The Campaign for Good Governance (CCG) has
urged the Presidency, the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) and all Nigerians, to be
concerned about the current state of affairs in
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of
its larger implications on the polity as the future
of Nigeria’s democracy is tied to the stability of
the party.
The group warned in a statement issued by its
Executive Director, Grace Ochinokwu in Abuja on
Tuesday that the PDP must not be allowed to
disintegrate because this would lead the APC to
become the behemoth that the PDP once was in
the absence of a strong opposition.
The statement explained that any further
degeneration in the affairs of the PDP risks
returning Nigeria to a one-party state presided
over by the APC and that this is a road the
country must never tread again.
The statement read: "The APC should be most
worried since politicians will begin to see threat
winning primary tickets on its platform as a do or
die affair. This was what began the implosion in
the PDP and the APC would not be spared going
through that circle, which even includes the risk
of widespread assassination of perceived strong
contenders.
"Had the PDP and Nigerians ensured that the
then ANPP, AD and UNDP thrived, perhaps it
would have avoided the crises plaguing it today
since a pluralistic party democracy would have
provided wider avenues for self expression.
"Nigerians should be the most worried. Whatever
they think the PDP’s failings or excesses were
would be nothing compared to what the APC can
evolve into once there is no stiff opposition to its
rule. This is why those rejoicing about the former
ruling party’s troubles should take time to ponder
the consequences especially when there is little
to no prospect of another group repeating what
the APC did to defeat the PDP in the
foreseeable future.
"A guaranteed outcome, going by human
tendencies and what we are already seeing, is
for the APC to become what the PDP was at the
height of its rule. This is why well meaning
citizens should prevail on the key members of
the PDP to put their house in order because of
the likely impact on the country’s democracy.
"For a start, we must all demand that the party’s
stakeholders sheath their swords and respect the
party’s internal processes including the choice of
Senator Ahmed Markafi as its caretaker
chairman."
The CCG advised that the rival factions of the
PDP set their differences aside as citizens would
hold them responsible if the fallout from their
party’s crisis disrupt or threatens Nigeria’s
democracy in any way.
According to the statement, the PDP stalwarts
must in addition to their individual interests
reckon with how their actions could create a
society with one party structure and what can
happen to democracy as a result of these
actions.
"PDP's future has implications for democracy in
Nigeria which is why we must not allow or treat
its current crisis as an internal affair of the
PDP," the group said.
Source: Vanguard ngr
urged the Presidency, the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) and all Nigerians, to be
concerned about the current state of affairs in
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of
its larger implications on the polity as the future
of Nigeria’s democracy is tied to the stability of
the party.
The group warned in a statement issued by its
Executive Director, Grace Ochinokwu in Abuja on
Tuesday that the PDP must not be allowed to
disintegrate because this would lead the APC to
become the behemoth that the PDP once was in
the absence of a strong opposition.
The statement explained that any further
degeneration in the affairs of the PDP risks
returning Nigeria to a one-party state presided
over by the APC and that this is a road the
country must never tread again.
The statement read: "The APC should be most
worried since politicians will begin to see threat
winning primary tickets on its platform as a do or
die affair. This was what began the implosion in
the PDP and the APC would not be spared going
through that circle, which even includes the risk
of widespread assassination of perceived strong
contenders.
"Had the PDP and Nigerians ensured that the
then ANPP, AD and UNDP thrived, perhaps it
would have avoided the crises plaguing it today
since a pluralistic party democracy would have
provided wider avenues for self expression.
"Nigerians should be the most worried. Whatever
they think the PDP’s failings or excesses were
would be nothing compared to what the APC can
evolve into once there is no stiff opposition to its
rule. This is why those rejoicing about the former
ruling party’s troubles should take time to ponder
the consequences especially when there is little
to no prospect of another group repeating what
the APC did to defeat the PDP in the
foreseeable future.
"A guaranteed outcome, going by human
tendencies and what we are already seeing, is
for the APC to become what the PDP was at the
height of its rule. This is why well meaning
citizens should prevail on the key members of
the PDP to put their house in order because of
the likely impact on the country’s democracy.
"For a start, we must all demand that the party’s
stakeholders sheath their swords and respect the
party’s internal processes including the choice of
Senator Ahmed Markafi as its caretaker
chairman."
The CCG advised that the rival factions of the
PDP set their differences aside as citizens would
hold them responsible if the fallout from their
party’s crisis disrupt or threatens Nigeria’s
democracy in any way.
According to the statement, the PDP stalwarts
must in addition to their individual interests
reckon with how their actions could create a
society with one party structure and what can
happen to democracy as a result of these
actions.
"PDP's future has implications for democracy in
Nigeria which is why we must not allow or treat
its current crisis as an internal affair of the
PDP," the group said.
Source: Vanguard ngr
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