The PDP, opposition politics, and the test of character

With the emergence of the All Progressives Congress Party’s (APC’s) presidential candidate,  Mohammadu  Buhari, as the clear winner of the March 28, 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, the political terrain in Nigeria has become excitingly interesting. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – the self-acclaimed largest political party in Africa – would, for once, be playing opposition politics, at least in the next four years in Nigeria.

I truly never expected this trend so early in Nigeria’s political experience, so much so with PDP’s strong affirmation (or proclamation) that it was ready to rule the country for a minimum of 50 years at a stretch. But in life, change happens! And when it does, purposeful and visionary leaders spend quality time to consider the change and respond appropriately: to accept the change (when you cannot reverse it); to adapt to the change; to improve the change; to create a greater change; or to affect the change in many other useful ways. The time of change is also an auspicious time to ask critical questions: what really happened? How did I get here? What needs to happen next? And so on.

So for me, the time has come for the People’s Democratic Party (the PDP) to truly prove that it remains the largest political party in Africa. The time has come to test the character of the party as an enduring, purposeful, and goal-oriented entity. The time has come to know the real members of the party, to ascertain the party’s belief in democratic movement in Nigeria, to prove its ideologies and political relevance in the Nigerian project.

No democracy – especially an emerging one like ours – can thrive without strong, assertive, and objective opposition party(ies). And this was why I was aggrieved when the PDP government (then led by President Olusegun Obasanjo), in what I perceived as a deliberate attempt to whittle opposition, allowed or perpetrated the registration of all manner of parties by the electoral body. Some of these parties are still around creating unnecessary distractions in our political space. I strongly expect, sooner than later, the streamlining of the political parties in Nigeria in order to foster strong and purposeful opposition politics in Nigeria. This is a matter for another day.

The benefits of opposition politics are too enormous to be exhausted in this piece. But it suffices to mention just a few here. It enriches the checks and balances available in the polity. Strong opposition parties provide useful feedback on governance, government policies, and several other decisions of the ruling party. Opposition parties help curb the excesses of the ruling government, and hence, enable a serious and purposeful ruling party correct itself. As whistle-blowers, opposition parties support corporate governance systems in ministries, departments, and agencies of government. Opposition politics enhances the quality of legislative, political, and socio-economic policies emanating from the ruling party.

However, like the APC leader in Anambra State, Chris Ngige recently said from experience, opposition politics is very tough and frustrating in Nigeria, especially so because the ruling party would do anything to suppress and trample opposition. It therefore requires character and consistency to play in Nigeria as an opposition party. Quite thankfully, the change we are experiencing today is a direct consequence or benefit of the opposition struggle represented by the APC party.

Now that the baton has changed hands with the PDP being relied upon to sustain the opposition struggle, so much is expected from the party beyond testing its relevance. The Peoples Democratic Party must, as a matter of good cause, restructure itself in order to provide the appropriate leadership required to continue the improvement of our democratic experience.

The PDP must ensure proper organisation of all its structures at every level of governance – the Ward, Local Government Areas, the State, the Geo-Political Regions, and at the National Level. They must sit together to settle all the quarrels across these levels of governance such that in each and every state, the appropriate authorities must be clearly instituted and respected. Humility must replace impunity at every level of organisation. And the party must speak with one voice at all times, and in all places.

As expected, the PDP must be fearless and selfless in its opposition to the government of the APC. It must ensure that every act of impunity or bad governance by the APC-lead national government must be rebuked and corrected. And this must be done without any self-serving interests. The party leaders must live in self-denial or sacrificially in their fight for good governance and the socio-economic development of our beloved country.

It is also important to note, at this juncture, that opposition politics must not be based on falsehood or subterfuge; it must not be petty. It should be objective and truthful. It must be based on the principles of justice, equity, and fairness for all. Every action of the ruling party that fails the test of equity, justice and fairness must be fought to standstill. The party must be dogged and not relent in this responsibility.

In concluding this piece, I am convinced that the PDP’s prospect of returning to the ruling position, in the foreseeable future, is based on the character it exhibits as the opposition party in the coming days of our political experience.

For the APC leaders, I must emphasize that true democrats or even progressives love opposition and do not attempt to stifle or trample upon it. I expect the APC government to take every criticism with open-mindedness and good faith, otherwise, change might yet be inevitable sooner than later.

In the end, Nigeria must continue in its journey as the true giant of Africa – in all ramifications and respect.

Orji Udemezue