PDP and the burden of opposition

Many things are on trial in the Nigerian political space at the moment. The moral standing of the ruling party to succeed itself. The capacity of the political class to deepen and perpetuate the democratic process. The readiness of the electorate to seize this opportunity to own next year’s general election and its outcomes. The ability of political office seekers in the various layers of government to establish themselves as lovers of the people, as opposed to power addicts. And, as will be interrogated shortly, the preparedness of the opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being the main one, to prove to Nigerians that the mission to redirect or rescue the country is not negotiable under any circumstance. Other concerning challenges exist.

One of the most important attributes of multi-party democracy is the promise of quality choices available to the citizenry. It also provides an armour against ineptitude, monotony, monopoly and the likelihood of recklessness. In Nigeria today, even if apportioning these tendencies wholly to the present administration is contestable, it is clear that the current deplorable standard and cost of living require drastic actions for change of course to take place. Sadly, many Nigerians have since put the much-needed redemptive work beyond the government of President Muhammadu Buhari who never fails to remind the people that he has done his best. And I have said repeatedly that one must not deny him the right to assess the performance of his own team but the results as perceived by the citizens remain naked in the courts of public opinion. He too must be wishing that posterity will be kind to him.

Whatever the people’s verdicts are, at this time of power transition, more energy should be invested in identifying and inaugurating leaders, visionaries and technocrats who can lift our enormously endowed but grossly underperforming nation from stupor. This is where the PDP comes in. Since the party lost the country’s driver’s seat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015,the former keeps claiming that it did a better job of running the affairs of state for 16 years while the latter announces its innocence at every turn. The leading opposition party must now rise above its largely self-inflicted injuries to convince Nigerians why it should return to the saddle.

Amartya Kumar Sen, Indian economist and world acclaimed development theorist, once had this to say about the role of relevant entities, including a vibrant opposition, in the socio-political evolution of his native country: “Famines are easy to prevent if there is a serious effort to do so and, a democratic government, facing elections and criticisms from opposition parties and independent newspapers, cannot help but make such an effort. Not surprisingly, while India continued to have famines under British rule right up to independence… they disappeared suddenly with the establishment of a multiparty democracy and… a free press and an active political opposition constitute the best early-warning system a country threatened by famines can have.” The technical name for the ills confronting us as a people may not be famine but they are equally lethal. Beyond the parallel of India being the largest democracy in the world and Nigeria, Africa’s biggest, our multiparty democratic profile, relatively free media and an opposition party that prides itself as the most numerically superior on the continent ought to bring hope to the citizens. The interplay of those critical components of any thriving political system often leads to stability within the polity and the overall happiness of the people. Six months to the polls, however, the signals coming from the PDP and the other rivals of the APC are weak and leave no room to cheer, to put it mildly.

For the PDP, constantly blamed by its successor for the ongoing avoidable struggles of the once undisputed Giant of Africa, it should do whatever it takes to reclaim its position and establish itself as the better provider of good governance – a stance it has been lustfully proclaiming for the last seven years. Interestingly, the rivalry between leading political parties is indeed a hallmark of great democracies and leads in most cases to enhanced productivity. Barak Obama, a Democrat and former President of the United States who succeeded George Bush Jnr, a Republican, put his perception of the role of the Republicans in the economic quagmire he inherited thus: “The fear among economists across the political spectrum that was – was that we were rapidly plummeting towards a second Great Depression. So, in the weeks and months that followed, we undertook a series of difficult steps to prevent that outcome. And we were forced to take those steps largely without the help of an opposition party, which, unfortunately, after having presided over the decision-making that had led to the crisis, decided to hand it over to others to solve.” He simply placed the cause of America’s financial upheavals at the feet of his political opponents, a conclusion shared by many experts and analysts. A major difference with what obtains in Nigeria is that Obama did not make his home in the valley of blames. He rolled up his sleeves and went to work instead, an attitude that must be imbibed by our own politicians if we are going to make any meaningful progress at all.

Regrettably, the PDP, bogged down by internally generated crises, does not seem to be seriously desirous of winning the 2023 elections, let alone fixing the country. Muscle-flexing and power-mongering have replaced demonstrable maturity, selflessness and focus – qualities needed for a strong and purposeful leadership at this critical point in our national life, much to the further detriment of a traumatised populace.

Take the River State Governor Nyesom Wike matter, for instance. His overwhelming provision of a lifeline for his party in the years following its electoral defeat is well known and acknowledged by many insiders. His unwillingness to dump PDP, at least for now, despite his dashed hopes for the presidential and vice-presidential tickets should not be casually waived aside. It is also within his rights to move against the continued occupancy of the office of the PDP national chairman by Senator Iyorchia Ayu. Those grounds, valid as they are, should, however, not be overtly weaponised at the expense of group interest and cohesion. The reconciliatory meeting slated for Friday this week between representatives of Wike and the party’s Presidential Candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, should be prosecuted to yield desirable results. No time to waste. The parties should rise above ego, myopic considerations and personal ambitions at this momentous period of national crossroads and show patriotic vigour.

The Nigerian people have suffered enough. Taking them for another aimless, dangerous ride would be heartless and could spell an irreversible doom. They may now be witnessing a rapid erosion of the things they once took for granted and held dear but their memories of the PDP years at the national stage are not entirely glorious. Meaning: PDP does not yet possess what is required to take the endorsement of voters as a given come February next year. This stark reality should be addressed squarely. No cogent reason whatsoever to undermine from within the integrity of the Atiku/Okowa candidacy at this point. As members of the “umbrella brotherhood” know very well, unseating an incumbent government here transcends theatrics and mere wishes.

Dr Ekpe is a member of THISDAY editorial board.