Following the mess and flawed modus operandi that will eventually give birth to presidential candidates in the two dominant political parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC)’s flawed procedures just as recently described and condemned by the former President, Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerian will have no choice but to choose among candidates they never really wanted.
In the southern parts of the country, all eyes were on the People’s Democratic Party and it’s former candidates, Peter Gregory Obi who recently switched camp few days to the party’s national primary election understandably that he was going to lose the primary due to the process and procedures towards the primary election that were marred with brazen corrupt practices of bribery in attempt to buy votes from delegates responsible for the selection of who becomes the presidential flag bearer of the party.
We need to answer the question if the Nigerian political parties have ever been clean in their conducts and activities beginning from the primary elections within the political parties, PDP and APC in particular, certainly the answer will be in the negative. Furthermore, the question if delegates’ purse in all these parties were not funded with dollars in preparations for the previous primary elections is begging for an answer. Perhaps this time the process was brazenly carried out with no regard to the thirst and hunger of the masses who are economically and financially starved by the Buhari’s inglorious and poor policies made the noise of bribery roar to heavens in preparations for the primaries.
All these years of corruption in Nigeria political system, Peter Obi have maintained a safe place in PDP and other. Of course, we must conscientiously acknowledge the fact that the power belongs to the South now and precisely Southeast. Peter Obi is one of the best candidates in the Southeast and the best in People’s Democratic Party from Southeast. And as a matter of fairness, Peter Obi was supposed to clinch the PDP’s presidential ticket in addition to the consideration of his growing support among the youths. The embargo here was the party’s decision to open its door of presidential ticket to aspirants from all regions. This generated serious and desperate competition of who the highest bidder is for the party’s delegates. Under such circumstance, Obi could not compete.
Peter Obi must have considered all options before showing himself the exit from the party to another. The first option was his chance of winning the primary election. The second option was the dollar for the delegates. No dollar no winning. The last option was to walk away, which he did. This very action has been misinterpreted and misunderstood by Obi’s admirers across the country. Obi is decent and principled but for dumping PDP was not a matter of decency and principle. It is rather a matter of winning and losing.
By calculation, Peter Obi’s exit was inaccurate. First, Peter Obi had been in PDP for a while and knows PDP better than any of his supporters. Secondly, Obi was much closer to Aso Rock in PDP than any other considering his leverage, levels and worth. Abubakar Atiku, a former vice president whom Peter Obi was his running mate in 2019 general elections was acknowledged by Obi as his boss in his congratulatory message to he (Atiku’s) for his victory at the just concluded primary election which Obi withdrew from few days to the election.
It is important to note that the money in whichever currency Atiku paid delegates this year primary election, he also paid it in 2019, nothing has really changed and Peter Obi knew this. So the doubt about Obi’s principles for quitting the PDP remains unclear. This cannot be about principle and decency but impatience because he has been in PDP and he knows the flaws and mess in PDP do not start today. If not, before now Obi should have left PDP in preparation to launch himself from another platform
The point is, Obi would be much closer to his dreams in PDP than any other. No doubt, Peter Obi is principled, decent and sound but he could have withdrawn, support Atiku, retain VP slot and keep himself close to his dreams for the Nigerian youths. Obi could have been the president after Atiku. However, whichever way, Peter Obi was closer to his dreams in PDP than any other but now farther from it than he was before. Atiku may win and may not win but Peter Obi will never near it in another party.
However, let us hope that it shall not be said of Obi that he was the best president from the Southeast Nigeria never had. His exit from PDP is a stumble in his strides towards achieving his dreams for the Nigerian youths because Labour Party, his new party lacks the structure to win a presidential election considering the nature of our electoral process in Nigeria.
