For 16 years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the dominant political party in Nigeria. They openly bragged about it. At some point, they even boasted that they are the biggest party in Africa and can rule Nigerian for the next 60 years.
Then, in 2015, one Ahmed Bola Tinubu formed an unlikely alliance with President Buhari and forced the PDP to an “untimely” role as an opposition party. Now that they have the national stage and the rapt audience, they appear incapable of playing the role of an effective opposition party.
The PDP has, unfortunately, been trapped in this unsuitable role of being the leading opposition party in Nigeria. The sad thing for all of us is that even the vocal opposition members who ordinarily should be articulating a clear policy and governance alternative to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) are trapped as well.
Here is the reason why we should be worried about the situation in Nigeria. The governing APC has worked systematically on a two-pronged strategy: 1) focusing on crippling the corrupt members of the opposition and 2) undercutting the opposition parties at their stronghold by encouraging “spared” corrupt element in the same opposition to defect. As a result, the opposition has been reduced to the margins with few credible oppositions.
Irrespective of whether the present PDP led by Uche Secondus is capable of transforming the party from a dying star to a rising one, it is the responsibility of all well-meaning Nigerians to start looking for an alternative to the governing APC and the disintegrating PDP.
The recent emergence of several civil society groups across Nigeria has displayed glimmers of hope for those who want to see a real debate about how to tackle the problems we face. There is, however, an urgent need to identify and coalesce around strong leaders if we are to save our democracy. Such strong leaders, though scarce, is one sure way our democratic experiment could be improved.
I have around for some time, and I have seen the cluster of confused activists with some following on social media mistake likes and shares of their twisted narratives as a mass movement. I have also seen PDP surrogates boast of how they are mobilizing millions of followers that will come out enemas and change Nigerian leadership on election day only to fail woefully.
I can, thus, tell you, authoritatively, that the Nigerian democracy will not be saved by rants in WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms. It will not be saved by the fanning of ethnic and religious sentiments. Nigerian democracy will not be saved by dormant political engagement from the comfort zones in our living rooms.
As Omoloye Sowore rightly put it, the only thing that will change our political system is Nigerians, together, stepping forward into the political arena and demanding for the soul of their country.
Such action is not possible with the PDP as the main opposition party in Nigeria.
One of the cornerstones of democracy is a strong opposition with a distinct ideology and policy to the governing party. Effective opposition requires strong leadership and political skills such as articulation of policy alternatives, and intelligence. Currently, in Nigeria, such vibrant opposition is nonexistent.
PDP does not know how to play that part of an effective opposition political party, and it shows. Even then, at this time of profound national fear and disorientation, the PDP could not speak with gravitas. The handlers of PDP found it impossible to maintain either consistency or seriousness.
If Governor Wike of Rivers State is not playing petty politics with COVID-19, the person behind the PDP Twitter handle, out of an attempt to dive into important national issues, is tweeting incoherent gibberish in the name of opposition.
The PDP’s response to the challenges of building an effective opposition with the capability of regaining power is very weak or at best limping. The incoherent rhetoric from the likes Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, Deji and Nnamdi Kanu is a complete distraction that not healthy for Nigerian democracy. An opposition built around Chief Atiku Abubakar or the Governor of Rivers State Wike is like a structure built on sinking sand.
The lack of credible opposition will make it harder for the fragile Nigerian democracy to emerge unscathed from its present political crisis triggered by the weak economy and the rise of ethnic nationalism. To reclaim the soul of the country and save our democracy, therefore, we need an alternative to PDP.
Ultimately, though, whether the Nigerian democracy survives or not depends on us and not the PDP.
Together, we can.
•Written By Churchill Nnobi
On Twitter @Churchillnnobi
