अ सेंचुरी फॉर PDP

A CENTURY FOR PDP

At various fora, leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had boasted that the party will rule Nigeria for 50 years, some say 60 and other insisted 100. In case you do not know; PDP is the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa, the largest black party in the universe, the conqueror of Nigerian politics, and the ruling party in Nigeria, the stabilizer of the Nigerian nation and politics. Our Great PDP may you rule forever; so they say!

One is not against the PDP, or any party for that matter, ruling forever but my fear is the quality of leadership the party would offer Nigerians. Recently the party celebrated its 10th year anniversary as a political party but I am still waiting to see the party tell Nigerians how it has affected the lives of the masses positively in the last 10 years. Like a lizard that fell from an iroko tree and praised itself, PDP members are backslapping each other for the 10 years the poliical group has held Nigeria and its people captive in the name of governing. Was there any need for the lizard to fall in the first instance if it were a careful and good climber? Why celebrate failure. Apart from this talk of democratic dividends how has Nigerians really benefited from the PDP.

Do not mind the enemies of the PDP, like me, who will never see anything good in such a great political party, who says the party has not contributed in the last one decade of its existence? After all the great party gave Nigerians the privilege to use cell phones and since telephone is not for the poor, according to Senate President, David Mark, then all Nigerians that have or use cell phones are not in any way poor. Some Nigerians even have up to six cell phones, including students, and the way the networks are crashing the prices of sim cards very soon every Nigerian would become a richer because he or she can afford a phone. You see how PDP tackles poverty?

Since PDP assumed leadership of the country many Nigerians now own their own private Independent Power Project, IPP. As the nation’s public power supply is worsening since PDP came to power many Nigerians and businesses are forced to generate their own power. Is this not an achievement? Or what the economists would call liberalization of the power sector and delivering Nigerians from the monopoly and tyranny of Power holding Company of Nigeria. The great party also introduced the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme for our children. But “bad belle” people are saying that the primary schools and Junior Secondary School pupils have no desks in their institutions, some study under trees, some privileged ones have building but no roof. Other ingrates complained of lack of qualified teachers, books and other instructional materials but half bread is better than none. And if they rule, in the next 90 tears you may not have public schools in Nigeria and if you cannot send your child to school abroad or a fee paying private school in Nigeria , too bad; you may only have yourself to blame.

The party has introduced “carry go” politics. Simply, this means one-way politics no opposition or challenge to the anointed candidates. Our “Ghana- Must- Go” brand of politics and lobbying is worthy of export to other country like America; after all, Chairman of Nigeria Electoral Commission Professor Maurice Iwu has declared that his commission is the best electoral body in the world. Who am I to doubt or question a professor, especially one who has lived and worked in America? My people have a saying that you don’t doubt the dream of a blind man because while others dream only when they are asleep the blind man is always dreaming because his eyes are always closed. In fact Iwu has even asked Americans to come and learn a few electoral tricks from Nigeria; and this is a great credit to PDP. A milestone contribution by the greatest party in Africa to the world, you see, the coming of PDP has birth the emergence of a world class electoral body from Nigeria, 100 per cent local content.

What are these democratic dividends and who are the beneficiaries. Is it NAPEP and the various so-called poverty alleviation and empowerment programmes that sole beneficiaries are the party stalwarts and their hangers-on? And some persons may asked me are these beneficiaries not Nigerians? But my question is must one belong to a political party to benefit from government programmes and policies? After an election the victorious party is now in charge of the welfare of all and not a few and selected party members.

What this means is that a new political culture has been introduced into the country-the political culture of impunity. So we may ask: What is the democratic character the party has impacted on Nigerians? No, no! Don’t say it now! Let’s wait till 100years; we may then know how “Politicians Deceiving People” party has impacted on the Nigerian psyche-that is if Nigeria survived the avalanche of the party. would it be 100 years of prosperity and good governance or a century of poverty bad governance, mismanagement and crisis.

If PDP wants to rule us for a century there is nothing wrong but the party should give us a road map of how the journey would like. The party should tell Nigerians what they should expect by May 2011 when the current administration would end or continue with a second term in office. In specific terms we should be told what and what would be done where and when. The party should get it researchers and think tank working on how to meet the needs of Nigerians and not how to perpetuate the party in office. A wise man said that when you don’t plan you are planning to fail, so we want to see concrete plans by a party that desires to rule us for 100 years on how it would transform a country yearning for growth, development and progress.

We would like to know how PDP would meet the infrastructural needs of Nigeria and the aspirations of the citizens to elevated from poverty in the midst of abundance to the comfort level. Government has been talking about vision 2020 and the Millennium Development Goals as if it is a magic wand that would transform Nigeria into a paradise by mere mouthing them. But the year 2020 is only 12 years from today and like the magical year 2000 when everything was suppose to be free it may come and gone without any of these goals being achieved in Nigeria.

To me it seems the so-called party manifestoes are only useful during electioneering campaigns and after that it is dump till next elections. PDP should tell us when we should expect uninterrupted power supply, potable water supply, affordable and accessible medical facilities, quality public schools and education, roads without potholes and other death traps. The party should tell us when presidents of Benin Republic, Togo, Sao Tome and other African countries would come to Nigeria for medical succour. We want to know when Nigeria would be a desired destination for other Africans and foreigners. Deadlines for the attainment of these desires should be stated and failure to meet these targets the party should give up power and seek for the electorates’ approval at next elections.

PDP should tell us how they are going to hold on to power for the next 90 years as the undisputed political party in the country. Would it be the same politics of thuggery and electoral fraud? Is it the kind of politics that two years into the tenure of an administration elections results are still being challenge in courts. Would the current system where someone who did not obtained a party nomination form is elected and sworn in as governor. Nigerians may be docile but they should not be taken for granted as they may not have the patience with a non performing sit tight government or party.

If PDP thinks it can offer good governance the party should not be afraid of their political rivals. A healthy environment and atmosphere should be created for a constructive political opposition and challenge. The PDP under the guise of Unity Government should not decimate rival parties. Every qualified Nigerian should be given the freedom to express his political ambition and preferences. We do not need any guided democracy in the country, let the international accepted democratic norms prevail in Nigeria and where and when there is need for adaptation to meet our local challenges it should be done in the overall and best interest of the country and her citizens rather than to suit the selfishness of a few Nigerians.

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