist as his opponents sold dummy to Nigerians that he is clandestinely preparing to contest for the presidential ticket of the PDP against President Goodluck Jonathan.
They even went a step further to print campaign posters for him and pasted them late at night in strategic places in Abuja. They also took the campaign to the social media where anti-Mu’azu messages and write-ups were posted on some online media.
For the first time the anti-Muazu campaign was given a near human face when an unknown writer that goes with the name, Hassan Tukur, kept himself busy by posting series of anti-Mu’azu write-ups laced with such derogatory adjectives as ‘mole’, ‘fifth columnist’, ‘traitor’ and ‘turncoat’ to describe the PDP National Chairman.
Hassan Tukur, who claimed he had evidence to support his allegations, said the alleged “clandestine move by the PDP National Chairman is actually to edge out President Jonathan in 2015, not 2019”.
According to the online writer, “It is public knowledge that Adamu Mu’azu is cavorting with leaders of the main opposition party, the APC and encouraging belligerence in the PDP, especially in the House of Reps. Records of his secret meetings with some leaders of the APC and dissident PDP members are available and will soon be placed in public domain.
Adamu Hassan continues, “That Adamu Mu’azu is secretly plotting to supplant President Goodluck Jonathan, is not the only problem. More disbursing is his Plan B. He and his cohorts, who include APC chieftains, also plan to support the APC in case Mu’azu fails to clinch the PDP Presidential ticket.
“So, the question is who exactly is Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu? What really does Adamu Mu’azu want? Should the PDP stand by and watch Mu’azu destroy the party and its chances to retain power at the centre and pave way for the APC to take over the Presidency?
The anti-Mu’azu elements changed their narratives after Mu’azu, in collaboration with PDP Governors, BoT and National Executive Committee members broke tradition in the history of PDP by adopting President Jonathan as the PDP sole presidential candidate for 2015.
This time around, they went to print campaign posters for the office of the Vice President with the picture of Adamu Mu’azu. Obviously annoyed that the first leg of the campaign of calumny failed woefully, they changed tactics and joined those they believe played key role in the adoption of President Jonathan on their hit list. Their subsequent write up with the byline Hassan Tukur, added the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Godswill Akpabio and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali, on the list of those that are working against the re-election of President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Political observers are of the view that the anti-Mu’azu element overshot the runway when they dragged two unrepentant supporters of President Jonathan on the list of those that are plotting for his fall. All politically conscious Nigerians know the role Akpabio and the PDP Governors Forum played in the adoption of Jonathan and the laud noise from the almost 8, 000 supports groups rooting for Jonathan that were coordinated by Prof Alkali.
Feelers from leaders of PDP shows that those that are angling for the ouster of Mu’azu as PDP National Chairman may be on an impossible mission as PDP leaders have continued to express confidence in his. Speaking recently, President Jonathan made it explicitly clear that PDP needs Mu’azu now, with election fast approaching.
His words, “We need someone who can build the party, who can reach out to the people and who is friendly with the people, someone who can bring the party together, and someone who can build bridges.”
Speaking in same vein, the former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu said, “Our great party, PDP, is waxing stronger through the able and dynamic leadership of the party. The national chairman has brought unity into the party through genuine reconciliation and harmonisation.
“He has continued to use his practical experience in politics to increase the membership of the party through justice, fairness and equity. All these are evidenced by the fortunes the party has made in recent times.”
For PDP youths it is only someone that needs psychiatric evaluation that will demand for the sack of Mu’azu at this critical stage.”
Reacting to the anti-Mu’azu reports, the PDP Youth Vanguard said in a statement signed by its national secretary, Amb. Bala Aboki, that the sponsored reports are intended, “to truncate the peace we presently enjoy in the party with the emergence of our national chairman, the Game Changer, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu.”
According to the PDP Youths Vanguard, “All right thinking PDP members and Nigerians in general will recall the state of the party before the emergence of the current chairman, Mu’azu, who is now recognised by admirers as the Game Changer.
He has steered the ship of the PDP in the direction where instead of the hurricane of defection from the PDP to other political parties, many PDP members have returned and many are now joining the party from the opposition political parties.”
However, in spite of the torrent of vote of confidence PDP members continue to pour on Mu’azu, political observers are of the view that the party needs to take a step further and smoke out those in their midst that are working at cross purpose with their National Chairman, and by extension the stability of the party.
This task is not a difficult one and PDP stands the risk of paying gravely for it if they remain complacent and allow fifth columnists to derail the party few months to the crucial 2015 general elections.