The recently held retreat on capacity building for Zonal/ State Publicity and organisation staff of National Secretariat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has identified e-registration as an instrument for internal party democracy. STANLEY NKWOCHA, who attended the retreat, brings this issue and others raised at the event into perspective.
For participants at this recently organised retreat, nothing could have been more apt at this time as they converged at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Akwa Ibom.
For many a participant, it was indeed a great deal of foresight for the national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, and the national organising secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, whose offices facilitated and coordinated the event.
Welcoming participants at the retreat, national organising secretary of the party, Dr Abubakar Mustapha, harped on the strength of the PDP and said the onus was on the party to continue to set the agenda for party leadership ideals.
Abubakar said he was confident that the retreat would go a long way in deepening party value system and introduce new policy directive for the party in line with the party’s reformation agenda as well as the Presidents transformation ideals.
Akwa Ibom Governor, Obong Godswill Akpabio, now touted as the most performing governor in the country in his capacity as the chief host, described the retreat as ‘uncommon’ noting that it was the first time a retreat of this nature was being organised.
While commending the leadership of the party for hosting the retreat, the governor expressed optimism that the retreat would help deepen internal democracy and help the party in organisation of congresses, enhance communication skills, and further aid in policies advancement and proliferation of government activities.
In his keynote address at the event, national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur said it is bye to days of imposition and parallel list of congresses in the party.
Tukur said that having sworn to abide by the spirit of the founding fathers of PDP in building and nurturing a political party that would set the ideal in party administration and governance, he was not prepared to compromise the wishes of the people.
Said Tukur: “I have said it at some other occasions that the era of imposition is over; that the era of parallel lists of congresses is also over. I wish to state further that the era where the wishes of the people are whimsically annulled as far as our leadership of the PDP is concerned is far gone for ever.
“It suffices that we intend to emphasis that we are not ready to compromise our stake on internal democracy and that we are not going to yield to any ground in our determination to ensure that fairness guides our internal party practices.
“On March 8, 2012 we promised to use the historic opportunity of our leadership of the ruling party to chart a new course for the party and by implication for the nation.
“We also promised to bring back to the front burner the founding ideals of our great party as a catalyst for re-directing national development goals and objectives,” Tukur said.
And thus was the stage set for Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take the lead shot. Nwodo’s paper was titled “Deepening Democracy Through Internal Party Democracy: Strategies for Conducting Credible, Free and Fair Party Congresses and Primaries”.
Nwodo who warned against violating the wishes of the electorate, saying it remained the primary source of political upheavals in the nation, stressing that credibility of elections remained a yardstick for accepting leaders.
He reeled that the public would accord respect to a political party only when such a political party adheres to internal democracy in selecting its candidates at elections.
“For a party to be taken seriously, the practice of internal democracy is a sine qua none. It is the only way by which credible and respected leaders can produced,” Nwodo said.
Delving into e-registration which put him in trouble with party big wigs especially PDP governors whilst he was chairman, Nwodo called on the party leadership to adopt his the e-registration of members, noting that it was bereft of manipulation.
He said if e-registration were adopted no aspiring member would be denied membership rights while the party would get its membership dues without inhibitions.
Said he, “By this module, nobody is disenfranchised from registering in the party. The registration fees and annual dues go straight to the coffers of the party. It gives members the dignity of ownership of their party and the audacity of their participation in party activities.”
He further stated that the practice would guarantee constant funding for the party, party discipline as well as commitment to party ideology among ordinary members and elected political office holders.
But can Nwodo’s postulation be acceptable to larger party membership whose governors constitute a powerful power bloc in the party and have been known to always want to dictate who gets membership or not in the states?
It is a wide knowledge that attempts for the party to introduce e- registration during Nwodo’s era was met with stiff resistance by the governors, with some till date saying the reabsorption of some party men and women would amount to bringing in “scorpions” in the party’s fold.
For instance, just about three weeks ago, Abia State governor, T.A Orji, led a delegation from the state to protest against the planned return of his now estranged benefactor, Orji Uzor Kalu back to the party’s fold. This clearly is made so, as the governors are believed to have the final say in who joins or re-joins the party. A power that e-registration seeks to guard against.
However, the PDP may be contemplating heading for the e - registration if the communiqué at the end of the retreat is endorsed.
A communiqué released at the end of the retreat saw participants concluding amongst others that e-registration of members would go a long way in fostering internal democracy.
“The Retreat notes that there is no alternative to internal Party democracy. To enhance this therefore, it recommends, as a matter of urgency, the introduction of e-registration and computerization of Party membership. This will ensure transparency in Party electoral processes,” the communique jointly signed by Chief Olisa Metuh, national publicity secretary and Alhaji Abubakar mustapha, national organising secretary jointly read.
The three day retreat with about 150 participants in attendance further observed that that Nigeria is at a critical development curve and thus called on the PDP to continuously improve on the workings of its processes and practices.
“The Retreat urges members to show more interest in the management of the media. The Party must engage in wide publicity and propagation of its policies, programmes and achievements to enhance greater understanding by the citizenry.
“The strategic importance of the offices of organization and publicity secretaries at all levels is vital for the progress and success of Party and Government policies and programmes. The party challenges them to rise up to the serial distortion of the achievements of PDP led governments by the opposition and further more advocates less turn-over of Party officials to make for continuity and stability in the system,” the resolutions further read in part.
The two day exercise might have come and gone, but for just like Chief Olisa Metuh who chaired the sessions did say while drawing the curtains, what was achieved at the retreat cannot be quantified as the monumental gains will be made to rub off on the party’s administration.
Other resource persons who delivered papers at the retreat included Chief Colet Odenigbo who spoke on “The Power of New Media in Managing Perceptions in Emerging World Politics: Lessons for Nigeria”, while Chief Ebenezer Babatope spoke on “Motivational Methods for Membership Recruitment, Retension and Loyalty.”
While former presidential spokesman, Segun Adeniyi presented his paper on “Developing Skills in Communication: Achieving Effective Communication with Internal and External Publics”, Chief Aniette Okon talked on “Advancing Party Goals and Objectives through Strategic Communication”.
Dr Akilu Indabawa and Mallam Abba- Moro spoke on “Building Strong Party Chapters and Raising the Political Consciousness of Members and “The role of Communication in Mobilizing for effective Grassroots Penetration in a Democracy”, respectively.
All eyes are now on the ruling party to see if it would introduce the lessons at the Uyo retreat. However, kudos must be given to the Party for redefining the course of party policy and existence.
