PDP/APC power politics and absence of internal democracy, brought out the best in Peter Obi as seen in the sweeping Obi phenomenon.
By Nchee Nwabunnia
The 1998 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Convention in Jos, Plateau State, marked the beginning of vote buying for the current political dispensation. While the former Vice President, late Dr Alex Ekwueme a core democrat and a founding father of the PDP was the most suitable, saleable and the best thing that could have happened to Nigeria at the material time, the top military cabal in the country thought it wise to extend their military rule by proxy. In achieving this, they rolled out funds from state treasury and bought delegates votes in favour of one of their own, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba from the South West.
The annulment of June 12 1993 election and the death of the presumed winner, MKO Abiola in detention were reasons given to promote the need to project the Yoruba nation in having a go at the presidency. The explanation was to calm nerves and soothe emotions.
The claim to calm nerves may have been bought into by many but the fact that the majority of the Yoruba elites and masses did not see the Obasanjo presidency as their own, hence the sustenance of the opposition Alliance for Democracy (AD) as a dominant political party in the South West for almost as long as PDP lasted in power. This opposition to their own may be as a result of the fact that they did not have a say in the choice and selection of Obasanjo, thus he was not their candidate but that of the Northern military cabal.
One thing however stood out at the time; Nigeria lost the opportunity of being led by a refined democrat, an erudite and a fine gentleman, when Ekwueme was out rigged in Jos. Given the way Ekwueme was robbed in the exercise, many of his followers suggested he should lead them out of PDP as a way of protesting against the conspiracy against him but he refused and insisted they stayed put. Ekwueme’s decision helped PDP to stand firmly and remained in power as long as it did. If he had left PDP at the Jos convention ground, the Party would have had a huge crack and in the least not enjoy the huge support they had from the South East.
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If the PDP had lost the support of the South East at the time considering that they had no hold of the South West, the fate of the party would have been sealed at that embryonic stage.
Dr Ekwueme’s decision may have been seen as sportsmanly or gentlemanly but some, including this writer, do not. His inaction resulted in the reinforcement of election rigging and god father politics that has marred the development of our political culture till this day. The foundation of political malpractice was laid by those who imposed Obasanjo on PDP over Ekwueme. Ekwueme’s refusal to kick against the evil machinations was as evil as the evil itself. It gave the party leaders and stake holders the impetus to continue on that ungodly part with the anticipation of getting away with it as every victim is always expected to adopt the Ekwuem style of letting go and moving on.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is not left out in the undemocratic culture. When erstwhile Vice President and current presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar and many other chieftains left the PDP in protest against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s insistence on a second tenure and the use of presidential power to corner the party’s presidential ticket, his dream of actualising his ambition in APC did not materialize.
Rather, he met his match at the 2014 APC convention where the APC national leader, Bola Tinubu marched him cash for cash in the South and ensured the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the party. A disgruntled Atiku nursed his wounds and eventually went back to the PDP in protest. From the PDP, he was given the opportunity to fly the party’s flag – a situation that resulted in a North vs North ticket for the two major political parties in 2019. Many thus thought that with that outing, politics of zoning and power shift had taken off in practical terms, especially in PDP where the presidential aspirants at the Port Harcourt Convention were from the North.
The question therefore is that if zoning and power shift is part of our political lexicon as we all understand it to be, what is Atiku doing by contesting for presidential primaries under PDP? The assumption was that it was supposed to be a South affair this time around.
Today, Tinubu has played the game he knows how to play best by buying his way into becoming the APC presidential candidate, leaving many heartbroken, yet none seems to have the balls to fight the injustice. If power has rotated from the South to North, then back to the south and now at the North, it is logical and equitable that power returns to the South. If anyone including Tinubu agrees to this, hence his ‘e mi le ko’ claim, it is equitable that since the South West and South-South had taken their turns, the South East should be allowed to have a go.
If the South East was denied the opportunity of taking the slot in 1999, why must they be denied the opportunity this time again? Are Ndi Igbo not part of the Southern block or are they not a geo-political zone in Nigeria?
Assuming the power sharing logic fails as claimed by many, that power is not shared or given, even though we know their position in 2011 and 2015 regarding power shift to the North, how about merit? Looking at the three major contestants; Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, one can easily attest that Obi is the most suitable. His education is not in doubt, his sources of wealth are not questionable, his age is known and his health stable. The same cannot be said of the other candidates. A country at the fringes of economic and political collapse cannot afford to take chances. Therefore, we must go for the best of the lot.
It was in the same spirit of conspiracy that the Senate Presidency was hijacked by Sen David Mark while the Southern PDP senators stood and watched without taking any action. The evil persisted because those whose toes were stepped on refused to shout or walk away.
The dynamics seem to be changing today. When Peter Obi saw what awaited him, having studied the machinations of the PDP, he chose to walk away. If Ekwueme had done so in 1999, the story of Nigeria’s democracy would have been positively different. Today, whether anyone likes it or not, Peter Obi has done more damage to the PDP by quitting, than the PDP had done to him by rigging out good contestants for the money bag. Nigeria politicians must learn to fight injustice.
The Peter Obi formula has brought an entirely different dimension to our party politics. Firstly, it has nullified the mentality of hitherto two dominant party structure by throwing up a strong third force. Secondly, it has proven to have cancelled the Ekwueme concept of if you can’t beat them, join them. Thirdly, it has shown that you don’t need to have all the money in the country like the duo of Atiku and Tinubu to be able to champion a presidential campaign. Finally, it has shown that a mass funded campaign is possible.
The Peter Obi theory will henceforth guide political decisions in Nigeria. It is the beginning of a new dawn. It will certainly call for caution, informed decision, transparency and justice in future party politics. It will call for dialogue and equitable sharing.
Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike must have gotten his inspiration from Obi’s doggedness and all of these will help to strengthen our democracy.
The era of they have no choice is over; the era of they will fall in line is over; the era of cheat first and talk later is over. I urge Gov Wike to close ranks with all the OBIDIENT Nigerians and fight the monster called election rigging once and for all. If we continue to keep quiet, those who benefit from it today may become victims tomorrow.
Nchee Nwabunnia, a political scientist, writes from Lagos.