When will PDP stop the ‘blame game’ and address their internal problems?

In Nigeria’s turbulent political theatre, blame-trading has always been the currency of weakened opposition. And lately, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), once Africa’s largest political conglomerate, and now the largest most ineffective opposition party in Africa, has become addicted to it. As a matter of fact, that seems to be the only diet on which they live currently.

With the 2027 general elections still a distant drumbeat, the PDP has turned its megaphone toward the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing them of sponsoring destabilisation of their party, and sowing seeds of discord within their rank and file.

But beyond the drama of political shadow-boxing, a more piercing question remains: When will the PDP take a hard, honest look in the mirror and begin the painful work of self-repair? When will they, have that moment of introspection, tell themselves the hard truth, and stop whining about the ruling party being the one behind their woes?

The PDP is not under attack as much as it is under collapse and implosion, as-a-matter-of-factly. From the unresolved North-South zoning drama, through the ego-induced fallouts of the 2023 presidential primaries to the eventual appointment of one of the “dramatis personae” in the whole saga, Nyesome Wike as the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the party has been fraying at the seams under the weight of its own contradictions. Governors rebelled, factions emerged, and key stakeholders became estranged. Those who were hitherto allies, (like Wike and Governor Seyi Makinde of Ọ̀yọ́ State) have fallen out with each other. This is not a tale of external sabotage—it is a classic case of internal corrosion. Call it conflict of interests and ambitions, and you won’t be wrong.

Yet, rather than mount a courageous campaign to reconcile estranged leaders, enforce discipline, rebuild grassroots credibility, and strengthen internal cohesion, the party has chosen the easier path: “blame APC, blame Tinubu, blame everyone but themselves.” This is “political gaslighting” on steroid — turning the searchlight outward while their internal machinery rusts.

Meanwhile, for any democracy to remain robust, and be able to deliver the goods, there must be a vibrant opposition party that is worth its onions. It must be one that is alive to its responsibility of keeping the ruling party on its toes, and willing and capable of delivering good governance, for the overall benefit of the citizenry. Nigeria’s democracy is not an exception. Nigeria cannot afford an APC without a virile opposition because, the ruling APC is now headed in the direction PDP found itself some years back, when one of its former National Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, came out in 2008, to proclaim that the party would rule Nigeria for, at least, 60 more years. The reason was not far-fetched — the opposition parties then were not on duty; they were in disarray. And it was as a result of a wave of defections after defections, as opposition figures crossed over to the ruling party. The then ruling party became complacent, and began to take Nigerians for granted. Contests at their primary elections became fiercer than the general election. It became a matter of “Baba sọ pé…” — Daddy says…!, referring to either the president or the political godfather at every level. It would be recalled that, in the 2007 general election, the party did not feature any candidate in Imo State because, Baba (President Obasanjo) was opposed to the candidacy of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume who clinched the party’s ticket, via a primary election, against the will of the major “Shareholders” then. APC is now close to, if not already at, that stage.

The Tinubu Distraction

It is easy, and politically convenient for PDP members, to point fingers at President Tinubu—a man known for Machiavellian political craftsmanship. But the truth is: even the best scheming political tactician cannot salvage a house that is already on fire from within.

If APC operatives are meddling in PDP affairs, it is only because the doors were left wide open. How on earth would somebody among the party elders not give the former two-term Governor of Rivers State and Current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, a listening-ear, no matter how frivolous his concerns might sound? If not for anything, at least, for what he’s done for the party, post-2015 general election. When Ali-Modu Sherif was holding the party at its jugular, it was Wike who came through for the party, to rescue it from their Greek benefactor, who bailed them out of some financial mess then. PDP’s failure to present a united front, resolve post-primary grievances, and clarify its ideological direction has created a vacuum. And as with nature, it harbours no vacuum. So it is also in politics. Someone— something—will fill it. Tinubu, the master strategist, is simply playing chess where the PDP is still fumbling with checkers.

Leadership by Excuses:

A party that wishes to govern a complex country like Nigeria must do more than complain. The PDP has had ample time and opportunity to evolve from the ruins of its 2015 ouster. But what has it done instead? It has indulged in cyclical power struggles, allowed internal grievances to fester, and failed to reconnect with Nigerians meaningfully. But the worst of all is, it has failed to offer Nigerians that electoral alternative that is needed to keep the ruling on its toes. Something that is badly needed by Nigerians, but sadly lacking.

For PDP, if 2023 was a dress rehearsal for 2027, the performance was underwhelming. The “big tent” strategy collapsed under its own weight. There was no coherent message, no binding ideology—just a ragtag army of ambitions pulling in different directions. A stark reality of what could the consequence of the current avoidable war of internecine, already happened in Anambra State, where the party would not be fielding a candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election. This because there is no party secretary to sign their nomination form as required by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

What Needs to Be Done?

It is time for radical introspection. Rebuild Internal Democracy to foster internal cohesion: The PDP must restore faith in its processes, ensuring primaries are transparent, fair, and inclusive — election, rather than selection. Emergence (of candidates through a transparent and credible process, rather than imposition of candidates). Tinubu while addressing a joint session of the national assembly on June 12 “The Democracy Day” gave them an invaluable piece of advice, when he was talking about the concerns of well-meaning Nigerians about the possibility of Nigeria becoming a “One-Party-State” if the gale of defection to the ruling party is not stemmed. He said, “Political parties fearful of members leaving may be better served by examining their internal processes and affairs rather than fearfully conjuring up demons that do not exist. For me, I would say try your best to put your house in order. I will not help you do so.” For PDP, therefore, it is a case of, “Unify or Die Trying.” Reconciliation isn’t optional. It is a must. The G5 Governors (comprising former Governors of Benue, Abia, Enugu, Rivers and Oyo, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Nyesom Wike, and Seyi Makinde, respectively); Peter Obi (if possible), aggrieved chieftains, and alienated youths, must all be brought back into the fold.

Craft a Clear Ideological Vision: A political party could be defined as a group of people who hold similar political ideology, and work fervently to gain the control of the government, in order to implement this ideology. Ideologically, what does the PDP stand for in today’s Nigerian political firmament? Can anyone define the ideological compass of the party in the cosmology of Nigerian politics, without getting stuck when it comes to how its members pursue their individual political interests and ambitions? I doubt it. Or maybe, we just need to add it to our cognitive consonance and move on. But, without a compelling answer to the above posers, the party would remain, just a vessel for ambition, and not transformation. A kind of special purpose vehicle (SPV), to gain access to the corridor power, and by extension, public purse.

But, in the final analysis, the PDP need to communicate like an “Alternative Government:” Stop whining, and start proposing. Nigeria is in crisis; the people are desperate for hope and leadership. Speak to their pain. Stop trading in blames. If Wike is your problem, expel or suspend him, in accordance with your party’s constitution. After all, sometimes in September 2024, the party suspended Senator Dino Melaye, on account of alleged “anti-party activities,” in line with the provisions of Article 59(1) of the PDP Constitution. The same can be applied in Wike’s case. He’s even made the job easier for them by coming out boldly to announce that, he will be glad to lead the campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, come 2027. You can’t get it more unambiguous than that, can you? So, the best line of action is to suspend, or expel him from the party, and if you can’t, then accede to his demands and let peace reign so that the party can be positioned as an alternative at the poll.

Final Thoughts:

In politics, perception is power. Presently, the PDP looks like a party addicted to nostalgia, crippled by division, and content with victimhood. That must change.

The road to 2027 will neither be paved with excuses, nor tarred or decorated with a medal for playing, “the victim of power of incumbency.” If the PDP truly hopes to return to power, it must first learn to govern itself; put its house in order, before trying to blame their opponents. Otherwise, history will remember it not as a phoenix that rose from its ashes—but as a house that blamed the wind while its own walls crumbled.

But in the meantime, the question remains: When will PDP stop the blame game and address their internal problem?

Time is ticking. And 2027 waits for no one.

Abubakar writes from Ilorin, Kwara state. He can be reached via 08051388285 or [email protected]