Lessons from PDP’s Lingering Sickness

Obinna Chima

Established in August 1998, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once celebrated as the anchor of Nigeria’s democratic rebirth and a broad coalition of national interests has been enmeshed in a prolonged crisis.

The one-time leading political party in the country is today fractured by internal strife, weakened by loss of direction, and struggling to retain relevance in the very system it helped to build.

The formation of the PDP, which once boasted that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years, was in response to the military rule that had dominated the country for many years. At the time, Nigeria was under the military regime of Sani Abacha.  Then, the need for a political alternative and a return to civilian rule prompted the formation of political parties, and the PDP emerged as one of them and the most formidable.

Founded on the principles of national unity, freedom, social justice, development and the overall well-being of citizens, that political party which ruled Nigeria for 16 years, producing the President in four consecutive elections, has been embroiled in internal crisis, with some analysts even predicting its demise after the next general elections.

Today, the party has only two Governors – Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State. The prolonged conflict also saw the reduction of the number of PDP senators in the chamber to 14, far below the 36 the opposition party had at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023. Similarly, in the House of Representatives, the number of its members in the Green Chamber has reduced to 17.  In all, across both chambers of the National Assembly, the PDP has so far lost 107 lawmakers.

Indeed, no matter the reconciliation being parroted today, ostensibly to allow the party field candidates to offices in the 2027 general election, such efforts appear more cosmetic than substantive.

Many commentators believe that as long as the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike remains in the PDP, it will be extremely difficult to achieve peace, as his objective is to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Therefore, for him and his group, that sound these days more like a subsidiary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), they would do everything to frustrate the PDP from having a formidable candidate that can challenge the President.

Against this backdrop, questions are being raised about the strategic direction of the opposing faction in the PDP, with some observers suggesting that a decisive break, potentially toward the African Democratic Congress (ADC), may better serve their political ambitions.

But what lessons can other political parties learn from this so as to remain relevant beyond the next general elections and continue to promote democracy in the country? This is because political parties are the backbone of any democratic society. They facilitate political participation, shape public opinion, provide checks and balances and serve as a bridge between the government and the populace.

Therefore, for any political party not to find itself in the current mess the PDP is in today, firstly it must embrace transparency in its primaries and cultivate new voices untainted by past excesses. For any political party to consolidate democracy, it must strive to be democratic in its internal operations. Members must subject themselves to the party’s constitution. Personal interests of politicians should be subordinated to the larger interest of the political party. Members should be treated equally, and fairly in order to create a level playing field and encourage participation.

Political parties must design credible, transparent, and technology-driven primary systems that minimise manipulation and restore trust, so as to address recurring intra-party crises, especially those that may arise from imposition of candidates and dubious substitutions.

Equally, political parties must be more inclusive and have the confidence of its members, especially the young people in their fold. Engaging the youth on their key policy issues can also translate in the long-term to a larger support base for parties. Youth wings of political parties, in particular, have the potential to engage with young people in a sustained and meaningful way, especially in a digital world.

Another critical lesson from the PDP’s terminal sickness is the need for party members to avoid forum shopping and abuse of court processes. Political parties must develop internal conflict-resolution process that encourage resolution of disputes outside the court. Here, the crisis involving former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, remains one of the PDP’s major undoing, as a faction of the party disregarded a subsisting court order and proceeded with the Ibadan convention, which not only deepened divisions within the party but also raised serious questions about its commitment to the rule of law.

Finally, political parties in the country must consider significant changes in the way their activities are financed. Their over-reliance on wealthy individuals, especially those in power, weakens the institution. Financing models rooted in membership contributions and transparent fund-raising should be embraced to ensure accountability and collective ownership of the party, rather than being at the mercy of few wealthy individuals, which was the case of the PDP over the years.

Ultimately, the story of that party, which once boasted that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years, is a stark reminder that no political dominance is permanent when discipline, vision, and unity are sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition. If other existing political parties fail to learn from this situation, they may soon discover that the distance between dominance and disappearance is far shorter than imagined.