2023: Does PDP Have Moral Right To Contest For Any Position?

OGU BUNDU NWADIKE, M.A

The news of Chief Dele Momodu saying that “APC should apologize for the damage done to Nigeria” activated the thought and thinking of whether the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still has the moral right to participate and contest for any elective office or position in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

The demands of electioneering campaigns and political skirmishes warrant all sorts of comments and utterances. But as a local parlance advances, careless talk is costly talk.

For Dele Momodu, who was a major architect of the glorious emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections to turn around in 2022 and say “APC should apologize for the damage done to Nigeria” is careless talk.

Aspirants and candidates for a given elective offices and positions in an election should do a good job of preparing for their campaigns and not place their hopes on casting aspersions on their opponents and opponent parties.

What that means is that Dele Momodu, for instance, should be telling the world why he wants to be Nigeria’s president and what he wants to do differently from other aspirants. He shouldn’t be asking APC to apologize to Nigerians for whatsoever reasons.

Playing Don Quixote or ostrich won’t in any way help the politics of any aspirant that’s serious about contesting for an elective office or position.

In 2015, Dele Momodu went the extra mile to sell APC locally, nationally and internationally to Nigerians, by virtue of his worldwide network of contacts and influence.

So, in real terms, if APC needs to “apologize to Nigerians for the damage APC did to Nigeria, as Dele stated, then he should lead the choir. Blaming APC isn’t for Dele Momodu to do.

Does it mean that whichever party Dele Momodu joins becomes a party of the latter day saints and angels?

When he joined APC, the party became saintly and angelic, while the PDP turned satanic and demonic to him.

Now, that he has joined PDP, the party has suddenly turned from being satanic and demonic, into being saintly and angelic, while the hitherto saintly and angelic APC turned satanic and demonic! Haba, Dele!

What really has changed about PDP since 2015 that should warrant anybody to consider voting for the share the money party at all levels in 2023? What?

As an opposition party, what and what has PDP done differently since it willingly conceded defeat and relinquished power in 2015? 

Besides steady press releases full of abuses, insults and curses poured at the ruling APC for their plans, policies, programmes and projects, what else has PDP done as a party in opposition that should be providing a shadow government? 

What researches, conferences, seminars, summits, workshops, etcetera has PDP organized to give Nigerians some insight into the dreams and vision of better life for Nigeria and Nigerians? 

Where are PDP’s demonstration farms, model hospitals, sample transportation system, desirable environmental regulations, inspiring and motivating skills acquisition trainings, employment and empowerment for Nigerians?

Who’s that president of PDP extraction that has the magic wand to develop Nigeria better than the way the APC president, governors and governments are doing? Who? 

When that magician that will emerge from PDP was in APC, what did he do to make Nigeria a better place to live in? What has been learned? What has changed? 

The point is that APC doesn’t owe Nigerians any apology for any damage done. That’s because instead of dishonestly and insincerely talking about the damage APC did to Nigeria, what’s the true story is that APC has been rebuilding the socio-economically battered Nigeria, which PDP bequeathed to APC. 

The PDP didn’t have the will to deliver good leadership and good governance. Besides Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, whose military background aided, the next two presidents that PDP gave to Nigerians were too weak and inadequate for the expectations of Nigerians.

And from the array of aspirants for the PDP presidential ticket, none appears to have the will to lead Nigeria and Nigerians. 

That may account for the unedifying display of raw brute force by the Rivers State governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, as what Nigerians need from PDP! Foul!

Nigerians need a leader who’s refined in character and conduct, who will pass any tests on integrity, probity, transparency and accountability.

Evidently, PDP is suffering the dearth and paucity of a charismatic leader who can provide good leadership in the party not to think about providing good leadership to Nigeria and Nigerians.

That’s why some highly critical pundits have directly and indirectly encouraged PDP to bench their strife and struggle to occupy Aso Rock in 2023, but start preparing for 2031, time within which they must have groomed and cultured presidential materials. As for 2023, it’s a lost game for PDP!

The ruling party, APC, since assuming office in 2015, has been doing well in delivering leadership and governance. In so many ramifications, Nigeria and Nigerians have fared better since 2015 till now in 2022, in care of APC, than from 1999 to 2015 under the watch of PDP.

Therefore, let Chief Dele Momodu and all those who think and talk like him against PDP, learn to do his homework thoroughly always before submitting. 

In fact, the successful journalist and lucky publisher should apologize to Nigerians for the abuses and insults be poured upon Nigerians, saying that the country has been damaged by the APC, without facts and figures to buttress his skewed point of view!

Truth is that APC has made Nigeria much better than they met her in 2015. In the 2023 general elections, APC will again win with a wide margin to sustain the tempo of rescuing and rebuilding of Nigeria. 

© Ogu Bundu Nwadike, M.A 2022.