BY BRIGHT JACOB
Ever since the leading opposition party in Nigeria, the People’s Democratic Party, was ousted in the general elections held on March 28 and 29, 2015, by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, quite a number of political machineries have been set in motion by the PDP to trounce the APC and reclaim power.
The PDP, in spite of the many challenges that plagued it, has organised its national convention and elected members of its national executive. Their Governors’ Forum, too, met in January, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to reveal the new mandate of the party.
The meeting was hosted by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and took place at the Rivers State Government House. According to Cyril Maduabum, Director General, PDP Governors’ Forum, who highlighted some of the aims of the meeting, the governors would use it (meeting) to review the state of affairs of the PDP in the different states of the federation, the state of affairs of the nation as a whole, and the readiness of the PDP to provide the necessary leadership to “rescue and rebuild Nigeria.”
Nigerians have however been divided in their opinion about the new mantra of the PDP to “rescue and rebuild” Nigeria. According to a chieftain of the party in Edo State, Anselem Ojezua, the rescue and rebuild mission of the PDP was to correct the wrongs of the APC.
Ojezua who was a former Chairman of the APC in the state, said the APC was supposed to be an alternative government to the PDP, but neither they (APC) have governed Nigerians any better.
“I have a unique position. I’m in a unique situation because I was in PDP at inception, but we left PDP because we had internal issues in Edo State, and some of us were pushed out and we went and formed an alliance with others to form what is now known as the APC,” he said.
Continuing, he said, “Then, we said that Nigerians would have been governed better and that there needs to be a change, which was true.
Unfortunately, between 2015 and today, I cannot say that the alternative government we put in place at that material time have met the expectations of Nigerians. On the contrary, a lot of things we all agreed needed to be done were not done.”
Giving further insight on how the declaration by the PDP Governors’ Forum was relevant, Ojezua noted that Nigeria was still practicing a unitary style of government which was not encouraging development in the states of the federation, and that the PDP, after being in and out government, had learnt a lot of administrative lessons.
“As of today, we are federal by name, but unitary by nature. No state can build an airport, no state can build a seaport, no state can build railroads. If you deny them all of these, how can they grow as an economy? Those were the changes we expected to see.
“The only reason why I subscribed to the resolution passed by the PDP Governors is that the PDP has been in and out of government, and I believe that a number of us have learnt a number of lessons looking at the administrations of the APC and PDP. If PDP was bad, the APC government is certainly worse due to the fact that all the things they promised, they failed to deliver,” he added.
He observed that security was an area that needed urgent attention, and that President Buhari, at the time he was aspiring to be president, had said that it was not acceptable that any section of the country should fall into the hands of insurgents, which was agreeable. However, today, several parts of Nigeria have been held hostage (by kidnappers and bandits), and “it looks as if we are helpless and hopeless”.
Ojezua said there was a structural flaw because we were running a “unitary security system”.
Asked whether the PDP would change all that, he said he believed they would. Nonetheless, he opined the party should tread with humility this time around, and not be arrogant like when they said they would rule for a hundred years.
He said, “I believe the PDP can change all that. I believe the PDP has learnt its lesson. They know the difference, so when they come, they should know where they went wrong initially. You remember that it was mainly due to arrogance they said they would hold power in Nigeria for 100 years, and they forgot about governance, and most of the issues we are raising now are about governance, not power,” he disclosed.
Speaking further, he said, “Power has no value to the people if governance issues are not addressed. So, I believe the PDP will now go back, look into this, and exhibit some level of humility and provide the service Nigerians need within a framework that will engender development. That is the only way our economy can grow.”
In his own view, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Ighoyota Amori, said those who believed that the PDP would not deliver on its mandate to “rescue and rebuild” Nigeria were not “sincere”.
He also said the country “was not as bad as it is today”. Amori stated that a careful assessment of the PDP and APC showed that the country fared better during the time of the PDP.
“Those people who say the PDP is not serious are not sincere. They’re not reading the political barometer in the country as of today.
When the APC came to power and mounted that propaganda in 2013, accusing PDP of ineptitude, the country was not as bad as it is today.
They made a lot of promises, and compared to what they have done so far, they have not been able to fulfill those promises,” he said.
Explaining further, Amori said, “Let us look at the area of security. Would you say that the country was better in the time of the PDP or now at the time of APC? Where do we have security challenges more? It is now. Would you say that the country has fared better in terms of the economy, the answer is capital no? Would you say that the country has fared better in terms of the general welfare of the country? The answer is no.”
He said that in 2012 the leaders of the APC demonstrated against the increase in petroleum products, but the situation was worse off today. “Look at the petrol issue. Remember when they went demonstrating in 2012 against the increase in petroleum products? What is it today?,” he said.
Amori also said that the APC should take the PDP and the nation back to where it met them when it took the reins. According to him, even if the PDP was not perfect when it held sway, the APC, nonetheless, should take the country back to where they met it.
“We say let them take the country back to where the PDP was before. Yes, we tried our best, and we could not (achieve some things), but please don’t leave us where we are now. Just take us back to where you met the country before and let us remain there,” he explained.
Amori criticized the APC for being a confused lot who had failed in all ramifications. He added that the confusion they have set in the country was affecting them already, as the party was yet to have a substantive national executive in the past three years. He also said it was an illegality for the APC to have a serving governor taking up the position of chairman.
According to Ojezua who is also a renowned lawyer, it was because of the APC fiasco that the PDP, through its Governors’ Forum, said it was going to “rescue and rebuild” the country. “Of course, we want to rescue Nigeria from the quagmire where the APC has taken us to.
“We say let them take the country back to where the PDP was before. Yes, we tried our best, and we could not (achieve some things), but please don’t leave us where we are now. Just take us back to where you met the country before and let us remain there”
That is why we seamlessly organised a national convention and elected our national exco who are in place today organising the party.
That is to tell you how serious we are; that the party is a party of peace,” he concluded.
Holding a contrary view, however, is Adelaja Odukoya, the Zonal Coordinator of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos Zone.
He said no matter the ideology any political party comes up with, they are just “the same of the same”. In his opinion, the people themselves must rise and effect a change because the political parties had failed and there was nothing to cheer about.
“The truth is this, whether it’s the PDP, or APC or any other party for that matter, they are all the same. We are talking about the same political class. It’s like they’re talking about the difference between six and half a dozen,” he said.
Continuing, he said, “In terms of ideology, in terms of focus, in terms of political inclination, all have exhibited total failure, and there’s nothing to cheer about. So, until I hear people rise up to take their destinies into their hands and chase away these predatory leaders that found themselves as leaders of this country, then we’d be in trouble. I am not optimistic about anything, and I am not deceived,” he added.
Explaining further, Odukoya said that the PDP was in power for fifteen years and had the opportunity of fixing Nigeria, but blew it. He noted that even if given another chance, the PDP would continue to be “a sheer waste of time”.
He said, “Whether it’s PDP, were they not there for 15 years, and what has changed? Have they not been in and out of government? What is the line of demarcation between the two of them (PDP and APC)? Indeed, it would be a sheer waste of time expecting anything from them.”
On the pronouncement by the PDP that it had learnt its lessons and would do better in governance this time around, the University don said, “The issue is not fundamental. We are talking about a political class that is totally bankrupt, we are talking about a political class that has an aversion for people, we are talking about a political class that is not developmental, who are anti-people and anti-development. So, whatever party they find themselves in, they are actually governed by self-interest.”
Odukoya observed that politicians were in the habit of changing their parties, and that irrespective of which political party they pitched their tents with, the issue was always about “the people versus their oppressors”. He also reiterated the call for the people to chase out the politicians, and take power for themselves.
“It (movement of politicians from one party to the other) is just a change of nomenclature. Whether you talk about PDP or APC or whatever party you talk about, I am saying that the issue in the country today is the people versus their oppressors, and the oppressors, whatever colouration, whatever garment they put on, whatever name they call themselves, an oppressor is an oppressor, and I’m saying that the only solution is the people chasing them out and virtually taking power for themselves, that’s just the simple thing,” he concluded.
