Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} last week confirmed its Trade Mark Tactics – Do-or-Die Politics, when the party grudgingly dismissed its national officers who came to office through undemocratic, lawless and ruthless manner.
Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} recalls regrettably that from day one PDP had engaged in Do-or-Die Politics, never adhered to the best tradition of internal democracy nor subjected itself to the core ingredient of democracy, which is one man one vote.
A cursory review shows that:_
i} even the 1998 PDP Jos National Convention which produced Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as presidential candidate was manipulated by shifting of date and money politics when it was
clear that Dr Alex Ekwueme was poised win.
ii} the 1999 National Convention for the election of national officers, which late icon, Chief Sunday Awoniyi was poised to win was manipulated and chaotic.
iii} what followed afterwards was worse and indeed selection of Chiefs Audu Ogbeh, Vincent Ogbulafor, to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as national chairmen not election.
iv} we are witnesses on how the presidential primary which produced late Umaru Musa Yaradua was manipulated.
v} the blatant refusal to accept the 19-16 result of the Nigerian Governors Forum genuine election is hallmark of Do-or-Die Politics.
We also hear from the grapevine that those PDP officers who came through the back-door will be readmitted in July.
This is a dangerous trend for the growth of democracy; for instead of sanctioning them they are being rewarded which gives wrong signal to future crooks.
The unfortunate outcome of Do-or-Die Politics, and contempt for the rule of law by the ruling party is the decayed infrastructure, dilapidated social services, gross unemployment and
insurgency in the land.
CNPP is raising this alarm as we approach the water-shed 2015 general elections; for we had thought that 14 years down the line the PDP should have imbibed the principle of the rule of
law, the core ingredient of democracy, which is free, fair and transparent elections.
The truism is that the difference between democracy and dictatorship is that the peoples’ choice must prevail at all times.
CNPP once more congratulates the major opposition parties – Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN}, All Nigeria Peoples Party {ANPP}, Congress for Progressive Change {CPC}, the main All Progressive Grand Alliance {APGA} and DPP for consummating their merger into
All Progressives Congress {APC}.
APC for us is A Perfect Choice for Nigerians to get out of the stranglehold of the PDP and return to true democracy; where the peoples’ choice shall prevail. The merger is a viable
route to liberal democracy, where two major parties dominate the arena not one party.
In sum, we call on INEC to set forth at dawn, watch their back and review the sordid mistakes of the past; for PDP blatantly refusing to accept the 19-16 result of the genuine election of Nigerian Governors Forum, is a bad omen which shows clearly that PDP is still
hanging on Do-or-Die Politics.
Mr Osita Okechukwu
National Publicity Secretary
