The idea of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) started in 1997 when these elder statesmen noticed that there was a grand attempt by the then military government to perpetuate itself in power. They first held a meeting of the Turaki Committee, headed by former President Shehu Shagari and after the meeting, most of them were dissatisfied with the outcome.
They then decided to float a party to challenge the military under General Abacha. Seven of them held a meeting in Abubakar Rimi's guest house in Kaduna to float the Idea. The seven participants at the meeting were:-
1. Mallam Adamu Ciroma
2. Alhaji Abubakar Iro Dan Musa
3. Alhaji Lawal Kaula
4. Prof. Musa Yakubu
5. Late Alhaji Ali Baba
6. Mr. Wilberforce Juta and
7. Alhaji Abubakar Rimi
At the meeting, they looked at the state of the nation and the future of democracy in Nigeria. They looked at the dangers that the continued military rule under any guise posed to the country and decided to form a party that is all encompassing, a party that de-emphasizes previous politics of ethnicity, religion and other forms of sectionalism. They wanted a party that is so big and so popular that everybody could join.
They changed the venue of the next meeting to the residence of Mallam Adamu Ciroma to beat security surveillance. They decided to expand the meeting to broaden participation. Twenty people were invited to the second meeting out of which eighteen people attended. That gave birth to what became known as the G-18.
The G-18 meeting was very significant because it was in that meeting that a decision was taken to write to Gen. Abacha that the eighteen of them were opposed to his metamorphosis from a military head of state to a civilian president. They mandated Chief Solomon Lar to deliver the letter, which he courageously accepted. That was in February 1998.
That same evening, Abubakar Rimi was arrested along with Alhaji Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State. They were made to sleep on benches. Abubakar Rimi was kept in SSS detention for seventy-seven days (77). He also spent twenty-five days in Ilorin Prison. In all, they were detained for 102 days.
Meanwhile, the meeting continued with thirty-six people invited but only thirty-four attended because, the remaining two, Sule Lamido and Abubakar Rimi were in detention. That group became the G-34.
The G34
1. Abubakar DanMusa
2. Late Abubakar Olusola Saraki
3. Late Abubakar Rimi
4. Adamu Ciroma
5. Dr. Amadu Ali, GCON
6. Dr. Alex Ekwueme
7. Alhaji Aminu Wali
8. Alhaji Ango Abdullahi
9. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON
10. Chief Audu Ogbeh
11. Dr. Bamanga Tukur, CON
12. Chief Barnabas Gemade
13. Bello Kirfi
14. Late Chief Bola Ige
15. Daniel Saro
16. Garba Nadama
17. Isiyaku Ibrahim
18. Iya Abubakar
19. Chief Iyochia Ayu
20. Professor Jerry Gana
21. Alhaji Jibril Aminu
22. Chief Jim Nwobodo
23. Lawal Kaita
24. Musa Musawa
25. Sani Zangon Daura,
26. Late Solomon Lar
27. Sulaiman Kumo
28. Alhaji Sule Lamido
29. Late Sunday Awoniyi
30. Tanko Yakasai
31. Chief Tom Ikimi
32. Chief Tony Anenih
33. Senator Walid Jibril
34. Yahaya Kwande
The G-34 was now led by Dr. Alex Ekwueme, former Vice President and convener of the Institute of Civil Society.
In the heat of the struggle against dictatorship and at a time the ignoble desire of self perpetuation was gathering a disturbing momentum, General Abacha mysteriously died on June 8, 1998.
His successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on assumption of office initiated wide consultations with several political groups. The consultations by the regime brought to the fore the unmistakable resolve of Nigerians for an immediate return to civil democratic rule. General Abacha’s death provided the soothing relief to the battered psyche of the people of Nigeria.
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| Akwa Ibom State Chapter of PDP FAN CLUB |
Bowing to the wishes of Nigerians, General Abubakar unveiled an eleven-month transition programme, which would later terminate on May 29, 1999. The five “political parties”, namely, the UNCP, CNC, NCPN, DPN and GDM were dissolved. Nigerians were now free to form genuine political parties to compete for political space without the suffocating tailoring by agents of the state.
The G-34, which was now established as an embodiment of the hope and democratic aspirations of Nigerians having demonstrated courage when it was convenient to show docile acquiescence became the rallying point of a blossoming trans-ideological movement willing to offer leadership to Nigerians.
According to the late Chief Solomon Lar, the first elected chairman of PDP, the G-34 captured the excitement of Nigerians “because of the quality and integrity of its members”. To him, Nigerians, were no longer willing to gamble away their future to fortune seekers who dominated the failed politics of the Abacha era. As a consequence of sustaining the momentum of democratic struggle, the G-34 attracted several political associations that shared the vision of a truly formidable national political platform.
On August 19, 1998, several political associations including the All Nigerian Congress (ANC), Peoples Consultative Forum (PCF), Social Political Party (SPP) Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Peoples National Forum (PNF) and twenty-five other associations resolved to form a political party known as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The overriding goal of the new party was to bring together all patriotic and like-minded Nigerians into a single formidable political party capable of organizing and advancing the cause of Nigeria to build a national party that will stand the test of time.
The new party also set out to work together for the speedy restoration of democracy, through the advancement of national reconciliation, economic and social reconstruction, and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was launched at a colourful ceremony at the International Conference Centre Abuja on August 31, 1998. The Party had Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Chairman of the Steering Committee while Professor Jerry Gana was the Secretary. The PDP applied for registration along with several other political associations using the guidelines released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC.)
Under the guidelines, registration of parties was to be done in phases. First on the basis of national spread and establishment of proper offices in at least twenty-four of the thirty-six states and the FCT. The ultimate test for registration was the performance of the Associations in the Local Government Polls scheduled for December 5, 1998. Under this provision in the INEC guidelines, only a party that scored at least ten percent in at least twenty-four states in the local council election shall qualify for final registration. This was later reduced to five percent to accommodate the Alliance for Democracy (AD), which was a splinter group from the PDP.
It is on this note that the Management of PDP TODAY Publication in collaboration with PDP FAN CLUB WORLDWIDE deem it necessary to host PDP DAY CELEBRATION 2016 to commemorate 18 years of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nigeria and to send a strong signal to the detractors and persecutors of the Party that PDP is alive and will wax stronger in the years ahead.
The event is schedule to hold at Emerald Event Center in Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom State on August 31, 2016. Major highlight of the event include Public Lecture on the Topic: STRENGTHENING OPPOSITION IN A DEVELOPING DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA: THE PDP EXPERIENCE to be delivered by Prof. Jerry Gana, inauguration of Akwa Ibom State Chapter of PDP FAN CLUB and Investiture of Patrons and Trustees.
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