The unthinkable has finally come to fruition. The self proclaimed largest political party in Nigeria and Africa has split into two. This is a very serious development for members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The party’s prospect for holding on to the presidency has been diminished hence a house divided against itself cannot stand. Former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar and seven other PDP governors broke away from the leadership of the National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur and formed another faction of same party with Alhaji Kawu Baraje as chairman. Incidentally, Mr. Baraje was once the national chairman of PDP.
The governors involved in the mutiny against the chairman of the party and the president are: Adamawa state governor Murtala Nyako, Niger state governor Babangida Aliyu, Sokoto state governor Magatarkada Wamakko, Jigawa state governor Sule Lamido, Kano state governor Rabiu Kwakwanso, Rivers state governor Rotimi Amechi and Kwara state governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. These governors has been airing their grievances for sometime now and demanded ouster of Bamanga Tukur as pre-condition for peace in PDP. This is a very serious development for PDP because these governors are in effect heads of the party in their states and holds the government bureaucracy, exerts undue influence on state Assemblies members and control state party machine. Their departure from PDP will mean that their power and influence will move with them.
What is the reason for the problem bedeviling Nigeria political parties? The reasons are greed, ego, power and above all, lack of internal democracy. All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) just patched up their differences because of upcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra state. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and former governor Udenwa are battling for supremacy in the newly registered All Progressive Alliance (APC). In Anambra state, APC officials tried to foist former governor, Chris Ngige as consensus candidate but relented after protest from some party members. They decided to conduct party primary and the winner will fly the party’s flag in the general election. Federal ministers often try to establish power base and supremacy in their home state which some governors see as encroachment on their power.
It is fair to conclude that Nigeria political parties are incapable of conducting free and fair primary elections within their parties let alone conducting national election. Various state electoral commissions are shams hence they frequently conduct flawed local government elections where the oppositions hardly win any local government chairmanship or council position. It is curious that the aggrieved members of PDP who broke away did not join the main opposition party APC, but rather chose to form a faction before registering a new party assuming they have not already registered one. The reason is because they do not want to be a junior partner in APC or any other existing party. They want to be the lord of the new party they will eventually form and register with INEC. They do not want any accommodation or compromise with existing parties in keeping with Nigerian character. Every Nigerian wants to be a king of his or her fiefdom where power sharing and compromises is not the ideal goal. These governors and former vice president may succeed in derailing PDP chances in presidential and gubernatorial elections but they are likely to be swept away as well since they will not be strong enough to withstand the opposition. Former vice president Abubakar Atiku once broke away from PDP and formed Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with little to show for his effort. He ended up rejoining PDP.
The Way out of the disarray in Nigeria political parties is for them to adopt internal democracy but it appears they are incapable of doing so. All elections should be handed over to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Enabling laws should be passed to effect the change. INEC should be allowed to take over conduct of all the party’s primary elections. Screening by political parties should be outlawed since it is has turned into a tool for party leaders to foist preferred candidates on party members. Party members should be allowed to make that choice in all primary elections. They should only be specified minimum national qualification for various elective offices. Whoever qualifies should pay the required amount to the government and tender their party registration ID and run for any position. If no candidates garners more than 50 percent of the vote, the two highest vote getters should have a run off election and the winner will carry the party’s flag in the general election.
Alternatively, prospective candidates of each political party who meets the minimum qualification could run for a particular office irrespective of political party affiliation and the two top vote getters will have a run off if no candidate garners more than 50 percent. The run off candidates could be members of same party or different party. In this scenario, the run off becomes the general and final election for that position. Political party’s responsibility should be limited to election or appointments of party office holders.
Solution to the political strife and rancor bedeviling Nigeria political parties must be confronted and nipped in the bud before it becomes the norm since democracy cannot really take root with all the factionalization and the resulting splinter groups. Party that manages to win often gets distracted from governance as a result of the chaos. The disarrays only breed cynicism among Nigerians and ultimate lack of confidence in the political system. Nigerians should understand that people run for public office to serve the public and not an avenue for wealth accumulation. Wealth accumulation in public office is part of the reason why some people see politics as do or die battle. Out going governors and presidents have the tendency to pick their cronies as successors instead of letting their party members choose the candidate. INEC will provide the neutrality and necessary environment required to conduct free and fair primary and general elections.