PDP: The Opposition Gap In Nigeria’s Democracy
In Politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organised groups that are opposed to the government in power in a nation. Opposition role is constitutionally recognised the world over. People’s Democratic Party and the Opposition Gap in Nigeria’s Democracy came about because of the absence of PDP and many other parties to play the role of opposition since May 2015 that the APC emerged as the ruling party in Nigeria.
In fact the democratic space at the emergence of APC seems to have completely swallowed all opposition elements and Nigeria was at the precipice of a one party state that could easily grow into a tyrannical government. As of 2015, there are seven countries that are ruled by a single party, they include: China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, Eritrea and Western Sahara. It is not sure Nigerians will want to go the way of these seven countries going by their records at global level and among comity of nations.
If this is the case and wish of Nigerians, then the present gap of no visible opposition created by the dormant state of PDP must be addressed. The docility must be replaced by virility that a democratic nation needs to make progress and development. The lack of virile opposition brought about by the un coordinated PDP arising from the loss of power in 2015, which gave rise to the likes of Tu-face and Charley Boy, who are relatively unknown in the Nigerian political space to be political activists must be tackled without delay in order to rescue Nigerian democracy from the shackles of and the emerging tendency of a one party state. The Supreme Court pronouncement seems to have bailed the PDP out and the judgement should be seen as the right impetus to revive vibrant opposition that a democracy needed to function adequately for the benefit of the masses that often at the messy of the power that be where there is no opposition. PDP should equally make efforts to awaken other groups in the country known for effective opposition by organising itself and re-branding in such a way that hope of Nigerians can begin to restore gradually as the nation moves towards another general election in 2019.
PDP should begin to consolidate, learn from their past mistakes most of which were based on greed and selfishness. The party should minimise internal bickering and focus on the gains gradually being made in the various by-elections where the party was able to floor APC in places like Osun and Gombe States. In fact the next major elections in both Osun and Ekiti states for the gubernatorial seats should be paramount in PDP’s agenda. While opposing and governing, both the PDP and APC should give Nigerians the opportunity of good governance respectively. Both parties have tasted what power looks like and what powerlessness means. They should therefore be ready to continue to learn the good virtue of democracy and unlearn the bad vices for the good of Nigerians.
It is only if this is done that Nigerians can begin to develop genuine interest in party politics devoid of hate speeches and conducts. The era of timid and interested politicians that think more about the security of their seat than the security of their country will also begin to fade away.
Finally, PDP should be courageous enough to go back to its ‘political vomit’ to begin to drum and campaign for the re-structuring of Nigeria in truth, deed and spirit. ‘History is past politics and politics is present history’, PDP can make history if it repositions its politics and win the hearts of Nigerians by doing an agenda of re-structuring in her march towards 2019.
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