Many captains, one ship, May Day!

A cursory look at the number and character of PDP members who are aspiring to be Nigeria’s President in 2019 shows that if care is not taken, the party will be a victim of intrigues where the candidate who eventually emerges will not be popular enough to defeat the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari. By allowing […]

A cursory look at the number and character of PDP members who are aspiring to be Nigeria’s President in 2019 shows that if care is not taken, the party will be a victim of intrigues where the candidate who eventually emerges will not be popular enough to defeat the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari.

By allowing the 12 presidential aspirants to be crisscrossing the entire country consulting and seeking the support of delegates who will elect the party’s flag bearer instead of dialoguing with some of them to drop their ambition and throw their weight behind a more popular aspirant, PDP might have an uphill task presenting a candidate that will win the 2019 presidential election. APC has long scaled this hurdle by making the incumbent President its flag bearer and has even moved ahead to hold rallies to drum up support for him.

The way PDP Presidential aspirants are moving around talking down on each other and creating bad blood among delegates and the electorate shows high levels of desperation that requires the party’s intervention aimed at calling them to order. Already stones have been thrown at some of them who have gone for consultations in some states.

It was however heart-warming to read that PDP is working out a Plan B for aspirants who would lose at the party primaries so that they will have a fall back. However, since the pronouncement was made, there is no clear indication that the party is doing the necessary follow-up. 

On the other hand, there an indication that the party would also contend with a small group in the PDP who have ganged up to push for a candidate to win the Presidential primaries based on selfish reasons. There is the insinuation that if such candidate emerges and eventually wins the presidential election, he will be more easily amenable to manipulation aimed at doing the political bidding of his sponsors while in office. This group is afraid of a strong minded candidate who will not fall for their antics and intrigues. Watchers have identified two serving governors and a former lawmaker as the ring leaders of the group. PDP should be wary of this clique in the best interest of the party and the nation.

A critical look at the candidates shows that many of them enjoy a cult-like followership in certain parts of the country as against overall national appeal and spread which is required of a Presidential candidate who is worth winning in a free and fair manner. 

Permutations by officials of PDP and the presidential aspirants follows an erroneous impression that the 2019 Presidential election is a fait accompli in  that Nigerians are tired of the APC government and therefore, are just waiting for any PDP candidate to become the next president. This is outright fallacy because APC have given indications that if PDP does not present a formidable candidate they would be running the risk of remaining in opposition for a longer time.

Emmanuel Ugoji, [email protected]