…Endless reconciliation efforts fail to steady party
…Chieftains jumping ship
Unity and integrity, the basic ingredient that help make opposition parties play effective roles in democratic set up is now lacking in Nigeria.
Over the years, the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to suffer depletion making it weaker and thus unable to play its roles as expected.
To effectively play such roles, the opposition party must be “responsible, respected and united,” according to a study by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association CPA.
According to the CPA, the primary role of opposition parties includes amongst other things, to put the ruling party on its toes by checkmating its policies and program.
The party that receives the majority seats in the elections next to the ruling party is recognised as the main opposition party.
As part of its roles, the opposition party constantly reviews and questions the policies of the ruling government on all issues to ensure that it stays answerable to the people.
The opposition party protects the rights of the people by questioning the laws and policies that may not favor the citizens.
The opposition party also acts to safeguards the very essence of democracy and prevents it from becoming authoritarian or dictatorial.
Recent developments in Nigeria however, show that the PDP which should effectively serve as the main opposition party has not been very effective in discharging these functions.
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Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), drove the point home succinctly at a recent function when he charged his colleagues to follow the path of honour.
He noted that the widespread public interest in the affairs of the party is a strong pointer to the confidence Nigerians repose in the PDP as their only hope in the face of escalating insecurity, bloodletting, biting economic hardship, infrastructural decay and pervasive misery occasioned by the horrible misgovernance of the heavily corrupt and insensitive All Progressives Congress (APC) administration spanning nine years.
“We cannot ignore the fact that our party is facing internal strife, fueled by inactions, disagreements and misunderstandings that threaten to undermine the very foundation upon which the PDP stands.
He pointed out that recent developments in Nigeria was enough reason for the party to urgently work on its plans for reconciliation, unity, and collective action to steer the party back on course.
“It is in times like these that the true strength of our party is tested. As the highest decision-making body within the PDP, I implore each and every one of us to rise to the occasion and fulfil our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who look on to us for leadership and guidance.
“Leaders of our party, it is clear that the hope of Nigerians for rescue from this emerging Totalitarianism is anchored on their belief in the capacity of our party to lead the charge in defending and protecting our national patrimony at this critical time.
“Therefore, I am calling upon the esteemed members of the National Executive Council to step forward and take on the crucial role of mediators in resolving the crises that have engulfed our party.
“It is imperative that we set aside personal differences and work together in the spirit of fraternity and solidarity to find common ground and chart a solid path forward. To further strengthen our party we must tow along the line of the three ‘Rs’ of Reconciliation, Repositioning and Repositioning.”
Wabara described the PDP as “more than just a political organisation; it is a movement driven by the aspirations and hopes of the Nigerian people. We owe it to them to demonstrate unity and resolve in the face of adversity. Let us not allow the actions of a few to overshadow the collective vision that unites us all.
“As advocates of democracy, we must uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in all our endeavours. The process of mediation must be conducted with utmost fairness and impartiality, ensuring that every voice is heard, and every perspective is taken into consideration.
“Our contributions and decisions at this meeting must therefore be guided by the dictates of the Constitution of our great party and the vision of our founding fathers and mothers so that we can come out stronger and more united for the task ahead.
Read also: PDP urges APC government to review its policies
“Let us heed the call of history and rise above the challenges that confront us today. Together, we can overcome the obstacles that lie in our path and emerge stronger and more united than ever before. The future of our party and the destiny of our nation depend on our collective actions in this critical moment.
Amidst growing socioeconomic challenges facing the country, there is very little coming out of the opposition groups, either from those elected as lawmakers or their main promoters/ sponsors,
Senator Iroegbu, a public affairs analyst, however, blamed the party’s inability to play its role as a strong opposition party on the “greed” amongst Nigeria’s political class, who are “constantly pursuing narrow, parochial selfish interests to the detriment of the need of the larger society. Many of them can’t pursue the objective you are trying to canvas because of integrity problems.”
Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), while also X-raying the problems facing the opposition in Nigeria, said the country is living in an illusion, adding that “we do not have the political will because of personal interest”
Musa, who is the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, noted that the opposition is weak in Nigeria because of issues around integrity
“There is a compromise. Some of them are from the same political camp. Many of them are neither committed to the party’s ideology, or the nation’s economic interest
“We are not surprised, because, politics is now a major business, even when you look at people like Peter Obi of the Labour Party, although he is trying his best, you know that was not a product of any labour struggle. For him, it is about his personal political profile.
The Civil Society advocacy expert believes that the PDP has been silenced by the current administration, adding that “Many of them don’t have clean records
“They all have serious integrity issue. That is why in the National Assembly, everyone is quiet. It is a Police Legislature.
“The politicians are the greatest beneficiaries of democracy, they should remember that if it fails, they will also be the greatest losers.”
Musa berated the administration of President Bola Tinubu for engaging in what he described as “reckless spending without diversification and blocking leakages.”
He cited the government’s sponsoring of 2024 hajj operations with the sum of N90billion.
“In this same economy, we have seen how N90b was allocated for Hajj operations while factories are closing down and government lack funds to bail them out, where people are hungry and IDP camps overflowing with displaced and homeless farmers
“We as a people are not interested in dealing with these problems. We continue to deny that the situation exists, while only few days ago, 20 future Medical students were kidnapped and their abductors are threatening to kill them, unless ransoms are paid.”
He blamed the commercialization of governance for the nation’s economic challenges, adding that “votes of people are no longer necessary to declare people winners, once you can use security agencies to terrorize the masses, you can declare yourself winner.
The biggest deficit in the current democratic dispensation since the last general election is the absence of a robust, virile and effective opposition to the ruling party, the APC.
All across the world, it is generally agreed that opposition is vital towards sustaining democracy. Thus, in any constitutional democracy, the role of the opposition is to question, criticize, audit the governments of the day and make the government more transparent and accountable.
Even if these twin objectives may not be immediately achieved, the opposition exists nonetheless to put those in power on their toes for the overall interest of the people.
The country’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is failing on its role as the country’s main opposition party, since it lost power in 2015. The situation got worsened since after the 2023 general election where it lost the presidential election to the APC partly due to internal wrangling.
The PDP, which governed Nigeria for 16 years before losing power to the APC in 2015, and was once acclaimed largest political party in Africa, remains disjointed more than a year later, with many state chapters plagued with leadership crisis and power struggle over the control of the party structure.
In the last few months, many members and chieftains have expressed discontent about the running of the PDP with some defecting to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP).
Notably among leaders who have dumped the PDP in recent months are former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; former governorship candidate of Labour Party in Ebonyi State, Edwin Nkwegu, Senator Obinna Ọgba.
Also, two–time senator representing Edo South Matthew Uroghide, and Philip Shaibu former deputy governor of Edo State, are among hundreds of other members that have jumped ship.
They left with former national and state assembly candidates and thousands of their supporters to join the party. The members had cited different reasons for dumping the party, particularly, the lingering internal crises at the national level.
In April, Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of Imo State, who resigned his membership of the party, had stated that the PDP has taken on a path that is at variance with his personal beliefs, noting that the party was heading in the wrong direction.
Many observers say it would be difficult for the party to offer credible opposition to the ruling APC with its present state.
Many political analysts fear that the future of PDP is under threat and that the party may not exist at the national level in the 2027 general election if party leaders do not move to put their association’s house in order.
With the reforms and policies of President Bola Tinubu causing unprecedented hardship and generating tension across the country resulting in protests seen recently, it was expected that the main opposition party would lead the veracious voice against the APC government. But the reverse is the case.
Before the APC took over power from the PDP, it employed a bunch of political campaign smears against the PDP, but now except only former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who seem to be a lonely voice from the party against the APC, other leaders appear to be in a slumber or in bed with the ruling party.
There is hardly any strong opposition with constructive or disruptive views. Since the end of the last elections, the opposition political parties have gone to sleep, leaving the ruling APC and the federal government to ride roughshod over Nigerians.
While a few CSOs and NGOs still advocate for true democracy, others are ineffective for whatever reasons.
Many observers believe that the current opposition is weak, uncoordinated, and ineffective. Where the opposition parties are not internally polarised, fragmented and compromised, they are very ineffective and incompetent.
“The PDP has failed in its consolidatory role in our democracy since 2015. As a major opposition party, it is expected that the party would galvanise all opposition strength to put the ruling APC on its toes but PDP failed woefully in this regard.
“In a democracy where the opposition is weak, it makes way for monopolistic political power which ends up becoming totalitarian in nature and practice. As it is in Nigeria, the citizens themselves have become the opposition and are playing the role to the fullest, “Kunle Okuade, political analyst, said.
Okunade further said that the main opposition should have spearheaded the recent #EndBadGovernance protest organised by the youth.
Anayo Ezugwu, political analyst, said that the party was not going into oblivion because it still controls thirteen states in the country, but added that the problem was the lack of direction of the National Working Committee.
“I don’t think that the party is going into oblivion or sleep walking because it is still the biggest opposition party in the country. A party that is controlling 13 states cannot go into oblivion as many people are insinuating.
“The problem with the PDP is that its National Working Committee lacks direction and leadership. The NWC doesn’t have what it takes to steady the ship of PDP in the right direction and nobody including former President, Vice President, serving governors ready to finance the party.”
Ezugwu further stressed that it would be difficult for the party to function as real opposition because media placement and publicity is very expensive, noting that until someone takes that role like a particular former governor did before the 2023 general election, that needed vibrancy will not be there.
Many analysts say the existence of strong opposition was crucial for good governance and accountability in government in Nigeria because the opposition makes the ruling party in power to always sit up or have alternative views to its policies and programmes. It also curtails its excesses, and curbs maladministration and dictatorship.
Read also: PDP withdraws from Kebbi LG elections
In-fighting, leadership tussle
Perhaps, one major factor responsible for the lacklustre opposition role is the in-fighting among members of the PDP.
At present, the PDP appears not to be able to resolve its internal wrangling which emanated in the run-off of the 2023 poll over the choice of its presidential candidate, zoning among other issues.
Also, many members of the PDP are not comfortable with the decision of Nyesom Wike to serve as Minister in the President Tinubu administration and would rather prefer he exits the party. They do not trust him again and see him as a mole in the party working for the APC.
Since he assumed office as Minister of the FCT, many have called for his resignation from the PDP and for the national leadership to sanction him. His continued membership of the party has polarised the membership.
Allegations of fifth columnist in PDP
In June, the party shifted its National Working Committee meeting for the election of a new national chairman to September from August 18 the earlier agreed date. Under the new adjustment, the meeting will now take place on September 12, 2024.
The election is to fill the vacancy created by the suspension of the former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu who was suspended by his ward in Gboko, Benue State.
However, observers say it is obvious that some leaders are working for their interest against the stability of the party, with some insinuating that these leaders are working for the ruling party to destabilise the PDP.
In recent months, the lack of consensus among party leaders on the direction of the PDP has resulted in the defection of many members and chieftains to the APC and the Labour Party.
But in a move to put its house in order, last week, the PDP set up a 25-member national reconciliation committee headed by former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
Former Gombe State governor, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, was appointed as the secretary of the committee. The PDP announced that the inauguration of the newly formed reconciliation committee will take place at a later date.
Ezugwu said any reconciliation may fail until the party sanction those that worked against it in the 2023 general election across all states.
“And until the party sanction those that worked against it in the 2023 general election across all states, the reconciliation efforts would continue to amount to nothing.
“If this fails to happen, some of those that worked for the party in 2023 may decide to work against it in 2027, knowing that nothing will happen at the end of the day.
“I also think that it is time for the founders and leaders of the PDP to do something urgently because they und]erstand the danger of having a one-party system in the country”, he stressed.
Analysts react
Many political analysts say the PDP and other opposition parties should focus on electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections if they are serious about defeating the APC.
They lamented that the country was drifting towards one party state, because there was no ideology politics, unlike what we had in the first and second republic.
Many say that the PDP could not play the role of opposition effectively, because it was clear that some of its leaders were working for the ruling party.
“You can only play opposition when there is consensus on the direction of the party, for now some of the leaders of PDP are with APC, pretending to be with the party but they are now.
“Also, it is clear that the APC is working deliberately to weaken the party ahead 2027 and they would give their leaders appointments and good offers to join them,” Uwa Onu, political analyst said.
Law Mefor, a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, said that opposition political parties may soon not have enough time to do the needful to be able to successfully run and win the 2027 general election. He advised opposition parties to focus on the core issues to stand any chance of winning elections.
