PDP: ANY BETTER CHALLENGE?

One would think he was calling for a wrestling bout: “I challenge the opposition parties, the activists and the civil society...” It was from the national spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. But the challenge was an invitation to a debate. The debate is to prove that the party in power at the centre has performed. That it has “excellent record of achievements.” It is the duty of any party in power to prove it has excellent record. But there was something else the spokesperson said that is of interest when he addressed the press lately.

He admitted there is a problem within the ruling party, especially within the hierarchy of its national executive. He was specific as to those involved even – the National Chairman, and the National Secretary. One is Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. The other is the retired military governor of Lagos State, and later civilian governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola. That the spokesperson admits there is a problem as has been speculated in the public space for a while is interesting for two reasons. One, this is a system where denial is normal, a natural form of defence in high places. Maybe one should clap for the new party leadership for admitting the truth on this occasion. Two, admitting there is a problem within the hierarchy comes barely months after the election of the personalities involved. The spokesperson said this is not a matter of problems between two people. Rather, it is a case of efforts by some groups to have more influence with the leader of the party – the president. That too, though it is normal in any setting, is interesting. By putting it that way however, what Nigerians were not told in clear terms is that there is a clash of personality, and there is an attempt by the different camps to have control of the party. But why should such a seemingly internal matter of a party be of interest to Nigerians. It is the focus of this piece. That, as well as the challenge thrown at Nigerians from every sector to come for a debate.

Sometimes in this system, effort targeted at proving that an administration has achieved is taken to a feverish pitch, even more than the work that needs to be done. No one takes it away from the party in power at the centre that it is giving indications it has rolled up its sleeves. But to what purpose? It has to define that. Maybe within the next three years. One year after the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan got its mandate, it is expected that the engine is about to pick up, that the engine has gathered enough steam to run full speed and non-stop for the next three years. All of that depends on who is looking at what. It can be imagined that Nigerians assume a period of grace is six months. They have proved trusting on several occasions to believe they are even willing to give any administration one year to fully take off. Now the administration is giving itself a pass mark. Every administration gives itself a pass mark.

Nigerians must have their own views on all of that, of course. But their views will naturally not take into consideration figures and percentages about economic growth that guys in statistics departments roll into the public space once in a while. Fantastic figures and percentages that government officials roll on tongues like a bar of chocolate, but which Nigerians don’t comprehend. They can’t because what they understand is what affects their daily lives. And there are the works that ministers say are on-going in places where ordinary folks cannot see them, places where they neither have a business, not a reason to be interested.

What Nigerians know is job, they know regular electricity supply, they know food that is not priced out of their pockets, and facilities that enable them to explore the creative aspects to their lives, thereby creating jobs for themselves. At this time, when the focus should be on those, and when it is possible for any administration to tap into the ideas that the opposition may have, and what the civil society may contribute on how to get the job done in order to meet the aspirations of Nigerians, an invitation to a debate on whether the government has achieved or not is all that has been issued. There is need to think of better challenge to throw. And the topic of the debate itself sounds like what young adults in secondary schools are appropriately endowed to take on, doesn’t it? Nigerians wait to see the activists and the civil society that will take up the challenge and sit to hear achievements, that he cannot see by himself, read out to him.

Now, there is that issue about getting the ears of the president – what is effectively a personality clash, an attempt by camps to have control of the party. That is expected. Especially with the kind of personalities involved. It doesn’t come as surprise to this writer. Place a retired army officer beside a businessman as his secretary. No one should expect anything different from what is playing out. Strangely, the possibility of a heated relationship crossed the mind of this writer the moment it became obvious that the former governor of Osun State was the favoured candidate for the post of the National Secretary. Attempts at controlling the party apart, a former governor, and former military governor at that as secretary on the same saddle with a businessman doesn’t sound like a good match from the onset. Big men with big egos in the same boat? It says something about how the boat would be run. A Secretary is meant to administer the secretariat as well as keep an eye on every aspect of the running of the party. He is supposed to be on the same tune with the chairman though, and not to struggle with him for the ears of the leader of the party. Secretaries are meant to have the same opinion as the chairman even, at least in the public space, because both are the engine room of the party. If the wheels run in opposite directions, when they are designed to do differently, there will be issues. And so there are issues. Problem is, the issues do not only have effect on the party, but because it is the ruling party, the nation will be affected.

The president as the leader of the party will be distracted, for instance. Meanwhile, he is the leader of the nation, and to work effectively, it is important that he has a united house behind him. There are reasons for this. Internal squabbles in a ruling party are dangerous not just for the party, but for the nation. It will colour decisions taken concerning some issues that though appear internal to the party, are fundamental to the democratic dispensation in general. The effects will not roll around just within the party, executive branch is affected, with the ministers sometimes falling on different sides of the disputing parties. And it spills into the legislature. The effect of how the party was unable to get its legislators to follow party directives the last time the leadership of the House of Representatives was elected is yet to be fully understood. But that was a slap on the face of the party leadership, by any standard. It is not possible for a struggle to exist in the leadership of the party without those in the legislature taking sides. Now, how does that help both the internal working of the party as well as the strengthening of democracy? Some candidates for the post of secretary from the South-West angrily threw in the baton and said they were going home in order to create space for the party’s anointed during the last convention. The present scenario therefore gives reasons for any observer to wonder, and ask – with a different personality, could the current tension in-house have been avoided? It is a question that leads still further to the issue of internal party democracy. If the ruling part has it, opposition parties will follow. The nation’s democracy wins.

Back to the challenge of throwing invitation to a debate that is more likely to be one-sided, one that sounds, from the manner it was issued, like a publicity stunt where records of achievements will be laid out, it can be said that such is not what is needed at the moment. And the party leadership needs to play all of this maturely. Perhaps, the energy and funds that a debate would gulp are better targeted at achieving goals the government has set for itself. Nigerians will, by themselves, see achievements when there are achievements.

Written By Tunji Ajibade
[email protected]