The shameful altercation between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Ude Okoye at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees meeting has thrown into stark relief the tragic decline of a once-formidable political institution. Once hailed as the architects of Nigeria’s democratic journey, the PDP has descended into an abyss of crisis, disunity, and irrelevance.
This unfortunate incident underscores the party’s fall from its Olympian heights as Nigeria’s ruling party to an opposition entity mired in perpetual internal conflict.
The PDP, which once commanded the trust of millions of Nigerians, has now become a shadow of its former self. It has failed to offer the robust and credible opposition required in a democracy, leaving Nigerians yearning for accountability and solutions to the hardships they face.
At a time when the economic policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have exacerbated poverty, unemployment, and inflation, the PDP has proven incapable of channeling public frustration into actionable demands for better governance.
Instead of uniting to address the pressing needs of the nation, the party has become synonymous with discord.
The loss of trust and confidence among Nigerians is a damning indictment of the PDP’s leadership and direction. A party once viewed as a beacon of hope is now perceived as a self-serving organization riddled with infighting and manipulation. This erosion of credibility has eroded its base and left it struggling to retain any semblance of authority.
Allegations of some PDP officials colluding with the ruling APC are even more appalling.The situation is exemplified by the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike—a PDP member serving in the APC-led government. Such actions betray the principles of opposition politics and underscore the PDP’s spinelessness in the face of manipulation by the ruling party.
One is compelled to ask: what happened to the PDP’s role as the watchdog of democracy? In other countries, opposition parties have been instrumental in holding governments accountable, fostering debates, and ensuring benefits of good governance the populace. Why has Nigeria’s main opposition party failed to emulate such examples?
The PDP’s inability to effectively challenge the APC is a blow not only to itself but to the fabric of Nigeria’s democracy.A democracy thrives on the vibrancy of its opposition, and the absence of a strong counterforce leaves the ruling party unchecked, creating a dangerous imbalance in governance.
While the author of this piece remains non-partisan, we cannot ignore the glaring deficiencies in Nigeria’s political system. The PDP, as the largest opposition party, should be at the forefront of addressing national issues and representing the voice of the people. Instead, it has become a pariah, undermined by its internal failures and external manipulation.
It is time for the PDP to confront its existential crisis. The party must rediscover its purpose, restore internal democracy, and rebuild the trust of Nigerians.Without these steps, the PDP risks total irrelevance, leaving the nation without a viable alternative to the APC.
Furthermore, the PDP must reflect on its role in Nigeria’s democratic set up and recommit to the ideals that once made it a symbol of progress.The party must recognize that its current trajectory is a betrayal of its founding principles and the millions of Nigerians who once looked to it for leadership.
Nigerians deserve a credible opposition that holds the government accountable, articulates alternative policies, and prioritizes the welfare of the people. The PDP’s failures have created a vacuum in Nigeria’s political firmament, which must be urgently filled to strengthen the country’s democracy.
If the PDP cannot rise to the occasion, it must pave the way for other political forces to emerge. The stakes are too high for Nigeria to be left without a strong and effective opposition.
The fight between Anyanwu and Okoye is a symptom of a deeper malaise within the PDP. Unless the party can resolve its internal conflicts and redefine its role in Nigeria’s democracy, it will continue to fade into irrelevance, leaving the nation’s democratic project incomplete and the APC without the accountability it desperately needs.
Chinedu Nnodim, Writes From Abuja
“If the PDP cannot rise to the occasion, it must pave the way for other political forces to emerge. The stakes are too high for Nigeria to be left without a strong and effective opposition“
