The Mistake of Abia PDP: Lack of Consequences and the Bright Side of Alex Otti | #NwokeukwuMascot

 Opinion 

…The Problem with PDP in Abia State is Lack of Consequences (pt1) by JOK | #NwokeukwuMascot 

 Dr Alex Chioma Otti 

 “Herein lies the good side of Governor Otti as a politician: he knows that a betrayer is a betrayer and makes those who betrayed him or their party suffer consequences" — JOK | #NwokeukwuMascot 

 During the last governorship election, a popular PDP chieftain from Abia North who has occupied various elective and appointive positions courtesy of the party was mobilized by an LP chieftain, funded and given soldiers to go from polling unit to polling unit to arrest and beat up his fellow PDP members. The same man participated in 'writing' result for LP in his LGA and all the other chieftains of the party witnessed this and cowered except for a few who incidentally are my friends. 

This so called PDP chieftain even took pictures as a LP stakeholder after the election. 

After betraying his political party for whatever good or bad reason, LP members refused to allow him space within their party and, of course, Governor Otti rightly refused to give him an appointment in his government or allow him enjoy the privileges he used to enjoy under PDP after he betrayed those who called him “our leader."

In my ward, there was another “PDP leader” who publicly decamped to APC and thrashed his PDP membership card in public. He went as far as distributing money, on behalf of APC, against PDP candidates for Governorship and House of Assembly.  Today, he is among those telling whoever cares to listen thag he is still a member of the PDP.

Herein lies the good side of Governor Otti as a politician: he knows that a betrayer is a betrayer and makes those who betrayed him or their party suffer consequences. 

Going by the old order in Abia PDP, the same leaders who betrayed the party would soon be visited by a “reconciliation committee” and begged to come and take pride of place as “major stakeholders” whereas the people, the folks they brutalized and dehumanized with soldiers and betrayed so openly, would receive no such visit. Drinks and food would flow and then “our leaders” would take up their “rightful leadership position” and everyone would move on under “one big umbrella”.

Ashi Ocha!!!!

The younger elements in the Party are simply saying they don’t want that again. According to them, if the betrayers take the front seat again they will leave the party and at worse become neutral political activists.

Simply put, they want the assurance that those who are faithful to the party will be appropriately rewarded while the betrayers would also receive their just reward. They are tired of seeing betraying stakeholders a.k.a “ndi apata ukwu” lording it over them unjustly. 

Is the party ready to rebuild around young, highly efficient Abians or go the same route that leads to mass betrayal by those who previously benefited from the party and developed avaricious entitlement mentality?

The truth is that losing those betrayer-stakeholders will most likely open way for the influx of more serious and committed members to work with the faithful ones still remaining among the major stakeholders. 

As people leave so will others join and if the party is ready to dispense consequence to those who 'wrote' results for other parties during the election then there will be a path for the emergence of a New PDP in Abia State that will be difficult to defeat in future elections and ready to deliver much more to the people instead of to individuals whose only credential is capacity to betray at critical moments. If there are no consequences then the party must prepare for more and more betrayals because a betrayer will always be a betrayer. 

Is Abia PDP ready to dispense consequence or just interested in pampering things in pretense unto another cycle of betrayal?

Generate the right answer and watch the party return to prime position. Otherwise, God will guide the faithful. 

-Nwandugbom John Okiyi Kalu is the voice in the wilderness

....To be continued.