by Kolapo Olapoju

Demola Rewaju, political analyst, earlier today was featured on the Twitter handle of YNaija Politico, about what the future holds for the Peoples Democratic Party.

In a series of tweets, Rewaju dissected the reasons for the loss of the PDP in the last election, while also suggesting possible steps the party can take, moving forward.

Read below:

 

PDP lost the last elections for so many diverse reasons and unless urgent reforms are carried out, the party may crumble. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

For every event, there are several factors that are at play – so it was with PDP in the last elections which led to the loss. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

Political loss should ordinarily not be the end of a party but for a party used to being in power, #PDP finds itself in a strange place. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

Presently, PDP is embroiled in serious infighting between the NWC on one hand and the PDP Govs on the other hand. Both are wrong. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The emergence of the present chairman was at the insistence of the PDP Govs ab initio – that’s one reason #PDP is in this crisis. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The big irony of asking the Nat’l Chairman to go is that the Govs are not making the same demand at the state level where they hold sway #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

I have little sympathy for the Nat’l Chairman at this time but removing him is like treating scabies while leprosy is the diagnosis. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The massive influence of the PDP Govs within the party is an aberration to the concept of internal democracy anywhere. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The influence of the PDP Govs is one reason PDP lost in many states such as Ondo, Plateau and Kogi for instance. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

Ondo: the old PDP structure lost out in Mimiko’s entrance into the party from LP and worked against the party on March 28. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

That Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba is not returning to the Senate is traceable to the influence of his own state Governor. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The point is simply this: letting the Governor have their way again is not an automatic guarantee that all will be well in #PDP. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

PDP’s major preoccupation at this time should be to seek its lost connection with the people – that is the way out of this quagmire #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

For PDP to be an effective opposition party, it must first rediscover itself as a political party in service of the People. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

PDP must urgently return to its own slogan: Power to the People – the People must be the centre-point of any true reform going forward. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

To join PDP in many states today, one needs the consent of the Governor…party membership cards are hoarded. This is an aberration. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

I personally see these unpalatable happenings as a challenge to all PDP supporters online to unite and seize the charge very soon. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

I am gratified on several levels that what we witnessed online was a resurgence of the PDP movement – many flocked to our side. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

I also believe that the PDP remains the only political option for any true nationalist in Nigeria, time will prove this assertion. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

PDP Online must urgently seek to integrate all members and harmonise all interests to create what I call a ‘Third Force’. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

With the passion shown online by PDP supporters and the huge numbers we have across social networks, we cannot be ignored anymore. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The challenge is that some of our numbers are more loyal to individual interests rather than loyal to their own generation. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The clash of wills between the PDP NWC and the PDP Govs demands the emergence of this Third Force according to a certain Marxist theory. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

Karl Marx’s theory of dialectics refers to a thesis (PDP NWC), an antithesis (PDP Govs) and a synthesis (Third Force). #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

This Third Force will not just be an online movement but one that finds a practical entry point into the party structure and uses it. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

Where then is this entry point? Without disclosing much of the result of our ongoing consultations, I can say: we have identified them. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The entry points are those leaders who can be said to be the moral conscience of the PDP, those who knew its founding ethos in 98. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

These men spoke up softly before this PDP ship hit the iceberg. These men saw the future. These men must be our entry point. #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

As I round up I say this: any reforms that makes no place for the youths in PDP (other than office) or our online movement is doomed. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

In Abuja and Lagos, I @DemolaRewaju have engaged other online PDP supporters on our need to unite behind #NexGenPDP and this continues. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

I am really not bothered by the public rants of some of our leaders; let’s face it: the worst has happened to PDP already 🙂 . #DR #PDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

The ‘worse than the worst’ that can happen is for PDP Online not to unite and work together towards the future. Hence, I support #NexGenPDP

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

These leaders will ‘quarrel themselves’ out of limelight soon – the onus will fall on us to stand for the ideals of PDP in 1998. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015

Chief among those ideals is ‘Power to the People’. There is no greater foundation to build from that ‘Power emanating from the People’. #DR

— YNaija Politico (@YNaijaPolitico) May 7, 2015