PDP: A House Divided Within Itself

It began like a trivial dispute between siblings; however, it has snowballed into a carnage that is threatening to destroy the flawed dynasty that is PDP. It is no longer news that six Northern governors including former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, stormed out of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Special National Convention held on the 31st of August, 2013. There is no need to rehash the reasons for their actions, as more detailed commentaries have allotted enough ink and pages to that. However, what we know as a matter of certainty, is that the PDP and its cohorts are facing probably their most precarious phase as ‘Africa’s’ largest party.

They are known as the new PDP, and make no mistakes about it, they are powerful and influential. This faction of the PDP is led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje. In the capacity of deputy national chairman, is the unwavering Dr. Sam Jaja, and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola serves as the national secretary. It is worth noting that Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, joins the half a dozen governors in this new lease of political life. This entire dynamics is a nightmare for the Bamanga Tukur led PDP. At a time when the newly formed merger party, All Progressives Congress (APC), is gaining grounds and seeming like a formidable opponent, the last thing the PDP wants is a crack within its ranks. But alas, it is here. It is difficult to be sympathetic to the plight of the PDP. This is a party that thrives on sophisticated thuggery, incessant electoral malpractices, untold corruption, and to borrow the words of one of its stalwarts, a ‘do or die’ politicking. With the rot in the PDP, it was always a matter of time before the chickens come home to roost. Without mincing words, the PDP has inflicted more harms than good on the country since 1999. It is a testimony to their wreckage that a man like Olusegun Obasanjo, despite all his sins, is a still a power broker in the affairs of our land. Thanks to the passivity of many Nigerians, the PDP has ruled with autocratic tendencies. The charade they call democracy is a mere façade to perpetrate their evils. For Goodluck Jonathan, it is a shame that he found a home within such quarters. By virtue of his involvement, he joins in the carnage.

PDP is not the solution to the Nigerian dream. Yet, the question should be ‘What are the alternatives?’ Should APC and the new PDP faction join forces, then the PDP’s end is near. Yet, a glance at the brainchild and kingpins in this new opposition deflates the hopes of many. Recycled men like Buhari and Atiku are not men that should tell us what next for this country. They had their moments. Moments to liberate this country, to etch their names in the annals of time, to leave a legacy for true political principles; but they didn’t.

2015 is still a distance from today, but Nigerians had better not be deluded. Change is what we need. And while we agree that a bloody revolution is not the path to take in achieving this, sitting down and just venting our anger on social media is an even more perilous path. We demand more from our leaders, and we should not be blinded by their party affiliations. Power is a dangerous concubine, and we had better ‘look’ before entrusting it to anyone, for many are hopeless flirts. PDP has proven not to be the solution, and only an enemy of Nigeria will think otherwise.