These are, indeed, trying times for the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) which, from all its recent actions, is now like a rudderless ship, just meandering without control. It is evident, from happenings across the country, especially on the political turf, that the umbrella that used to provide a false sense of refuge for the party is now in tatters. Without any doubt, things have finally fallen apart for the party that once boasted that it would rule the country for 50 years because even its leaders know and are now just wondering how fast things are working against them. Desperation is now the order of the day within the rank and file of the party.
For the first time in the political history of our country, we now have a ruling party that is mounting huge propaganda machinery even against itself as if it is the party in opposition. The party got to this sorry state because at a time when all Nigerians expect it to leverage on its ‘performance’ in the last 15 years, what we have is a sinking party that is trying to justify its failure using a rather depressing presidential declaration that ‘My generation has failed Nigeria’. This is because the party really has nothing to show for these wasted years other than brigandage, shamelessness and do-or- die stance that has made even the president become angry with himself.
Out of sheer desperation, a party that openly promised an issue -based campaign is now resorting to lies, vulgarism, blasphemies and deception as campaign manifestoes. Thus, if it is not Buhari’s ‘sickness’ today, it is his certificate issue tomorrow and next it is about a phantom scheme to Islamise the country or a desperate attack on the man’s impeccable character and his anti – corruption stance. The PDP does not mind to go any length to play dirty, not even the note of caution by Kofi Anan, former UN Secretary General, would stop the President and his party from all sorts of crude and desperate politics. Or how would the PDP imagine that Nigerians would gullibly accept that a man who did not Islamise Nigeria as a military ruler (with absolute power) will try same in a democracy? But then, will anybody be surprised when it is the PDP that we are talking about, a gathering where anything, other than the right thing, is the norm.
Unfortunately, the die is cast as Nigerians are now wiser. The baseless emotional appeal of a shoeless president no longer holds water. Not even a fraudulent hurried reduction in the pump price of fuel after General Buhari called for it can deceive Nigerians again, not to talk of the belated visit of the President to the parents of the kidnapped Chibok girls after over 200 days of their captivity will win the sentiment of Nigerians now. There is no longer a hiding place for the PDP and its tottering presidency.
To the discerning Nigerians, the PDP’s floundering approach to governance is not in any way unanticipated because from the outset, the party never really promised Nigerians anything that will better their life. While other parties’ slogans are anchored on hope, change, progress, prosperity, etc, PDP’s is anchored on POWER! So, wherever its members gather, the shout of ‘PDP, Power!’ usually rents the air. And since power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, the party has only been using power to encourage corruption, impunity, kleptomania, ineptitude and divide-and -rule since the last 15 years that it has held on to power. Contrary to the stand of late Martins Luther King who once said he is not interested in power just for its sake but in power that is moral, that is right and that is good, what the PDP desires is nothing but naked power.
By alluding to the moral perspective of power, King was simply emphasizing justice and fairness as the fundamental basis of true political power. Sadly, these are functional components of power that the PDP knows nothing about. PDP and fairness are strange bedfellows as evident in how the party bungled and polarized the Nigerian Governors Forum for parochial interests. Today, in Ekiti State, seven members of the House of Assembly legislate in a legislature made up of 26 members. In the same state, a Permanent Secretary has been reportedly sacked for not mobilizing staff to attend President Jonathan’s re-election campaign rally in Ado Ekiti. PDP’s concept of power is anchored on impunity and driven by desperation.
Unfortunately, it is this faulty perception of power by the PDP that has resulted into the several aberrations that we have witnessed in the polity in the last 15 years. This is partly why a First Lady that resides in Abuja was made a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State. And she was bold enough to say that it is her way of securing her pension whenever her husband is out of power. What an outrageous arrogance of power! Not a few will tell you that what we have presently in the country is a faltering presidency. It is obvious that those that occupy the presidency presently are only interested in the allure and grandeur of power and are ignorant of the ultimate purpose of it. They lack the creative and innovative thinking needed to make governance work for the good of the people and only see governance in the context of grandstanding, show of shame and abuses.
Despite being located in a desert, the nation of Israel remains self-sufficient in food production. This could only happen when people with the right view of power hold sway in a country. The late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, once revealed that he was always studying late into the night in search of solutions to the myriads of problems confronting the country while some of his contemporaries were partying away in the dead of the night. No wonder Awolowo’s legacies still abound all over the country years after he left office.
Today, it is because leaders with adequate preparation for the rigorous demand of power are in short supply in the PDP that we have been moving in circles for one and a half decade.
It is so inopportune that the PDP is more concerned about being in power rather than performance. It is sad that the party sees politics more about ruling and not performance. Since 1999, the PDP – led federal government had collected over N40 trillion in oil revenue but Nigerians have nothing to show for it. Ironically, Nigeria, under the PDP, remains the only oil producing country in the world that is still classified as poor. We are also the only oil producing country that imports petroleum for local consumption. We even shamelessly import from small African countries that are less buoyant but better managed
The forthcoming general elections, therefore, offers Nigerians a rare opportunity to free themselves from the naïve, clueless and tired PDP government. The main essence of political power is to serve the interests of the people by upholding the principles of fairness and justice for all. Governance is not just about braggart leadership, neither is it about mere grandstanding nor blaring of siren to terrorize innocent people. It is about protecting the interests of the people who are now unanimous in saying the game is up for the PDP. The time for CHANGE is now. God bless Nigeria!
