Now the vomit has been swallowed
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must believe that Christmas has come early this year. Through no efforts of their own the fortunes of their party appear to be on the increase with mass defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Back in 2015 the PDP was accused of highhandedness, constitutional infractions, dictatorial tendencies, economic […]
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must believe that Christmas has come early this year. Through no efforts of their own the fortunes of their party appear to be on the increase with mass defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Back in 2015 the PDP was accused of highhandedness, constitutional infractions, dictatorial tendencies, economic incompetence and failing to ensure security of lives and property. Back then Petrol was N87 a litre, rice N7,000 per bag and a US Dollar exchanged for N160.
The newly formed APC convinced the majority that they could reverse these ills but in all honesty things have only got worse. Disappointingly APC spokespersons prefer to abuse and ridicule opposition rather than provide explanations for their failures. Be that as it may, the mass defections from the APC aren’t about ideological differences or a struggle to improve living conditions for Nigerians.
It’s all about personal interests, acquisition of wealth, continued relevance, continued access to government subsidized living, and being able to travel abroad for medical treatment. It’s not about achieving the status of a rich country with rich citizens or about our collective significance, and certainly not about qualitative infrastructure or fixing our decrepit hospitals.
Despite the 2015 “Change” mantra the defections from PDP didn’t improve living conditions and neither will these. The fact remains that PDP and APC are made up of the same people seeking continued relevance. Back in 2015 when APC was in opposition talk was cheap, but now in power reality has taken its course and things have only got worse. Government officials continue to praise themselves while people are increasingly fed up with their paraded self-righteousness. The latest Accountant-General’s Report makes sad reading. To paraphrase the London Economist, Nigerians have never shown such a level of patience and tolerance towards any of their governments for their record and strange policies as that shown to this administration. The nation is plagued by failure across every single sector of the economy with the currency losing 70% of its value, unemployment rising from 6.55% to 26%, petrol prices increasing by 67% and most commodity process rising by over 150% and security at an all-time low.
However even if the APC can’t provide solutions to our problems, there is no reason why any rational person would want a return of the PDP who after all caused the problems in the first place. As Frederick Bastiat once famously said “when plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it”. That aptly describes PDP in office. Professor Sola Adeyeye correctly surmised that “our country the Federal Republic of Nigeria lies in the path of sundry tornadoes, cyclones storms, whirlwinds and typhoons which are rushing towards us at deadly speed.
Anarchy is gradually taking over in the country as murder is a daily affair with the “technically defeated” Boko Haram continuing their almost daily slaughter at will, and so called “herdsmen” increasing their murderous rampage. With all all this is going on our legislators have decided to put the nation’s problems to one side so that they can go on recess to plot their own futures! It is difficult not to agree with General Akinrinade who said “there is nothing like Senators in the Federal Republic of Nigeria as at today. What people refer to as Senators is simply a deceptive and illusory assemblage of national irritants who deliberate daily on how to purchase new cars, build new mansions, arrogate a strange immunity to themselves and get constituency votes for servicing new wives and girlfriends”. As far as he is concerned the Senate derives its membership from retired governors who ran their states aground and left them with huge debts”.
Inexplicably the APC feels that their newly “elected” Chairman Adams Oshiomhole can pour oil on troubled waters. The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor has pointed out that Oshiomhole lacks the moral right to accuse other leaders of corruption. In all truthfulness citizens of Edo state wonder how he managed to get away with well documented infractions and petitions. Oshiomhole doesn’t possess the necessary diplomacy to steer the APC out of trouble. His reaction to the mass defections was to write off defectors as having no electoral value despite being in a democracy where every man has a vote.
There is little doubt that the Senate President received humiliating treatment at the hands of the party and despite all Oshiomhole’s grandstanding and hid weird statement that no-one would swallow their vomit and return to PDP, fear of what will happen if the situation doesn’t improve should be giving the APC hierarchy sleepless nights. It should be recalled that the PDP lost the 2015 elections because of their arrogance in believing that the departure of so many of its members would not affect their fortunes at the polls. They learnt the bitter way.