By Douglass Anele
Going by the abysmal performance of PDP at the federal level and in most PDP-controlled states since 1999, it would really be advantageous for our democratic evolution if the party loses the presidency and majority in both chambers of the National Assembly. But that is easier said than done.

Losing four governorships is one thing, capturing the presidential position and control of the federal legislature is another. Moreover, if one considers the slim margin of votes by which PDP lost in each of the four states mentioned earlier, as determined by the Appeal Court, it becomes obvious that the party was not completely trounced.

Hence, ACN, ANPP, LP etc. have a lot of work to do to dislodge the ruling party from Aso Rock and the National Assembly.
But the fundamental questions are: Can these parties unite and get the job done? Does the loss of four govern

orships in the old Western Region constitute the drawing of a new and, perhaps enduring, political geography in Yorubaland, as some commentators have suggested?

Or would PDP reverse its misfortunes in the next elections? Obviously, if ACN organises well, it could consolidate its recent victories in 2011, thereby preventing PDP from gaining a strong foothold in the South-West and, hence, strengthen and possibly extend the emerging anti-PDP political geometry of that very geo-political zone.

But, then, there is little on ground to suggest that ACN, even in alliance with other parties, is focused enough and ready to displace PDP. It has no philosopher-king with the sagacity, intellectual acumen, charisma, moral stamina and national appeal to bring about the desired change.

In fact, stalwarts of ACN, such as Bola Tinubu, Tom Ikimi, and Audu Ogbe have murky antecedents which disqualify them from assuming that important role. Ayo Adebanjo, in an interview published by SUNDAY VANGUARD of December 12, was right in criticising, albeit mildly, these politicians and the leadership that has emerged in the party.

Now, if ACN congresses held penultimate Saturday in Lagos and Niger states are used as a barometer for measuring preparedness of the party to optimise its current successes, then PDP has nothing to worry about.

In Lagos, there were complaints about imposition of candidates, whereas in Niger, the party couldn’t even secure a venue for its congress – apparently because the PDP government there didn’t want the event to hold. There are strong indications that ACN, as a successor party of AD, is not popular beyond the old Western Region. Hence, as things stand right now, it cannot mount a serious challenge for the presidency against PDP. It is regrettable that, despite the awful performance of the ruling party since 1999, there is no political party that stands a good chance of defeating it at the national level.

Apart from incumbency factor and PDP’s rigging machine, ANPP and ACN, the leading opposition parties, are led by politicians of questionable credentials just like PDP. Also, like PDP, both parties lack ideological focus and are bedevilled by egoistic leadership and intra-party dissension and wrangling. To be candid, there is little to choose between PDP and others, because political parties in the country are dominated by agbata ekee politicians who see politics as an avenue to power and easy wealth.

Yet, we believe that Nigerians should take advantage of the misfortunes of PDP in the South-West and elsewhere to reconstruct the political cartography of Nigeria by rejecting bad candidates during elections in 2011. Most of the PDP governors and members of the legislature at both the federal and state levels should not be re-elected because of poor performance.

As for the presidency, Nigerians, if they really desire positive change, must sharpen their eyes and minds and vote for a candidate with proven track record of honesty, transparency and meritorious performance. Since the dominant political parties in Nigeria cannot be differentiated on the criterion of ideology, we must try, in the next elections, to vote on the basis of individuals, not party, ethnic or religious affiliation.

In otherwords, we must vote for those that have the requisite physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual (not religious) qualities for leadership. In addition, we must be ready to defend our electoral choices and resist political carpetbaggers whose stock-in-trade is subversion of genuine democracy. By this time, Nigerians ought be tired of recycled deadwoods and moral and spiritual Lilliputians posturing as political leaders.

Sentiments aside, political parties, especially PDP, have failed us. In most of the indices for assessing national development, the country is retrogressing, whereas political office holders irrespective of party affiliation are amassing wealth at the expense of the toiling masses.

As we stated earlier, the losses by PDP are good for Nigeria, although one cannot be certain about the impeccability of the judgments that precipitated those losses. The possibility that big money might have changed hands cannot be totally ruled out, judging from the fact that bribery and corruption have penetrated even the supposedly hallowed temple of justice.

Inspite of that, in the next elections, politicians without solid moral and intellectual pedigree and track record of performance must be totally rejected at the polls no matter what. Politicians have taken us for a ride for too long. We have a wonderful opportunity in 2011 to cut our pound of flesh from their over-fed and over-pampered political bellies.

Concluded.