[size=14pt]Rebranding the PDP (2)[/size]
Azuka Onwuka  azuka.brand@augustconsulting.biz  0809-URBRAND

Beginning of Transformation
The assumption of office by Dr Goodluck Jonathan on February 10, 2010 as the Acting President of Nigeria marked the beginning of the transformation of the Peoples Democratic Party. In place of arrogance came humility; in place of invincibility emerged the realization that it could be beaten; in place of unguarded comments appeared maturity.

Many reasons accounted for this new attitude. When Dr Jonathan took over as Acting President, one of the things he promised was that going forward, the votes of the people would count. He followed up this with action. In February 2010, a gubernatorial election was held in Anambra State. The incumbent Mr Peter Obi, a candidate of the All Progressives’ Grand Alliance (APGA), contested against Prof Chukwuma Soludo of the PDP, who had just completed his first term as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. There was also Dr Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria, whose tenure as a PDP governor of Anambra State had been declared illegal by the court four years before. There was a feeling that the PDP would use its financial and coercive might to bulldoze its way to victory. There were rumours that key PDP personalities who had planned to be in Anambra State during the election to ensure victory for the PDP candidate were told by the Dr Jonathan to leave the state. Despite its many shortcomings, that election was judged as being relatively well organized going by the comments of voters, journalists and observers. PDP lost to APGA.

During the last days of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a group of PDP top shots led by the former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, were expelled from the party for asking for the restoration of internal democracy within the party. After the swearing in of Jonathan, these men were readmitted into the party. It was a big sign that PDP was transforming. Not long after that, the Chairman of PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, came under pressure, reportedly from the presidency, to resign his office. The majority of Nigerians were not sad to see Ogbulafor go - he was the PDP chairman that had arrogantly said that the PDP would rule Nigeria for another 60 years. Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo took over the PDP chairmanship.



A Sober PDP
The loss of Ekiti and Osun States to ACN through court judgments helped to sober the PDP. The judgments of the court in those two cases helped to vindicate the people that the PDP had massively rigged the 2007 elections. In addition, President Jonathan sacked the Chairman of INEC, Prof Maurice Iwu, who had been accused of masterminding the rigging of the 2007 elections. He replaced him with Prof Attahiru Jega, a man known for leading the Academic Staff of Union of Universities (ASUU) and challenging the dictatorship of General Ibrahim Babangida in the 1990s.

There arose a feeling among Nigerians that the 2011 general elections will be determined more by the votes of the people than the manipulations of the strongest and most influential. This gave the people a feeling of strength. That feeling made the PDP to change the tone of its language and its haughty attitude towards the opposition and the masses. The recent annulment of the election of the 2007 gubernatorial election of Delta State, which has been a PDP stronghold, was another blow to the party. For the first time, one could see a humble PDP campaigning and making all efforts to win the people’s votes. The stakes were so high during the re-run campaign that a day before the elections this January, the President and the Vice President as well as other PDP heavy weights were physically present in Delta State for a campaign rally meant to boost support for the PDP candidate, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. It was unprecedented for both the President and the Vice President to abandon the seat of government to be at a campaign rally of a gubernatorial candidate at the same time. Fortunately for the party, its candidate won that election. It was reassuring that PDP had not totally been rejected by the people.

It was also interesting to see PDP run adverts in the papers and the electronic media urging Nigeria to shun thuggery, violence and vandalism during the general elections. Even though some viewers sneer whenever the advert is shown on screen, it is another sign that a new PDP has emerged.



Final Proof
The January 13, 2011 presidential primary was seen as a test case to gauge if any true change had taken place in the PDP. Given the rancour generated by the issue of which part of the country should produce the PDP candidate, there were fears that the outcome of the primary would cause an implosion in the party. The opposition was praying for the internal bitter politics within the PDP to cause a disintegration of the party. But the primary was so well conducted that even the enemies of the party gave it credit. Although there were allegations of behind-the-scene illicit practices by the key contestants, what Nigerians saw on the screen was so transparent and seamless that PDP received nothing but encomiums. Contrary to the praises received by the PDP, the opposition parties (especially the ACN, which had seemed to be the pace-setter in Nigerian politics) have received negative comments because of their not-too-exciting primaries.

The PDP presidential primary helped in no small way in remoulding the image of the PDP in the eyes of Nigeria. Gradually, the PDP is transforming and shedding the scales of the past. That transformation also came at an opportune time, because Nigerians had been pushed to the wall by the brand of politics and leadership the PDP-led government had been providing since 1999. There is no doubt that this transformation was solely the handiwork of President Goodluck Jonathan. It is another testimony (as was exemplified in Ghana by Jerry Rawlings) that it takes just a leader (rather than all the followers) to change the image and fortunes of an organization or a country. However, the final proof of PDP’s rebranding can only be determined after the conduct of the April elections. Nigerians are waiting to know if this change will be permanent.

http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=27593

Rubbish!! You can't put new wine in old wine skin. The same old rotten eggs surround GEJ and and control PDP.

God have mercy on our souls !!!!

Yawns


A party made of every know evil vice man can ever think of time.  If after 12 years of rule and yet nothing good came out of it and i am fully confident nothing will change now or the in the future.  If you are referring to the sham pdp primaries you witnessed on tv then i can conclude you dont anything about Nigeria. Your perceptions are clearly different to what is reality.  The wise ones in Nigeria know for a fact primaries won by the highest bidders hence what you witnessed on tv was behind the scene strong arm tactics.


I suspect Mr Azuka Onwuka is looking for a governmental post cause you hardly find any article written by Nigerians that favours GEJ.

Nonsense. Can't teach a dog new tricks. PDP is the progenitor of 90% of the country's problems from 1998 till date.

Nonsense!!!! Rigging Champions of the world!

I dn't k about party afilliation but individual make-up is my concern. My fellow nlanders, no president outside pdp will do what u are clamouring for - keeping past leaders at arms length, not even ur buhari. Ask me why.