Between PDP And APC: A Dialectical Comparison -By Gozie Irogboli

It is commonplace to hear Nigerians compare the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and then conclude hastily and disappointingly too that they are both the same. Such rueful statements usually come whenever there is an argument or analysis about our contemporary unstable political environment but they are more pronounced during electioneering periods and whenever there is cross a defection that has become the norm, of political actors between the two parties. As election approaches, it is usual for media hirelings and agents of the political godfathers to push out such misleading opinion about the two major political parties in the country into the public discourse to hoodwink and distract the people.

The pertinent question here is: are both political parties really the same? Yes, they may be the same in so far as you refer to them as political platforms created by Nigerians for the purpose of seeking power but they are not the same in structure, function and basic philosophy. What makes some analysts incline to classify PDP and APC as being the same is because of the cross defection of individuals between both parties but that is not enough. Others anchor their argument on the fact that there is no defined political ideology in the country. Political parties are formed around interest groups and have a set of ideas and beliefs that govern their activities. Political parties have leaders, active members and followers that share their ideologies and operational modalities. So, political party is not just about the individuals that make up the party, but about the ideology, values and operating system. The defection of Mr. X from platform A to platform B does not make both platforms the same. Indeed, Mr. X may still the same person but his behavior in the platforms will be subject to the rules, the framework, the culture and belief system governing the platforms. So the system, the structure, the procedures and the basic philosophy of the organization will determines the conduct of the members.

When compared in terms of national outlook and political philosophy, PDP is miles ahead of APC. The founding fathers of PDP are known political thinkers and statesmen that believe in the Pan-Nigerian project and made commitments and enormous sacrifices to promote national unity. Chief Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Dr. Chuba Okadigbo among others were the known political gladiators that formed PDP. In shaping the party’s operational mechanism, they were guided by history and our cultural diversity. They knew that NPN won the presidential election in 1979 despite the presence of political heavy weights like Zik and Awo because the party was pan-Nigeria in philosophy and structure.

The people saw Zik’s NPP and Awo’s UPN as Igbo and Yoruba party respectively. Those who founded PDP were avowed democrats who fought very hard to sustain the democratic ideals including combating President Obasanjo’s dictatorial proclivities and schemes that went against the party’s philosophy and democracy but in APC, no attempt whatsoever is made to challenge Buhari’s excesses instead, they applaud and celebrate his Mephistophelean and anti-people policies that has polarized the nation.

APC on the other hand is like an amorphous political organization put together by ethnic irredentists, religious bigots, losers and disgruntled elements within PDP that are looking for outlet to vent their anger and frustration on PDP. While PDP has well-defined spatial structure across the nation and defined method for sharing power and political offices APC has none. APC is obsessed with the desire to grab power, destroy PDP and smother other political platforms and turn the country into a one-party state. In sharing power and political offices, PDP takes into consideration our multicultural features but APC is flagrantly insensitive to that. That is why in APC regime, the President is a Muslim, the President of Senate is a Muslim, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is a Moslem and now the party flag bearer for 2023 presidential election Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is a Muslim has no qualms about picking a fellow Muslim as a running mate.

APC is like a party of political mercenaries and soldiers of fortune. Within the party there is no cohesion, neither is there solidarity. Primary allegiance is to tribe and religion. It is a political amalgam of self-seeking individuals that are power lust. APC pretends to be progressive and liberal but it is not just conservative but reactionary in its alliance with ultra-conservative elements within the country. It is basically a sectional party; a South-West and North-West arrangement with others coming in as mere appendages without any foothold or stakes. It has no mechanism to ensure plurality in the political space. At best, it could be called a party of godfathers. So in reality it has no pan-Nigerian outlook. That is why North-West will produce President and Senate President and South-West will produce Vice-President and Speaker at the same time in a country that has six geo-political blocs.

Those migrating to APC are failed politicians, jobless political nondescripts looking for freebies, who have false notion of leadership and governance. They are also corrupt politicians running away from prosecution and who want soft landing from corrupt charges hanging on their necks as the Comrade Adams Oshiomole the former APC chairman told the bewildered Nigerian public that once you cross over to APC your sins are forgiven you. And the actual supporters of APC are ignorant members of the public who have been brainwashed into thinking that politics is only about installing their tribesman in power.

When juxtaposed in terms of achievement, APC may be seen as rogue party; a haven for ethnic jingoist and religious bigots and corrupt politicians not concerned about national unity or economic progress. While in power, PDP facilitated constructive stakeholder engagement between the government, the civil society, the media, the opposition and the people and did not suppress civil advocacy but supported the interface for the emergence of inclusive multiparty systems that offered Nigerians the opportunities for political participation. PDP tried to broaden the scope of political participation through the active engagement and inclusion of everybody including the minorities, the youth, women and the vulnerable.

APC plays divisive and revanchist politics; winner-takes-all politics that is extremely dangerous in a multicultural setting like ours. They are more interested in ethnic dominance than nation building and hence the crisis in the polity. Buhari is more comfortable with resettling and rehabilitating killer herdsmen, dare-devil bandits and terrorists and other criminal elements unleashing mayhem in the country than providing security for the law-abiding citizens but the National Assembly (NASS) would not query that. And thugs loyal to Tinubu will go to Igbo-dominated areas in Lagos to cause mayhem in order to prevent the people from exercising their political franchise and there would be no official reprimand. They don’t understand the basic tenets and ideals of democracy. Their proclivities towards the suppression of human rights, free speech and civil advocacy are unprecedented. Under APC, xenophobia, racial prejudice, nepotism, impunity and mediocrity are elevated to unbearable limits, destroying national unity in the process.

Thus, the classification of PDP as being the same as APC is not only misleading, it is mischievous. The danger here is that it leads to voters’ apathy because it seems to make people think they have no real alternatives since both parties are assumed to be the same. Secondly, it promotes electoral malfeasance and vote buying. When one feels that he has no alternative, he may not care about selling his vote to the highest bidder as well since he assumes he has nothing to lose by doing that since both parties are the same. So, those behind the faulty classification of PDP and APC as being the same are the unconscionable and unscrupulous APC members and the purpose is solely to confuse the electorates. But, unfortunately many seem to fall to that. No doubt, one of the greatest problem confronting this nation is the credulity of the Nigerian public that tends to make the people believe without question rumors, hear-says and outright falsehood especially coming from those they perceive to be opinion leaders.

Gozie Irogboli
An economist, a novelist and public policy analyst
(goziei@yahoo.com)