The Best Political Party In Nigeria

By Annabel Ogheneganre

As we approach the forth-coming general elections, there is every need for Nigerians to support the best political party for the needed change in the country. Concerns have been raised and various political parties are being accused of having failed the people. The APC and PDP for instance are being branded in some quarters as complete failures because of their inability to fix Nigeria despite the opportunity provided for them be in take charge of affairs of the nation. Presently, with the naira redesign crisis and fuel crisis rocking the nation, the PDP is jubilating on the prospect of reaping some political capital from the critical pains on the masses. The APC on the other hand has persistently maintained that the PDP has nothing to offer having been in charge of affairs for 16 years without solution to any of our challenges. The question now is which is the best political party that could make Nigeria great again?

The good news is that of all the political parties in Nigeria, none is good or bad. There is no political party that should be classified as having failed. Political parties are mere platforms for attainment of political power. What the individual vested with the mandate of the people does with the power at his or her disposal determined the rating of the administration. In fact, all the political parties have brilliant ideas and manifestoes. All the political parties had promised heaven on earth yet none has been capable of moving Nigeria forward. The truth therefore remains that the political parties are not the problems, rather the political actors are. The average Nigerian politician is evil and desperately wicked, selfish, heartless and callously petty. I have no problem with any political party.

In Nigeria today, the best governors are found in both the PDP and APC. Governor Nyesom Wike, one of the best governors in Nigeria is of the PDP while Babagana Zulum of Borno state is of the APC. These are governors with exceptional performance records. They have been able to defy the evil system to achieve great feats in record time. None of the political parties, credited with failure and classified as evil were able to stop them or be a clog in the wheel of their progress. That makes this writer to continue to maintain that there is no best political party in Nigeria. None is equally evil or bad. The evil or failure is in the individual. Therefore the campaigns in some quarters that the APC or PDP has failed and should be rejected by Nigerian is the greatest error of the time. None of the political parties have failed, but the individual actors should be assessed on their individual merit. No political party can fix Nigeria. It is the right person with the right attitude that can drive the system to fix Nigeria.

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One thing those branding PDP or APC as failures should address their mind to is the speed at which Peter Obi has invested credibility and value on the erstwhile Labour Party which was one of the micro political parties before now. Today, Labour Party is being branded as the third force in Nigeria because of one man. Some say the party has no structure yet it is causing the giant APC and PDP sleepless nights just because of one man. That is what credibility, integrity, personality and trust could do to a political party. The party cannot change anything but the individual in the party can.

Today, many Nigerians are of the opinion that President Mihammadu Buhari has failed the people. Their expectations have been dashed because the people trusted him and expectations were so high when he came in. The man has done well in some sectors but the general well being of the people has not been affected positively hence the misgivings. That does not mean APC has failed and should never be voted again. In Delta State, nobody can classify the administration of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as a successful one. In fact, many brand him as a complete failure yet the best material can still come from the party. What people described as failure of the political party is in fact the failure of the holder of the mandate of the people. No political party is evil; the people are.

In the politics of 2023, nobody should look at the political parties less we make the same mistakes over and over again. We must look critically at the individual and the merit of their pedigree and claims. The question of religion is secondary. As far as this writer concerned, if President Muhammadu Buhari could not Islamize Nigeria, I do not think anybody could. Therefore I will not use religion to disqualify anybody. There are more Christian Governors in Nigeria yet the country is not making the desired progress. If the governors are doing well, nobody will consider what is happening in Abuja except for some obnoxious policies like the naira redesign and fuel crisis that have direct impact on the people. The problem with Nigeria is not on the head of one man but an assemblage of leaders with the right mindset and attitudes to the progress of Nigeria.

In Delta State for instance, I dare say that the best candidates in terms of academic qualification and credibility are in the APC while the PDP parades more touts and persons with questionable academic qualifications with just a few exception. Governor Okowa, a cerebral medical doctor with distinctive academic attributes is parading a bunch of touts and gangsters for various positions across the state. Only a few of them are of the right quality yet, he keeps saying PDP should be voted 5/5. He is working against the rotational arrangement in Nigeria as running mate to a desperate power seeker, Atiku Abubakar yet he has the moral conviction to canvass for votes in southern Nigeria. In Delta State, no senatorial district can be allowed to produce the governor back to back yet, Okowa wants the north to succeed northern Nigeria out of desperation to be Vice President at all cost.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, one of these men will be the next president of Nigeria. These men should be supported based on their personal merit and not on the basis of political party or religion. No political party is evil or good. The people therein are the problems. We must vote for the unity of Nigeria. One thing southern Nigeria must note is that if by any mistake, Atiku Abubakar wins the coming election, the south should bid farewell to Aso Rock forever. At the end of an Atiku presidency, APC will give their ticket to the north, win the election and the cycle will continue. 2023 is the only opportunity to entrench rotational presidency in Nigeria. If it fails, the south will lose forever, if the south succeeds with Tinubu or Obi, Nigeria will get better and more united. The choice rests with the people.

Annabel Ogheneganre writes from Garki, Abuja. (Responses can be sent to [email protected])