IS PDP NOW A "BORN AGAIN" POLITICAL PARTY?

By: Taiwo Adeyemi

When Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus apologized to Nigerians for impunity, imposition and mistakes of his party while in saddle of the nation's affairs for sixteen consecutive years, some of us take his apology as another political bait deployed by the party to regain power in 2019. Some political analysts said PDP is like a biblical old wine, in new bottle that PDP can never return to its founding fathers dreams of a political party where power will belong to people and adherent to internal democracy.

PDP a self-acclaimed largest party in the whole of Africa, it ruled the most populous black nation in Africa for sixteen unbroken years, PDP that was embraced as a national party in 1999 against all other political parties that looked like regional warlords.

PDP derailed from its founding fathers vision when it allowed Governors on his platform to become Emperors, they were the de facto ministers. Governors were calling shots in the party, turning states to their empires. Any dissenting voice against a sitting Governor must be taken to political guillotine.

PDP glorified god fatherism. Late Lamidi Adedibu alamala politics in Oyo state where a sitting Governor Rasidi Ladoja, was impeached illegally because he refused to play ball of sharing state allocation with Baba Adedibu.

I met one of the house of assembly members that impeached Ladoja few years ago, I asked him when did they impeach Ladoja. He told me Ladoja was ungrateful to Baba because Baba helped him to become a Governor and he reneged on their agreement. He deserved to be impeached and he can't apologised to anybody for supporting Baba to remove Ladoja. That could happen in PDP. Anambra state was theatre of way between Govenor Chris Ngige and his estranged god father, Chris Uba. It was supreme court judgment that saved the state from anarchy because the Governor was kidnapped.

Edo state gave the nation a powerful king maker. Chief Tony Anenih, a renowed Mr fix it. He decides who to get what in Edo state and must be consulted in Abuja before the party will take decisions.

It was in PDP that money politics was embraced in Nigeria. Money to party leaders, party Elders, party Delegates, vote buying and money for god fathers. Doctrine of money must exchange hands to have the party ticket crawled into Nigeria democracy. Rasidi Adeojo will be in best position to tell story of his ordeal in Adedibu's hand in his futile attempt to be Governor of Oyo state. PDP is/was party for the highest bidder.

The battle to secure PDP ticket was more fierce than the actual election. Once a politician secures the party ticket, he can go home to sleep because victory is sure through crook (rigging) or right way.

PDP institutionalized rigging in Nigeria in connive with corrupt officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Prof. Maurice Iwu comes to mind, Iwu helped the party to do the rough work. Ballot box snatching, killing and maiming of opponets that tried to prevent PDP thugs from carrying out their ungodly acts everywhere. Amputated leg at Governorship electoral tribunal in osun state gave credence to this. I met a man that told me he was attacked by a PDP politician in Osun state because he told him he won't allow rigging at his polling unit. It was appeal court verdicts that restored stolen mandate from PDP in Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo and Anambra states.

Has PDP changed from his bad ways to good ways? Has PDP embraced democracy as game of number and not game of live ammunition?. Answers for now look affirmative. PDP conducted a transparent, free and fair Governorship primary election in EKiti state that produced incumbent Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka. Eleka's opponent at the primary election, Prince Dayo Adeyeye agreed that the election was fair and he didn't have any problem with the outcome.

I was watching the election live on television. When Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state declared the winner, I was telling myself that where All Progressives Congress in the state has failed and embarrassed his followers across the nation (with news of sacrifice in front of the party state secretariat everyday, no agreed format for the primary election), PDP has triumphed and showed a sign of a repented party.

Delegates appeared in uniform (Aso ebi) according to their local government irrespective of aspirants they were supporting shows PDP now sees politics as a service to humanity not a do or die affair has proclaimed by their former leader (you know him).

Many issues might have worked for PDP in Ekiti state. Zoning of the office to a particular senatorial district which streamlined number of aspirants, two aspirants contested in the election which make it easier for the committe to manage the process and commitment to rebrand it damaged image by the party.

It is a matter of time if the party can build on this success in osun state with over thirty aspirants that have shown interest to take over from Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

For now we can be to sure of this sudden change in PDP, let give the party now till December to see if what happened in Ekiti state was real or the party is trying to play with the mind of the masses