16th March, 2011
There is no gain saying to conclude that the opposition parties would never win the April elections, particularly, the presidential election, unless they come together as an entity to rescue political power from the octopus known as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
They should take advantage of what happened in some African countries which led to the change of political leadership from the incumbents to the opposition leaders. We should have in mind, countries like Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, etc. and of recent, Corte d’Ivoire, where the incumbent president, Gbagbo, is trying to resist the wishes of the people which elected President Quattara instead of him.
Let us showcase Ghana as a good example. The opposition parties, led by Prof. Kuffor, realised that there was no way they could dislodge the incumbent president, Jerry Rawlings, (with all the state apparatus at his disposal) without coming together. Therefore, all opposition parties agreed to present only one candidate in person of Prof. Kuffor who won the election and transformed Ghana into a great political and economic country within 8 years in black Africa, to the extent that when US president wanted to visit Kenya, after winning his election, he had to go to Ghana first to commend the Ghana government for practicing true democracy with good economic development, and ignored Nigeria, the so-called giant of Africa which is yet to be truly democratic.
In addition, when Kuffor left, there was a smooth hand-over of government to the opposition party that won the election. That means, through Kuffor, Ghana has developed a legacy of advanced democracy, which other African countries are bound to emulate if they really want to develop. Ghana was able to do this because President Kuffor already had his 42 years plan to execute when he was able to rule the country. And this plan of 42 years he executed effortlessly and successfully. This feat of Kuffor could also be achieved in Nigeria, if the opposition parties could come together, and present a competent candidate.
The lesson all opposition parties in other countries of Africa must have learnt from Ghana is that unless they come together in each country to form a formidable party, they cannot take over government through election from colossus party like PDP in Nigeria.
But it is an irony of history to learn that no serious effort is being made by opposition parties to attain such feat as it was achieved in Ghana. We heard of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, engaging in discussions to have a semblance of such alliance like that of Ghana. However, the talks broke down and there have been no further plan to return to the round table conference. It is therefore necessary to inform Nigerians that opposition parties in Nigeria are not keen on wresting power from PDP which has been factionalised throughout the country and the zoning system which put the party in a political logjam whereby some notable Northerners are bent on seeing that the spirit of zoning the presidency to the North in the next dispensation does not die. To effect this, they are working assiduously to see that a Northerner is supported to contest for presidential post in next month’s election.
Therefore, we see no reason why the opposition parties like ANPP, CPC, ACN, etc, could not come together to present a joint candidate, such as Shakarau, Muhammadu Buhari, Nuhu Ribadu, etc. to contest for the post. We assure these major opposition political parties that none of them could win the race without the help of others. They should swallow their selfish pride and come together to take over the mantle of leadership from PDP which failed to offer dividends of democracy to the common man after 12 years of non-achievement.
If these so-called opposition parties are bereft of idea of coming together as a single entity to present a candidate for next month’s election, they should ask President Kuffor of Ghana how they could come together to present the most suitable and acceptable candidate among the three contestants for the Presidency. After all the three candidates of the three major opposition parties are from the North. I see no reason why they could not do this because they come from the same geopolitical zone.
•Olajuwan Lasisi wrote from Lagos.
