Prior to the 2011 general elections, 27 states were firmly in the grasp of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In two short years, this has been pruned to 18.
Following yesterday’s merger between the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the break-away faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the political landscape of the country has undergone a paradigm shift that not only structurally dissolves the majority-minority complex hitherto in place, but more importantly lays the foundation for more interesting activities ahead the forthcoming general elections in 2015.
Despite retaining the highest office in the land, the realignment of the governors has pushed the PDP into unfamiliar terrain as it is considerably weaker than it has been at any point in the last decade and a half.
There are many questions that come to the minds of political observers with this new equation, and top of that list is the implication of this to the future of the PDP as the 2015 general elections gets closer. The PDP would not have the upper hand it did in the National Assembly as it did yesterday morning, which means the APC now has the ability to use its representatives to sponsor, promote and have bills passed that are in its favour.
On another hand, the Presidency just had an extra hurdle added in the National Assembly, as the governors are serious power brokers in their states, and will play an active role in a coming series of carpet-crossings.
With the 2014 budget presentation expected to come up soon, the ‘ayes’ would not be as loud as previous years. The PDP still has in its fold perhaps the most savvy ensemble of politicians in the country, but with the APC now considerably strenghtened, it now has the political magnet to attract some of these big-wigs also. More importantly, the APC is as well spread across the country as the PDP, and surprisingly outnumbers the PDP in the Northern sphere of the country.
Did the PDP really need the break-away governors?
On April 15th this year, the PDP Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, while receiving members of the South-West caucus of the PDP, stated that, “We need to work hard now because we have a (presidential) mandate to move beyond 23 states in our control and win at least 32.”
While the cart might have been placed ahead of the horse in that instance, one wonders what the PDP failed to do that the APC might have done to grow. Had the PDP grown complacent or become used to its members that it failed to woo them as well as it should have? Or is it the case of a new lover in the life of the brides, in this case the defecting governors?
While it is essential to point out that democracy in its very nature is being served judiciously by these recent turn of events, there should be caution in the acceptance of this new marriage.
The APC is yet to have any internal crisis, and one wonders how with a myriad of several political interests, it would manage such crises, or power tussles, when they eventually crop up. Would it then mean that governors would cross carpet back to the PDP?
The frequency of the chasms within the PDP would mean President Goodluck Jonathan’s rumoured 2015 ambition would have to come with a lot of lobbying, and maybe, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, elections would be decided by the swing voters.
The defection of five of the aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) has been dismissed as a threat to the ruling party, the Presidency said on Tuesday.
Five of the seven governors, on Tuesday, met and finalised their decision to merge with the APC. The group, thereafter, addressed a press conference signifying their decision to “work with” the APC. The five governors who joined the merger include: Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Ahmed Abdulfatah of Kwara State, Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano State, Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto State and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State.
Governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State backed down from the merger; with Mr Aliyu issuing a statement that he still belonged to the PDP.
Speaking with journalists at the Presidential Villa, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, dismissed the development as threatening the PDP in the 2015 general elections.
“The Presidency does not feel threatened, PDP does not feel threatened,” he said. “PDP is the party to beat. We have had it before, even people who occupied higher offices left the party and came back to the party. Outside there, there is nothing, it is empty. PDP is the only party.”
Mr Gulak, however, stated that the PDP would welcome the governors if they decide to come back to the party.
“Reconciliation is an ongoing process; if they go outside there like those that went there before them and taste that the outside there is empty, they are always welcomed back home like we did before,” he said.
“It is good that they have shown the world that they have taken a stand. So that the PDP will not be distracted; so that the PDP, as a party, will be focused to build the party because a lot of people are waiting for this moment. A lot of people, even in the APC, ACN, ANPP, have contacted me severally that they want to come back to PDP and they were just waiting for what happened today to happen. And to us, it is a good development.”
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