The emerging political scenario
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- Category: Within the nation
- Written by Kabir Mato
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During the week, Nigeria’s major opposition parties formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a new merger opposition party.
The merger party announced last week Wednesday involves the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Chance (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Well, Nigerians are receiving the new development with utmost caution with some measure of optimism. The atmosphere though not yet charged with the usual heat characterizing electioneering in Nigeria but one can say with certainty that the nation is charged and groaning in the absence of every good thing of life that the state ought to provide to smoothen life and captivity.
I can tell you that the level of dejection that looms in the face of most Nigerians is alarming to the extent that in some quarters, what you have is palpable manifestation of regret for the steps taken during the last election which produced this government in Aso Rock and the resultant ‘fresh air’ of incapacity that is blowing across the length and breadth of this country.
What Nigerians certainly have been yearning for is the opportunity for a change, and let me say it here very loud and clear that for forms of government, let the fools contend, what is best administered is best. I share the sentiments of that old political scientist who opined in that manner. What is clear is that from all available evidences on ground, it is unlikely that the PDP, as currently constituted, is capable and will in the short run be capable of providing Nigerians with the minimum level of good life that will enhance life.
Studies of the successive elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011 have suggested that the level of anger in Nigeria against the failures of the PDP was very high. The problem was the failure of the opposition movement to cash in on this opportunity to snatch electoral victory. Instead, premium was placed on illogic and ill thoughts than actual mobilization of the discontentment to secure victory at the polls.
There was never a time in the last three elections that the opposition elements had clearer chance of unseating the PDP government than in 2011, but in daylight, the opposition threw the chances to the dogs due to poor political brinkmanship and undue rigidity of those who sought to replace a very powerful cabal that often brags would rule Nigeria for 75 years.
I am ruling out the visibility of the third column role the PDP and its agents have always played in diluting the strength of the opposition. Splinter groups and factions were sponsored and heavily funded even beyond the capacity of the opposition parties in the past with the sole aim of disintegrating the ranks of the opposition. What to me was most unfortunate was the craving in of the opposition forces knowingly to this cheap strategy of f the PDP power gang. That was why the working alliance between the CPC and ACN failed in the prelude to the 2011 elections only for the CPC to return to the fireworks of propaganda in a field where it suffered serious disadvantage.
It is against this backdrop that I share some reservations on the success of the new group as long as such earlier schemes of the desperate PDP government would not be properly understood and curtailed. It is already at work and as we have heard already, some factions of APGA and ANPP are already beginning to throw in spanners. This I am sure will increase by the day and the government will spend even more resources in ensuring that it sponsors the disintegration of the alliance through every mean available.
What we see and hear happening now is a mere rehearsal but the parties forge a new ground, the PDP and its thinkers are already devising means of unsettling the new arrangement and they would use their last card-religion, race and region- to evoke sentiments in 2015 elections.
The message in this piece today is that those who desire to form a common front to deal with the PDP monster that has refused Nigeria progress in many years must know that the stakes are very high and thus solid political schemes are required to close ranks and get across to Nigerians to convince them on how to get rid of this misgovernance is fast becoming a cancer to the nation and its peoples.
My observation of the scenario at the moment is that Nigerians are excited over the new arrangement and would want it to work. All hands must be on deck to ensure that those common fault lines that have in the past thwarted attempts to save the people from imposition.
I am of the view that the people cannot be taken for a ride on a permanent basis. The beauty of western liberal democracy of periodic election is anchored on change. No one political party under this scenario predominates for too long and thus making the people hopeless and helpless. Nobody posses the monopoly of conventional wisdom and as such can’t lay claim to power perpetually. The electoral system as it stands today can only be sanitized if the political parties are strong enough to check each other.
I believe that the dissolution of these parties into one is a gradual return of the nation to a two party system. Readers must be reminded, however, that two party system does not necessarily mean the existence of only two political parties but that two parties are dominant. This is what we see in places like the United States of America.
I am equally of the view that competition will be more intense but healthier under such a system where the stakes are made very high and victory can go other way.
I hope the leaders of the various groups coming to one will bury their pride and face the task ahead with political maturity with the objective of wrestling power from a dubious incumbent. Pride and other minuses may not lead them to the desired objective and this will very well serve the purposes of the PDP and its government.
The emerging political scenario
Category: Within the nation Written by Kabir Mato Hits: 3274
During the week, Nigeria’s major opposition parties formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a new merger opposition party.
The merger party announced last week Wednesday involves the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Chance (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Well, Nigerians are receiving the new development with utmost caution with some measure of optimism. The atmosphere though not yet charged with the usual heat characterizing electioneering in Nigeria but one can say with certainty that the nation is charged and groaning in the absence of every good thing of life that the state ought to provide to smoothen life and captivity.
I can tell you that the level of dejection that looms in the face of most Nigerians is alarming to the extent that in some quarters, what you have is palpable manifestation of regret for the steps taken during the last election which produced this government in Aso Rock and the resultant ‘fresh air’ of incapacity that is blowing across the length and breadth of this country.
What Nigerians certainly have been yearning for is the opportunity for a change, and let me say it here very loud and clear that for forms of government, let the fools contend, what is best administered is best. I share the sentiments of that old political scientist who opined in that manner. What is clear is that from all available evidences on ground, it is unlikely that the PDP, as currently constituted, is capable and will in the short run be capable of providing Nigerians with the minimum level of good life that will enhance life.
Studies of the successive elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011 have suggested that the level of anger in Nigeria against the failures of the PDP was very high. The problem was the failure of the opposition movement to cash in on this opportunity to snatch electoral victory. Instead, premium was placed on illogic and ill thoughts than actual mobilization of the discontentment to secure victory at the polls.
There was never a time in the last three elections that the opposition elements had clearer chance of unseating the PDP government than in 2011, but in daylight, the opposition threw the chances to the dogs due to poor political brinkmanship and undue rigidity of those who sought to replace a very powerful cabal that often brags would rule Nigeria for 75 years.
I am ruling out the visibility of the third column role the PDP and its agents have always played in diluting the strength of the opposition. Splinter groups and factions were sponsored and heavily funded even beyond the capacity of the opposition parties in the past with the sole aim of disintegrating the ranks of the opposition. What to me was most unfortunate was the craving in of the opposition forces knowingly to this cheap strategy of f the PDP power gang. That was why the working alliance between the CPC and ACN failed in the prelude to the 2011 elections only for the CPC to return to the fireworks of propaganda in a field where it suffered serious disadvantage.
It is against this backdrop that I share some reservations on the success of the new group as long as such earlier schemes of the desperate PDP government would not be properly understood and curtailed. It is already at work and as we have heard already, some factions of APGA and ANPP are already beginning to throw in spanners. This I am sure will increase by the day and the government will spend even more resources in ensuring that it sponsors the disintegration of the alliance through every mean available.
What we see and hear happening now is a mere rehearsal but the parties forge a new ground, the PDP and its thinkers are already devising means of unsettling the new arrangement and they would use their last card-religion, race and region- to evoke sentiments in 2015 elections.
The message in this piece today is that those who desire to form a common front to deal with the PDP monster that has refused Nigeria progress in many years must know that the stakes are very high and thus solid political schemes are required to close ranks and get across to Nigerians to convince them on how to get rid of this misgovernance is fast becoming a cancer to the nation and its peoples.
My observation of the scenario at the moment is that Nigerians are excited over the new arrangement and would want it to work. All hands must be on deck to ensure that those common fault lines that have in the past thwarted attempts to save the people from imposition.
I am of the view that the people cannot be taken for a ride on a permanent basis. The beauty of western liberal democracy of periodic election is anchored on change. No one political party under this scenario predominates for too long and thus making the people hopeless and helpless. Nobody posses the monopoly of conventional wisdom and as such can’t lay claim to power perpetually. The electoral system as it stands today can only be sanitized if the political parties are strong enough to check each other.
I believe that the dissolution of these parties into one is a gradual return of the nation to a two party system. Readers must be reminded, however, that two party system does not necessarily mean the existence of only two political parties but that two parties are dominant. This is what we see in places like the United States of America.
I am equally of the view that competition will be more intense but healthier under such a system where the stakes are made very high and victory can go other way.
I hope the leaders of the various groups coming to one will bury their pride and face the task ahead with political maturity with the objective of wrestling power from a dubious incumbent. Pride and other minuses may not lead them to the desired objective and this will very well serve the purposes of the PDP and its government.