The United States does not consider the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party a political party, a US diplomatic cable leaked to the whistleblowing site, Wikileaks, and made exclusively available to NEXT has shown.

Charge d’ affair of the US embassy in Nigeria, Lisa Piascik, in a dispatch dated October 19, 2007, informed Washington that despite its labelling as a political party, the PDP did not meet “the common western understanding” of a political party.

According to Ms. Piascik, the PDP “lacks key ingredients most political parties share”.

After taking a swipe at the party’s mission statement, the American diplomat proceeded to deliver what is probably the most scathing analysis yet of the PDP.

“The PDP remains an agglomeration of interest groups formed around persons of prominence and power which are loosely tied together by a desire to remain in office and maintain access to the “national cake” or resources of the state”, Ms. Piascik declared.

“The PDP remains a highly fractious and opportunistic coalition of interests. True opposition, in the form of a powerful group with access to the pillars of power, comes from within the PDP - not from without as would be expected in a democratic party structure.”

odedele:

The United States does not consider the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party a political party, a US diplomatic cable leaked to the whistleblowing site, Wikileaks, and made exclusively available to NEXT has shown.

Charge d’ affair of the US embassy in Nigeria, Lisa Piascik, in a dispatch dated October 19, 2007, informed Washington that despite its labelling as a political party, the PDP did not meet “the common western understanding” of a political party.

According to Ms. Piascik, the PDP “lacks key ingredients most political parties share”.

After taking a swipe at the party’s mission statement, the American diplomat proceeded to deliver what is probably the most scathing analysis yet of the PDP.

“The PDP remains an agglomeration of interest groups formed around persons of prominence and power which are loosely tied together by a desire to remain in office and maintain access to the “national cake” or resources of the state”, Ms. Piascik declared.

“The PDP remains a highly fractious and opportunistic coalition of interests. True opposition, in the form of a powerful group with access to the pillars of power, comes from within the PDP - not from without as would be expected in a democratic party structure.”

This is what every sensible Nigerian should know already. One has to wonder why certain segments of the country remains devoted to voting for GEJ and the PDP. Nonetheless , in a democracy, it is their prerogative.

Full article: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5684470-146/story.csp

A quote

Interest groups in the PDP

In her breakdown of the configuration of the PDP, Ms. Piascik described the party as a network of pockets of interest groups largely centred around former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his successor, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

She also pointed out that the PDP is a party divided within itself with different interest groups jostling for prominence. According to her, the biggest threat to the PDP is within the party itself rather than from the opposition.

“When viewing and interpreting developments such as the scandals surrounding House Speaker Patricia Etteh and Senate President David Mark or the intrigues surrounding investigation of former PDP governors, it is important to remember that the largest opposition to the PDP continues to come from within the party, not without”.

Ms. Piascik identified the contending forces in the PDP as the conservatives, the progressives, the Abacha appointees/supporters, the retired generals, the Obasanjo Network, the Yar’Adua network and the Immediate past governors Network”.

And there's a so called messiah in the midst of PDP, who has come to turn the nation anew. With the "economic tsunami'' befalling our country in the hands of this man I hope my people would do wisely in kicking out PDP.

“The PDP remains an agglomeration of interest groups formed around persons of prominence and power which are loosely tied together by a desire to remain in office and maintain access to the “national cake” or resources of the state”, Ms. Piascik declared.

Sounds like a good description of the ruling Democratic party in the US.

“The PDP remains a highly fractious and opportunistic coalition of interests. True opposition, in the form of a powerful group with access to the pillars of power, comes from within the PDP - not from without as would be expected in a democratic party structure.”

To replicate her US 'democratic' structure is easy enough - squeeze out the opposition and split the PDP into two parties, both equally powerful and alternating power every 4 or 8 years!