Why PDP Needs To Revive Itself Now For Okowa To Succeed

By Kparobo Ehvwubare

The Peoples Democratic Party currently cuts the image of the most abominable slice of the Nigerian politicians. Incurably selfish, egoistic and deficient in graciousness, top members of the PDP had in the past couple of weeks shown us that nothing about the common man interests them as much as the gratification of their individual personal indulgences.

Since the failed attempt at electing national officers in Port Harcourt a little less than couple of weeks ago, members of the PDP have been at their best ill-behavior, grabbing at each other’s throats and washing dirty fabric in public to the chagrin of helpless Nigerians who need selfless political parties and politicians to chart the course of State in government and in opposition.

The PDP, like most other contraptions which call themselves political parties, have turned the expectations of the people to naught in the pursuit of self-serving motivations totally at variance with the pledge made by its founding fathers, just less than two decades ago.

With the dexterity with which they practice their shenanigans, the unwary would be deceived into imagining that politics in Nigeria had always been devoid of soundness of mind as we see in new day politics; but that is very far from the truth.

For instance, when Northern People’s Congress was formed in June 1949, its leader, Sir Ahmadu Bello, was at the age of 39, an accomplished leader of men, managing a complex political machine with diverse ethnic, religious and philosophical orientations. He made a success of all he did and had his people at the centre of his heart.

In the western part of the country, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, only five years out of the university, was prepared to lead one of the most intellectually-driven political associations in the history of the country. The Action Group, which Awolowo led, had the complement of personalities whose sophistication, passion and ideas remain a subject of historical cum political interests. They loved their people in ways that still manifest today.

Not to talk about Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the ebullient Nigerian who bore the sobriquet, Zik of Africa in appreciation of the infectiousness of his ideas and politics. This traversed beyond the shores of Nigeria such that Zikism, a system of political thought attributed to him and championed by some of his followers, remains, arguably the most ingenious political movement in Africa, putting Nigeria on the map of global reckoning on the emerging African continent.

Today, nothing tells of the devaluation of the political thought process and the abysmal level of public consciousness like the incessant power grabbing machinations of leaders of the PDP. This power play eloquently testifies to the intellectual handicap of modern day power mongers and the great disservice that political parties in the country have become to the aspirations of the people.

A former American President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, must have had Nigerian political parties in mind, Delta State in particular when he said in a March 1956 speech that: “If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then, it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.” This is the tragedy of political leadership in the State today; the attainment of political power by all means, without a guiding philosophy on how to use power to the advantage of the people.

This is the name that the PDP has had to bear for the 16 years that it led Nigeria and 17 years in Delta still counting , until it was booted out in the 2015 general elections at the national level. Although the party and its supporters argue that it did more to Nigeria than rape and plunder as those who opposed it while it was in government make Nigerians and the world believe, events after the PDP’s exit from government have proved that impunity and corruption had a rented a house in the last few years of the PDP administration, haven seen high level of corrupt PDP members facing various corruption charges at different courts in the country.

The hatred that Nigerians had for the PDP in power has grown in leaps and bounds following revelations after revelations that the current government has unleashed on Nigerians about the malfeasance perpetrated by the PDP while it had the mandate of Nigerians.

In addition to the naming and shaming, the government of the day has also struck at some of the individuals with the competence to strike a blow at the administration when and if it drops the ball. This is why after the arraignment of a former spokesperson, Chief Olisa Metuh, and the arrest of vocal former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode who is still in detention till date, the silence in the camp of Nigeria’s biggest political party has been loud.

Its painful that those who ought to checkmate the activities of the ruling party at the national level are fantastically corrupt. How would the almighty Femi fani-Kayode indulge in such act? Is it that true that all politicians are corrupt?

The PDP therefore needs to urgently put itself in order, to redefine the destiny of our democratic voyage. Rather than moan the loss of power, evidential in needless carpet crossing and shameless power struggles that we currently see, this period of sabbatical from power at the centre should help the party redirect its energies to correct the errors in its history, before it degenerate.

A party, conscious of its privileged position to fertilize the seeds of democracy, would make sacrifices just for the sake of the people. Let the PDP find statesmen in the formative days of the APC and work towards a worthwhile legacy for the nation’s democratic journey. Sadly, what we see now, is the pathetic shell of self-possessed power grabbers and it bears no good for the nation.

For my dear State, Delta, the leadership of the party should put its house in order, the State governor and the party leadership should mend fence with aggrieved members and desist from the act of tagging some party members as opposition. Is is true that there is opposition in the same political party?

The party in the State should set up a reconciliation committee to meet with perceived aggrieved party members with the view of giving them a sense of belonging; fencing them out of the system would not do the party any good, rather it would cause more damage, the party leadership should not forget the fact that opposition is knocking at aggrieved members gate on daily basis.

If the party must succeed in the State in 2019, its leadership must act now, Okowa must be wary of praise singers who would not want to tell him the bitter truth. Politics has gone beyond self aggrandizement; the beauty of democracy is selfless service to the people, devoid of vindictiveness and tribalism.

The party leadership must caution its leaders at the grass root against oppression, intimidations, perceived enemy pay back; so as not to cause crack in the party, if Okowa is nursing second term, he must carry the cross by himself to stand on a solid rock.

Kparobo Ehvwubare wrote from Oghara-Delta State; could be reach on +2347067546856 or [email protected]

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