Polity: Opposition parties in deep slumber

For the All Progressives Congress to deliver on its campaign promises and deepen the nation’s democracy, opposition parties which are believed to be in slumber now must wake up, FISAYO FALODI writes

Nearly 17 years of unbroken democratic government in Nigeria is believed to have been characterised by poor performance culminating in misappropriation of public fund. The ongoing revelation of the alleged political sleaze and corruption perpetrated by a few top public officials and the astronomical rise in the cost of living are said to be a testimony to the fact that the lives of the citizens have not been impacted by the successive governments they have elected over the years.

At least, the citizens deserve certain basic needs such as security, provision of conducive environment for business and social activities to thrive. Other responsibilities of any government include provision of effective health care facility and infrastructure. All these, according to public affairs analysts, can be achieved if the ruling and opposition parties see one another as partner in progress after they must have put behind themselves all the artificial enmities that existed among their supporters and chieftains during the electioneering process.

Their focus, a political scientist, Mr. Julius Ilesanmi, said should be how to promote the socio-economic welfare of the people.

“In developed democracies for example, the United States, the focus of the party in power and the opposition is basically on the welfare of the people,” Ilesanmi said.

 So, constructive and formidable opposition is considered to be one of the key ingredients of stable democracy in the world. This is because the roles of the opposition party go beyond criticising unpopular policies of the ruling government to playing important responsibilities in shaping the decision of the government in power, conducting civic education and putting the President on his or her toes for effective performance, among others.

Due to the role expected of it, the opposition party is sometimes described as the government in waiting because it is supposed to scrutinise the activities of the government in power and ensure accountability in the application of public fund.

For the opposition to perform the above roles effectively, Ilesanmi said it must be credible, responsible, respected and united as well as, from time to time, suggest to the ruling government alternative policies that will impact the lives of the citizens. He said that the ruling party too must be sensitive to the voice of the opposition for the citizens to feel the impact of the government.

Prior to the last general elections, however, no fewer than 26 political parties registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission. Some of them later adopted Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party as their candidate for the presidential poll while they still presented candidates for governorship positions and other elective offices.

The parties which presented candidates for the last presidential election, such as the Hope Democratic Party, the Labour Party, Kowa Party, Alliance for Democracy, the Social Democratic Party, the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, the National Conscience Party, the United Progressive Party, the Action Alliance, the United Democratic Party, the United Progressive Party and All Progressives Congress had touted themselves during the electioneering as the parties to beat.

The parties had said then that they had the capacity to provide the responsive leadership which they accused the then ruling PDP of lacking.

But the APC emerged winner of the poll with a pledge to fix the dilapidated infrastructure the party said it inherited from the PDP. The APC also sought the support of the PDP and parties in the election for the onerous task of rebuilding the nation.

The PDP, on its part, hailed the winner of the poll, Muhammadu Buhari, and said that its defeat was not a death sentence. The PDP also boasted that rather than being demoralised, the loss would spur it to pursue efforts that would promote the peace and happiness of the people at all time.

A statement signed by the then PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, had said, “What is paramount to us is the survival of our democracy, the unity, peace and progress of our dear nation and the happiness of all our people. Nigeria is bigger than any political party, individual or group and her overall interest must be our priority at all times.”

But exactly one year after the PDP became the main opposition party following its defeat at the poll, Ilesanmi said the party and others had yet to fully play that role. He said but for the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, and a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who had been speaking occasionally on some national issues, the PDP might have lost its voice in the polity.

Ilesanmi therefore asked the PDP to rise up to the task that its defeat in the last election bestowed on it and constructively work with the Buhari-led government for the enhancement of the people’s welfare.

He said, “It is ridiculous that nearly all the political parties that touted themselves as the parties to beat during the last general elections appear to have been found missing in the polity. Apart from a few persons like Governor Fayose of Ekiti State and Fani-Kayode who are still speaking once in a while on some issues they think are not promoting national interests, I would have thought that the APC is the only party in Nigeria.

“But then, what stops the PDP and other political parties that lost during the last general elections to team up and present a formidable opposition to enrich the nation’s democratic experience?

“What stops the parties from constantly reminding the APC of the pledges it made to the people and the need to fulfill them? The PDP should not pretend that it does not know that about five political parties merged to form the APC.

“For many months before the last general elections, the APC was repeatedly telling Nigerians through the media that it was set to bring hope to them. So, now that the APC is in power, I expect a healthy and vivacious opposition from the PDP so as to ensure that the APC does not leave the citizens worse than it met them.”

The APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had described Buhari’s victory as the finest moment for Nigeria’s democracy. He assured that the victory would bring better live to the people and rebuild the nation’s democracy.

Tinubu had said, “It is a moment when hope is re-born, faith is rekindled and a fresh fire of patriotism is released for the task ahead. The APC seeks power not for its sake, but for the purpose of bringing a better life to our people and re-building our country. This is also democracy’s finest moment. Nigerians alive today have witnessed the beginning of an era of change.”

To Prof. Jonah Onuoha of the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Tinubu’s assured better life will be a flight of the imagination unless the PDP, which he said possessed the attributes of opposition among the other political parties that participated in the last general elections, shuns its internal bickering and begins to match the APC with ideas for ideas.

Onuoha said he had yet to hear superior arguments from the PDP since the party lost the reign of governance 10 months ago.

According to him, this may be due to the moves to prosecute some supporters of the PDP suspected to have defrauded the state in one way or the other.

He, however, told the PDP that it had a stake in the sustenance of the nation’s democracy.

Onuoha said, “The PDP is struggling to recover from the shock it suffered during the last election and because of the shock and the pressure put on the party by the APC, the PDP has not been able to creditably play the role of the opposition.

“Most of the PDP members are being arrested for one reason or the other and other members are defecting. In fact, there is a problem in the PDP and because of the problem, it appears that no member of the party is brave enough to speak out; those who are attempting to speak out claimed that they were being harassed and that automatically created fear among the PDP members.”

Advising the PDP on how the party should play the role of the opposition creditably, the Professor of Political Science said, “The party needs to put its house in order. For the PDP to be seen playing that role, it should match the ruling party with better programmes, its arguments must be superior to those of the APC.

“It must also elect credible members to its respective offices. For now, nobody is speaking for the party since its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, is facing charges of corruption practices.

“It will be disastrous if the PDP is allowed to die by its members. The PDP needs to match the APC with idea for idea for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.”

A lawyer, Mr. Bisoye Odubona, disagreed with the view that the ruling party is harassing members of the opposition. He said the current activities of the APC-led government were prompted by the change majority of Nigerians voted for.

He said robust opposition had yet to take its root in Nigeria since the advent of the current Republic. According to him, governance can be made better if both the ruling and the opposition parties see themselves as a vehicle for purposeful government.

Odubona said, “To the best of my understanding, if we look at the way democracy is being practised in developed countries, the opposition there does not want the ruling government to fail; the opposition engages the ruling party constructively for impactful performance.

“But the PDP in Nigeria does not understand that it should be a partner by ensuring that the APC is accountable and responsive for better performance.”

While it is a universal truth that democracy will survive in an environment where robust opposition is allowed, Odubona asked the ruling APC to always expect criticisms from “any party that calls itself an opposition” for effective performance.

He said, “The APC should expect criticisms from everywhere. The party should listen to criticisms and select those that are useful,  ignore those that are not necessary and move forward.”