It was Abraham Lincoln, a statesman and former president of the United States who noted that "it is the test of fire that makes fine steel...". In Lincoln's parlance, strength of character, courage and perseverance were essential ingredients for success, in both public life and private thinking.
Lincoln's thought was also given amplification by Maya Angelou whose central underpinning was that "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it".
The Peoples Democratic Party, the largest political party on the African continent, (followed by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the African National congress in South Africa), has had its fair share of ordeals, trials and tribulation, ranging from the various leadership crisis to the presidential election loss of April 2015.
The lost (or conceding of defeat) by the party's presidential candidate and immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, was considered by many party faithfuls as a political misfortune, while Dr Jonathan regarded as a sell-out, for not clinging to power, like the many uncountable dictators that have laced the African continent. Rather, he chose to take a paradigm shift-a somewhat concessionary approach, aimed at engendering the process of democratic consolidation in Nigeria, by accepting defeat and embracing the winner of the polls.
Such show of statesmanship, obviously, extricates the Peoples Democratic Party as a truly democratic party, with interest in the stability, peace and development of Nigeria.
For instance, the PDP is the only party in Nigeria from Independence that has made zoning or rotation of political offices, a cardinal component in its constitution. What is most interesting is that the party's constitution is arguably, the only one whose letters and spirit are in conformity with the federal character principle in section 14, Sub- section 3 of the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
Permit me to reinforce the salient aspect of that proviso: "The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies".
This constitutional proviso of the party was recently given currency, when the party constituted a zoning committee, chaired by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to reposition the party by deepening the essence of rotation of offices in the party.
The reason for the choice of Governor Emmanuel cannot be overemphasized. Himself a product of a people- centered zoning process in Akwa Ibom State, Governor Udom Emmanuel will undoubtedly, discharge the onerous yet worthwhile task with enthusiasm, decency, fairness and swift and competence.
His background as a thorough -bred technocrat, seasoned corporate expert and Executive Director of one of the fastest growing multinational financial institution puts paid to the allusion that the leadership of PDP is an assemblage of excellent minds and agents of functional change (not in the context of the APC), and that, as the leader of the party in Akwa Ibom State, the Governor would not rest on his oars in ensuring that the PDP is strengthened to get back power at the center.
Governor Emmanuel's quintessential leadership acumen was also brought to bear during the recently conducted Ward, Chapter and State Congresses of the PDP. Bearing in mind that what defines an institution is its leadership and the manner in which it is organized, Mr Emmanuel, with the party hierarchy set out to conduct congresses whose outcome left the opposition and skeptics alike in a state of confusion, disappointment and disarray. From the processes of mobilization, which saw the timely and orderly arrival of delegates; organization; publicity, which gave the event the necessary penetration; logistics; security, which ensured a hitch -free and zero-crisis event and protocol, the congresses was a case study, typifying 'the ability of leadership to harness other elements or resources to attain maximum result, apologies to Professor John Stoessinger.
The congresses above all, demonstrated beyond surrender, that the PDP in Akwa Ibom State is a strong, indivisible and unruffled family under a servant-leader who has demystified power through a system of 'shared or distributed leadership' and consensus building. Unlike some his contemporaries in other states who see power as an end, Governor Emmanuel has shown in bolder relief that he doesn't have to proof anything as a Governor, as the people are the actual locus of political power. This pattern of consensus is historic in many ways. For the first time, an incumbent governor of the state and his predecessor have worked together in harmony and collegiality in a party matter towards the unity and peace of the state to the chagrin of the opposition elements in the state who expected the opposite for their use as a political capital via-a-via 2019. This unparalleled harmony between the duo resulted in the re-election of Obong Paul Ekpo, a true, loyal and sincere party man as the state Chairman of the party.
There is no doubt at all, that Obong Paul Ekpo, stemming from his unwavering character, humane disposition and political maturity, will work in accord with the Governor and leader of the party in the state, and other stakeholders of party to deliver good, quality and purposeful leadership, as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Akwa Ibom State.
It is instructive to note that while pessimists expected a breakdown in the relationship between the state Governor and his predecessor, as has been the norm in the Nigerian polity, the two gentlemen have broken the jinx by seeing beyond the confines of parochiality, by building a solid bridge that is indicative of a fruitful future for the PDP in the state on one hand and the overall development of the state on the other.
Interestingly, Akwa Ibom State PDP will be attending the Port Harcourt convention on the 21st of May, 2016 with unequivocal strength and in one accord. By this, one envisages a stronger PDP with such democratic character that aligns with the visions of its founding fathers.
Uwemedimoh Umanah, a Diplomatic Scholar, Strategic Theorist, Peace/ Conflict/ Development Expert and Public Affairs Analyst, writes this piece from Uyo
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