By Deborah Coker
Philip Shaibu, the former deputy governor of Edo, has said it may take 20 years to rebuild Nigeria’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP because the vision of the leaders of the party are focused on ambition.
The former deputy governor said this while commenting on gales of defection in the country and the importance of ideology to Nigerian politics.
‘’For that of PDP, the vision of the leaders is ambition, and when everything is not working towards that ambition, the polity of the party disintegrate.
“As far as the leadership of the PDP is concerned today, if the attitude continues the way it is, I can bet you that it will take another 20 years to rebuild the party,’’ Shaibu said while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
He, however, said the dividends of democracy would be better felt by Nigerians through political ideology, citing institutions like The Political Institute (TPI) of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as capable of building and guiding future leaders of the country in the right direction.
The Institute is the official Think Tank as well as the Intellectual Resource Centre of the APC. It undertakes research and capacity training on leadership, good governance, political party management, development, public policy, democratization as well as other emerging national and relevant international issues.
It also undertakes research into contemporary national issues in governance and provide regular reports to the APC.
Shaibu also said that with a progressive leader in a party, everyone would invariably go with such leader, adding that same goes for reactionary leader, and would lead the party disintegrate.
“If we can follow through that political institute, we can start grooming leaders towards a particular ideology; and until that is done, I can tell you, all the political parties are only going to be a political party that is led by the vision of the leader.
‘’For that of PDP, the vision of the leaders is ambition, and when everything is not working towards that ambition, the polity of the party disintegrate.
“As far as the leadership of the PDP is concerned today, if the attitude continues the way it is, I can bet you that it will take another 20 years to rebuild the party,’’ Shaibu said.
Shaibu however noted that what was key in spite of the gale of defections ahead of 2027, was how the dividend of democracy could be delivered to the people.
“Our people are not concerned about who is defecting and who is not defecting. But I also subscribe that we need to start building a political structure towards ideology that will also carry the grassroots towards that ideology where everybody will take ownership.
“I think it’s very key, because when everybody takes ownership of a political party from the grassroots to the top, then the issue of ideology is dealt with and everybody will also contribute their own quota to the building of the government that emerges from such a political party.
“But when the grassroots are not carried along in terms of the ideology and structure and the vision of the party, it’s difficult for even the government of that same political party to be able to build ownership,’’ he said.
Shaibu saluted the courage of President Bola Tinubu for the various reforms in the economic and political landscape of the country in the last two years of the administration.
“What we are seeing today is a grassroot politician being the president of Nigeria. We are seeing a very progressive minded democrat as the president and the leader of a political party.
“That is what is drawing everybody to his party, because of that acceptability.
The Edo former deputy governor further said that the country was gradually tilting into resetting how politics is being played.
“Progressive elements coming together, reactionary elements coming together. In the progressive party also, the issue of idea cross-multiplying, superior argument having its way, is where we are drifting into.
(NAN)
