The turn of events which saw the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), broke into two major factions during its mini-convention last weekend, in Abuja, is disgraceful and totally condemnable, to say the least. The rancorous and highly distracting event saw the PDP squander a historical opportunity to deepen and expand the frontiers of democracy in the country. For a party that claims to be the biggest in Africa and has monopolized power at the center of Nigeria’s federation since 1999, the disgraceful conduct of some delegates, was an embarrassingly low level of political maturity, and a damaging commentary on the abysmal failure of the PDP to meet the very basic requirements of discipline, unity of thought and action. Contrary to the desire of Nigerians or the demands of these trying times, the PDP has become one more source of disturbance and distraction, turning its internal troubles, fueled by ego, vanity and self-aggrandizement, into the trouble of Nigeria and its people. This is evidently a betrayal of trust. It is unpatriotic and unacceptable. Nigerians deserve better.
Last Saturday’s convention eventually provided the needed platform for the emergence of a splinter group led by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. The splinter group, which calls itself the “New PDP,” also has, as promoters, the seven governors who had allegedly formed a new political party and are seeking registration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the name of Voice of the People. They include Governors Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers). They also include prominent members of the newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) also led by Atiku.
At press conference at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, Atiku, who led the governors and their supporters on a walkout from the Eagle Square convention venue, was announced as the leader. Former PDP acting national chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who broke the news on the group’s emergence, said he had been mandated as the chairman. The former national secretary of the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is now Secretary-General of the “new PDP” while the former PDP deputy national secretary, Sam Sam Jaja, is the deputy national secretary of the new group. Even before the break-up, the Eagle Square was turned into a battlefield, as various factions within the Anambra and Kano State chapters of the party exchanged blows and fought themselves to a standstill. All the boxing and shouting matches took place in the full glare of television cameras. It’s a shame!
Contrary to the vaunted expectation that the convention would be the most credible, hitch-free in the party’s history, it turned out be just another incremental and rapacious devaluation of internal democracy. This was very disappointing. Many expected the PDP leadership would use the event to showcase its potential and for that matter, the party’s capacity for democratic deepening particularly at the grassroots. The reason is simply that a party’s convention tugs at the soul of the party, and democratic equality is required to lubricate it. This historical opportunity was wasted in ways that left the PDP in a huge democratic deficit. The fallout is a sickening reflection of the despicable depth of politicking in the PDP and testifies to the incapacity of the governing party to even self-govern.
The sermon of some PDP leaders about the principle of fairness, justice and rule of law is preposterous when indeed the convention made those principles its principal casualties. It is instructive to note that the convention, rather than showcase a semblance of these attributes, displayed only contempt and absolute disregard for decency, order and indeed rule of law. To say that PDP lacks discipline may well be the least that could be said of the party that has ruled Nigeria for 14 years, with very little to show for it. Poverty in the land is acute and widespread, corruption is endemic, critical infrastructure decrepit and insecurity of lives and property prevail in a huge magnitude. The PDP-led government has also not found any solution to the problem of epileptic power supply. The situation deteriorates by the day without much hope of a respite.
The invidious animalism displayed at the PDP convention negates all that law and morals stand for; and it is a telling lesson to the Nigerian people. The current corps of PDP politicians have unabashedly demonstrated to Nigerians that they cannot change anything, let alone change Nigeria. They can’t even change themselves! The PDP’s soul is ravaged by corruption, its structure weakened by cronyism occasioned by subversion of the democratic principle of rational choice by the whims and caprices of the party’s leadership. The nation’s salvation, it would seem, cannot be entrusted in the hands of this band of mendacious self-seekers. No index of positive continuity, let alone a transformation agenda, can emanate from such immaturity as witnessed at the PDP convention. Going forward, Nigerians should be watchful over the quality of persons who seek their votes at all levels of government. They should be wary of sinecurists without demonstrable leadership capacity; self-seeking pests whose only quest is to feast on the commonwealth; little minds in high places who have no patience or respect for democracy.
Given the prevalence of anti-democratic violence within Nigerian politics, the greatest lesson that can be learned from the PDP convention is that it marks another unwholesome reflection of the collapse of governance in the country. The abysmal degeneration of political morality and rascally comportment displayed by persons, who, by authority and common trust are supposed to lead by example, is hugely disturbing. This feeling is heightened by the culture of impunity, which gives vent to incessant high level official rascality culminating in the inbreeding of mediocre politicians, who, willfully or ignorantly, lack the requisite knowledge, capacity or temperament for governance. The inability, so far, to handle their internal disagreements in a civilized manner is a pointer to the abysmal rating of PDP political leadership
What is required for the PDP leadership is to end the desperation over 2015 and concentrate on governance and service delivery. Nigerians now perceive every action of this government however well intentioned, only in the light of 2015, which inevitably erode credibility. This is not only bad for the PDP; it may actually cause the President outright loss of goodwill and electoral value in 2015. Politicians owe themselves the duty of being wary of the verdicts of posterity. Without reversing this negative politics, the judgment of history will be harsh on the PDP. Nigeria needs peace and all leaders, from the President downwards, owe Nigerians the important duty of ensuring this. But it can never be achieved by Machiavellian tactics that keep the people asunder in order for certain persons to remain in power. There is no better way to work one’s name into the book of infamy.
