Why PDP will lose woefully in 2019

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was Nigeria’s ruling party for 16 years before it was unseated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

PDP lost woefully in the elections because Nigerians had become disenchanted with the Goodluck Jonathan administration and the APC promised them change.

Another major factor that contributed to the PDP’s downfall was the division within its ranks which led to the creation of the “New PDP” by some of its prominent members who eventually joined the APC.

One would think that the PDP’s woeful loss in the 2015 elections would make it rethink its methods and strategize on new ways to handle politicking and electioneering, but sadly this is not the case.

The PDP is continuing on the same path which led to its 2015 defeat and if this doesn’t change, the party might just end up being blown to oblivion in 2019.

First of all, the PDP still hasn’t realized that Nigeria is not its property and that the country’s citizens resent it being viewed as such.

Prominent PDP members have gone on well publicized rants about taking back Nigeria from the APC in 2019 but have not revealed any strategies that are different from the crass kind of politics that the PDP is known for.

“If we put our house together, if we stay together, if we put the past behind us, we will take back our inheritance, it is our inheritance taken by deception, taken by propaganda, taken by hidden agenda,” Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose said on February 10, 2016, describing Nigeria as the PDP’s inheritance.

“With the present efforts at reconciling ourselves and rebuilding process taking place in the PDP, the party stands a good chance of reclaiming our lost glory,” PDP Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff also said.

The PDP is talking about reclaiming its lost glory and taking back its inheritance, but what about the people? What about the Nigerians who are going to vote? What does the PDP have for them? Nothing.

The opposition party has also repeated the mistake of alienating its members in the choice of a chairman.

Many top members of the PDP opposed the emergence of Sheriff as the party’s leader due to his alleged connection to Boko Haram.

They were initially appeased with the claim that Sheriff would only be in office for three months but the recent zoning of the chairmanship to the North-East shows that he is likely to be a permanent occupant.

The PDP pulled a fast one on its members despite several of them announcing that such a move would lead to their departure from the party.

“We took a firm position which was that we will dump the party en masse if we get robbed again at this year’s convention,” former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe said on April 25.

“The PDP has done a lot of wrongs to the Yoruba people and our position now is that they should start making amends by allowing us to present the next chairman,” he added.

“The South-West should produce the national chairman and the North should produce the presidential candidate as earlier approved by NEC.  I can assure you the party will break up if something else happens. Quote me,” PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Jalo also said.

The leadership of the PDP has again caused crisis in the party by imposing the wishes of a few on other members of the party.

Former Senator President, David Mark warned the party not to make this mistake again, but his advice has obviously gone unheeded.

“We must come to terms with reality that PDP lost the last general election because of over bearing tendencies of some leaders who imposed candidates on the people,” he said on April 11.

“It is inevitable that we must change from the old ways and allow the will of the people prevail. Unfolding events clearly show that the PDP is the party for the people. But we must not take them for granted by forcing unpopular candidates on the people,” he added.

The PDP is setting itself up for defeat in 2019 because it has refused to correct the very mistakes that led to its downfall in 2015.

As Albert Einstein said, Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.