If we are to judge by the ward, local government, and state congresses held so far by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), then today's presidential primary may be riddled with so much underhand deals and sharp practices. But that will hardly be in the interest of the party, and of the country's democracy in the long run.
PDP prides itself as Africa's largest political party, but rather than just be a cause for boasting, it should see its vaunted size as a responsibility, indeed a bounden duty, to lay good example. It should be truly democratic in name and deed. But sadly, this is not what we see from a party that has been in power at the centre since 1999. It currently has at least 26 state governors.
Today, as President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Atiku Abubabar, Mrs Sarah Jubril, and Alhaji Aminu Dutsinma, slug it out for the party's presidential ticket, nothing but a level playing ground, fair deal, transparency and fairness, will do. Hanky-panky, subterfuge and shenanigans can only wreak untold havoc on the party, the nation at large, and possibly imperil our democracy.
The campaign so far between the major contenders has been rough, murky, and sometimes crude. Foul language, sabre-rattling, blackmail, intimidation, and more, have been employed. The greatest injustice the leadership of the party can therefore do the nation is to be less than transparent in the conduct of the primary election. Today, matters must transpire in plain, open and transparent manner, devoid of chicanery and duplicity. Whoever will emerge as candidate must do it fair and square, and proceed to general elections in April to jostle with candidates of other parties. Any unsavoury act can only breed deeper anger, malice and ill-will. We can do without all such in a polity that is already saturated with worrisome tendencies like ethnic jingoism, religious insularity, and regional cleavages. What PDP does with its primary today can either reinforce the cohesion of the country, or further rend it.
Many complaints had attended the build-up to today's event. The plans were deliberately made hazy, delegates' list was not made available, there was controversy over membership of the screening committee, and even the nature of the primary itself was not defined. With all that had transpired at the ward, local government and state levels, the PDP is on the verge of becoming a house of commotion. Today, it can either redeem its image, or go inexorably into infamy as a band of dishonourable, unscrupulous people, masquerading as democrats.
We appeal to the party leadership, the delegates, and the aspirants, to conduct themselves with decency and civility. Public office should never be do or die, but unfortunately, that has been the credo of the PDP in recent times. So much heat has been visited on the polity in the quest for this presidential ticket, and the way there won't be implosion or explosion is for all things to be done properly and in order.
There should be no intimidation or coercion of delegates as had been seen in recent weeks, each person should exercise his/her duty in freedom of choice, which is the hallmark of democracy. Votes must not be manipulated, and whoever wins must be seen to have done it fairly. All these will do our country and democracy a world of good.
After this election, there's no gainsaying the fact that PDP will need to rebuild from the scratch, if it would continue to be a party to reckon with. As things stand, PDP is polarised down the middle, unhealthy sentiments run deep, and we have seen defection of bigwigs to other parties in recent weeks. It can hardly go to general elections with such fractured house, and whether the party is redeemable or not will be determined by what happens today.
Our democracy was won at great cost, and it is still tottering, simply due to the less than democratic tendencies of most of the parties and the politicians. We urge all stakeholders to uphold verity, equity and justice today, because these are the building blocks of a democracy that will survive. Let the aspirants be sportsmanly, and know that only one candidate can win at the end of the exercise. Let such emerge in a free and fair contest, that is our plea.
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