THE character of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a party its key officials pleased themselves, is playing out in the rancourous management of the party’s loss of the 2015 elections. Neither the party, nor the polity anticipated reactions of PDP members if they are the opposition. We may only be at the beginning of the implosion that could be an explosion.

How could the party that predicted 60 years dominance of our politics disintegrate so fast? PDP’s demise built up over its 17 years of existence. There was ample evidence of a party in trouble with its 11 chairmen in 17 years-Only one of whom was elected. For a democratic party, the absence of internal democracy was a major flaw.

It was not only in the party executive that trouble brewed. In the first eight years of civil rule, the PDP, which dominated the Senate, posted five Senate presidents. It was another ignored signal of the fractious tendencies of a party the attainment of power glued into place. If PDP did not know how to manage power (success), it would not be surprising that it is eating itself up after losing the elections.

PDP is just being itself, the only difference is that its grip on power has slipped and the common denominator for all its interests has gone with the loss of the elections. PDP is a lesson on how Nigeria has spent the past 16 years of democratic rule. Leaders, followers, admirers and ordinary watchers all had their eyes on power and its allure, not on serving the people. Does anyone have to ask those associated with the PDP loss to resign?

Everybody is denying responsibility for a trouncing that should bring the party to sobriety it requires to share a common woe. It is obvious that the only thing common to PDP – power – has gone. Senate President David Bonaventure Alechenu Mark proudly stated that PDP was comatose.

If PDP is comatose, in what state are its members?

An over-dose of party indiscipline has taken its toll on PDP. Calls are raging for the resignation of party chairman Alhaji Adamu Muazu, who has the unenviable record of leading the party to its first defeat in 16 years. The loss is enough reason for Muazu to resign; after all, chairmen who led the party to its four earlier victories were still disgraced out of office. Muazu is not ready to resign.

What should worry Nigerians is that with PDP prostrate, the All Progressives Congress, APC, could be without strong opposition to stem temptations to abuse power. With a weak opposition, we could end up with change we never imagined.