Where is the opposition?

The Nigerian opposition is the most clueless with the opportunistic tendency polluting our democratic space today. They are simply gamblers and depend on the legendary “Baba Ijebu” syndrome in navigating their political journeys. We have one way or another arrived at the conclusion that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a political behemoth that has […]

The Nigerian opposition is the most clueless with the opportunistic tendency polluting our democratic space today. They are simply gamblers and depend on the legendary “Baba Ijebu” syndrome in navigating their political journeys. We have one way or another arrived at the conclusion that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a political behemoth that has eroded our democratic beliefs and entrenched the military command structure in political ideology and programme implementation. While this may be true to an extent, what alternative do we have as a people desirous of unfettered freedom that is anchored on rule of law and the ability of the people to vote for leaders of their choice? The failure of the opposition in our present political dispensation is the greatest challenge facing our democracy today. Those who propagate PDP as the sole impediment to our growth and transparent politics should commence a review of their notes.

A worthy opposition must be a government in waiting and it is unfortunate that we have politicians whose antagonism to the government is a function of the ability of the later to include them in the sharing formula of the spiced gravy. This is not what the people of Nigeria are demanding from their opposition leaders. In the immediate past, so many important national issues have cropped up and opposition elements are yet to proffer a clear cut agenda designed to provide a roadmap that achieves same national objectives but different governance and policy approach. This is unacceptable.

The government spin doctors have continuously disturbed our ears on the demerits of fuel “subsidy” and all the opposition parties are quiet. In fact their irritant noises have been worse than the government’s sophistry on this matter. We need the organized opposition to provide answers to the following:

*Are we really enjoying any fuel subsidy as citizens of the republic?

*If the answer is yes, what percentage of the pump price constitutes the subsidy?

*Is the subsidy as a result of structural inefficiency or pricing dynamics?

*If it is inefficiency, what measures do they intend to put in place in addressing the situation?

* If the problem is international pricing dynamics, what are the measures that will insulate the country from this?

*Is the government right on the amount expended on subsidy and how it affects our economic development?

*If yes, what economic blueprints are they proposing as a counter to subsidy removal and will this rake in enough revenue to ensure uninterrupted development?

*If they genuinely claim to be fighting for the masses in this regard, why are their governors fully behind the Federal government in the subsidy removal campaign?

There are so many questions that deserve answers from them and the earlier they act in a positive direction, the better for them and the polity.

The same scenario is also playing out in the fight against Boko Haram menace. How prepared is the opposition in fighting the menace if power is handed over to them today? Are we as a people comfortable with the condemnation of the unsatisfactory ways the government is handling the matter without a variant prescription from our so called opposition? It is very easy to sit in one cozy office and make pedestrian mockery of the government’s approach to the problem. The opposition must present a solid plan to curb the insecurity in the country. This must be factual and imbued with ingredients of workability. Their inability to do this simple task of positioning themselves for governance clearly demonstrates the political decline we are faced with.

We have opposition parties that in reality are subsets of the PDP. They have turned themselves into dumping grounds for PDP rejects and this has given oxygen to the usual return of their elected leaders back to PDP. Which of the opposition parties are actively engaging the government in serious policy debates? They have muddled the waters and replaced quality debates with condemnations of any government agenda.

A good opposition party thrives on entrenched ideology that produces alternative policy direction. An opposition party may bank on errors of the government to win a democratic election, but that manifests when the people are sure that it can provide leadership they can trust. A situation where senior opposition elements are running around Abuja in search of government’s patronage is not only shameful, but imbibes the spirit of hopelessness in the youths whose progress has been derailed by maladministration of the ruling class.

Will the combined opposition be able to dislodge the People’s Democratic Party if new elections are held today? The answer is a big no. The opposition parties will indeed perform worse than they did in April because they have retired their party structures in their pursuit for Abuja gravy train. Setting up structures within a year to an election is failure foretold and the character and charisma of the contestant does not matter in this instance. My position is that the opposition parties have taken the route to electoral hammering by the PDP and nobody should endanger the peace of Nigerians if they are bashed in future elections.

My final point is that it is not too late to make amends and focus on the business of providing alternative platforms to Nigerians who desire a change of leadership. This change can only come through the ballot box and all hands must be on deck to ensure that we have a choice. The Nigerian voter will continue to see PDP as unbeatable as long as the opposition is populated by men and women of low integrity, opaque vision, nepotic and contract hunters. The opposition must play its part in building our democracy and they have failed Nigerians in this assignment. Is anybody listening?

Kelechi Jeff Eme can be reached on