₦airaland Forum

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Chidi Odinkalu, has criticised opposition political parties and leaders over their handling of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, elections, describing them as ineffective and disorganised.

The former NHRC chairman specifically stated that, in his view, there is presently no credible opposition in Nigeria.

Speaking on Politics Today, a programme monitored on Channels Television, Monday, Odinkalu said the opposition failed to demonstrate leadership at a critical moment.

He specifically referenced the public holiday declared by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on the eve of the election, arguing that opposition parties missed an opportunity to mobilise supporters in response.

According to him, a decisive opposition would have organised a rally the following day to challenge the move and energise its base. Instead, he alleged, opposition leaders remained inactive.

Odinkalu described the opposition as “an utter disgrace,” stating that the current political climate reflects a lack of seriousness among parties expected to provide checks on the ruling government.

He said:

“I think the opposition forces, you know, the ADC, whoever else; I don’t even know which PDP there is now, if there is any, because Nyesom Wike is APC faction of PDP, it seems to me.

But the so-called opposition forces, in my view, are an utter disgrace. And I say that with no apologies to anybody.

“Now take an example: Nyesom Wike wakes up on Thursday night after people have started retiring to declare a public holiday. If I were a member of a political party, and I were a leader of a political party, I would call a rally on Friday. That was a fantastic opportunity for opposition leadership to prove itself.

“If you had political troops on the ground, call a rally on that Friday to dare him and use that to mobilise. What did they do? They were indoors, sleeping.

It’s difficult to speak to the ineptitude of political opposition in Nigeria. They are not serious. And I think anybody who looks at the system has got to say that, at the moment, there is absolutely no opposition.

“What I do not understand, however, in the face of that, is why the ruling party still feels the need to manufacture the kinds of things it does, from violence to rewriting results to putting one where it should not be, turning hundreds into thousands. I do not understand why they feel the need to do that, because there is actually no opposition group.

galantjoe:
Atiku has no interest of Nigeria at heart. What he wants is to be president of Nigeria to leech the remaining resources he rest behind for his unborn generation and or for his concubines

Atiku has failed this country at this critical time

Mynd44:
I don't agree with him. 24 hours before an election, you are prohibited from campaigning or holding rallies so how were they supposed to have held it?

The only ways they messed up was in choices of candidates and ignoring the rural areas where most of the votes come from.

Mynd44:
I don't agree with him. 24 hours before an election, you are prohibited from campaigning or holding rallies so how were they supposed to have held it?

The only ways they messed up was in choices of candidates and ignoring the rural areas where most of the votes come from.

Mynd44:
I
The only ways they messed up was in choices of candidates and ignoring the rural areas where most of the votes come from.

FreeStuffsNG:
He is speaking from both sides of the mouth.

He is not different from the mediocrity of the people he is lambasting because he is supposed to know that campaign ceases 24 hrs to election and that last day is devoted to sorting out the logistics, final horse trading and political negotiations, perfecting the situation room and field coordination etc.

Only an unserious and mediocre politician will be at a rally ground or switching resources to organize a rally when it is 24 hours to an election in Nigeria.

Hier:
I don't agree with you, don't put the blame on political parties, put the blame on the people. This one people are complaining they are suffering, bla bla bla, I don't think people are suffering, because if they are suffering, they will ask what is the solution and what is the way forward.

Moreso, opposition parties don't have the funds for politics rallies as that, politics no easy ooooo. If you will get people to leave what they are doing and give you attention, like maximum attention, not all these soliciting for willing volunteers, and working with the willing volunteers. The language most Nigerians understand right now is money. If you give me money, I will go all out for you. Nigerians still see politics as a joke or childs play. So he shouldn't blame political parties, political parties are there to offer an helping hand, which ever hand you want to take depends on the voter, plus, there are evidences of vote manipulation. Numbers were doctored, he no see that one talk about, someone said, if you eat on the table, you observe table manner, God forgive me, most of these NGOs are working for the government and they are there for their own personal pocket. Which reasonable person will leave what they are doing to go and be sitting somewhere if there is nothing he will benefit from it, omo, see how Nigeria be now, people are suffering, make I leave my hustle come join you for one event centre for a talk on how to, like guy, I have a life to work on. Every man for himself right now

Wickedfact:
The ADC by its very design is a structure of failure.

ADC failed in Anambra bye election.
Failed in Atiku's home state.
Failed in the Kaduna dwarf's state
Failed in Kano.

Even if they went to campaign in the forest, they would have lost.

Mynd44:
I don't agree with him. 24 hours before an election, you are prohibited from campaigning or holding rallies so how were they supposed to have held it?

The only ways they messed up was in choices of candidates and ignoring the rural areas where most of the votes come from.

Win12345:
Same people that would have defected to APC before 2027 election if they had won. God is not man. What happened with LP election winners is a big discouragement to Nigerian voters. People fight for you end up sabotaging them.