At about 7pm on Monday, December 15, 2014 I watched in utter disbelief as the erstwhile heavyweights of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP now calling the shots at different levels in the All Progressive Congress, APC in the Northwest flank of the country gathered in Birni Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State to receive what they called decampees from the ruling PDP. Speaker after speaker mounted the podium to berate the PDP. One central theme running through their speeches was, change the PDP if you want good life and better Nigeria. Governors, senators, Rep members, state house of assembly members and party big-wigs from the neighbouring states were united on this resolve. The venue was literarily set on fire when the APC standard bearer for the February 2015 presidential polls, Gen Mohammadu Buhari mounted the podium. He was more caustic in his remarks.
Permit me to say that I am not really bothered about Buhari being in the APC because he has never at any time been part of the PDP family since the birth of the party in 1998. He has always been in the opposition and fully contented with it without being carried away by the filthy lucre in the main stream. But one cannot say the same of the likes of Governors Wamako, Kwakwanso, Yari, Hon Tambuwal and other former big-wigs of the PDP present on that occasion.They have been going forth and back, criss-crossing the political parties, berthing where their bread is better buttered. So, I am not really surprised that they have suddenly realised that the Party that probably made them at some point in their political carrier is a monster that must be avoided by all. Unfortunately, this so-called monster was at one time or the other the darling of all these politicians now flocking the All Progressive Congress, APC, seen as the beautiful bride in the Nigerian political firmament. But the APC must not be carried away by these seeming streak of successes as the PDP groans, rather, it must learn a lesson from this.The PDP is undoubtedly facing a very big challenge from the APC and perhaps the biggest internal crises in its 16 years existence. As a fall-out from its recent primaries, the big umbrella is in terters across the 36 states of the federation. The house is in disarray. Even in its traditional strongholds of Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, EbonyI, Enugu, Abia, Niger, Benue and Plateau States it’s crises all the way. States like Oyo, Ogun and and perhaps Lagos where the party is expected to pull some surprises in the February polls are also embroid in deep crises. At the risk of sounding alarmist, I dare say that this may be the beginning of the end of the PDP as the dominant political party in Nigeria and for this, my heart bleeds.A party that cannot manage its primary election has no business managing the affairs of this country. A party that is court over its national chairmanship position, barely two months to the general elections is incapable of winning election because a sick head cannot function properly with the body. We do not really need a soothsayer to tell us this. These sad developments simply show that the PDP leaders are incapable of managing success. The ANC in South Africa is a good example of how to build and maintain a strong political party to stand the test of time. A political party is expected to be the collection of the good, the bad and the ugly in the society put in one basket. The success or otherwise of the party solely depends on how well the leaders are able to manage these different characters. Unfortunately, this is where the PDP leaders have failed Nigeria and Nigerians. The ANC has been the dominant political party in South Africa and it never caved in to the weight of the apatheid, rather, it gave it a good fight and eventually sent it parking with the collaboration of their foreign allies. Even in the post-apartheid South Africa the ANC is still wasking stronger, yet the leaders say the PDP is the biggest political party on the continent.
I must say that the problem of the PDP as it is today is not in its size but it basically lies with its leaders whose actions/inactions and utterances are becoming nauseating and smark off arrogance on their part, insulting the sensibilitlies of Nigerians. Perharps, one leader who is most guilty of this shenanegan is the Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Apkabio. He arrogantly tells whoever cares to listen that the PDP is here to rule Nigeria for life. With the sudden turn of events across the states and especially in his domain where he plays god I believe he now knows better. The Ibibio are battle ready for him come February 2015 to put him where he rightly belongs. For the first time in the political history of Nigeria, we are blessed with a Dame with a domineering spirit, a first lady who dabbles in the day-to-day governance at the presidency, a first lady who determines who gets what choice appointments across the states and at the federal level, a first lady who determines who gets the party ticket to contest in the general election. Yet, the surposed father of the nation, the one we all look up to for direction and call the shots at the seat of power has chosen to remain a lame duck! To say the least, it’s embarrassing and says volume about us as a people. This is big lesson for the APC.
Adamu Mua’zu, PDP National Chairman
