“An intelligent and conscientious opposition is part of loyalty to country.” —Bainbridge Colby
Dear
Jagaban, I hope this letter meets you well. Let me start by first
acknowledging your pedigree as a national political figure. The depth of
your political astuteness and the strength of character you have
demonstrated since your foray into public life during the dark years of
military dictatorship and now as a leader of the opposition is the stuff
of legend. Your efforts since 2003 in providing a formidable opposition
that has kept the ruling party on its toes has been recognised by those
who value the importance of opposition as one of the central tenets of
democracy. The question to be asked is what would have become of this
democracy if you had not stood firmly against the rampaging
armies of
the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, in the South-West which
is now considered a model of opposition politics in the country? I am
also aware of the raging debate surrounding your comparison to, and, as a
successor of the Yoruba patriarch, Obafemi Awolowo.
While
I am too much of a minnow to judge who fits into the larger-than-life
image of the late sage, I believe you possess some of the traits to fit
in his shoes- your perseverance in the face of persecution in staying to
organise the opposition while men of little conviction abdicated to
feed off crumbs from the ruling party is reminiscent of Awo’s exploits
as leader of opposition in the First Republic. Anybody who questions
your capacity to assume that role underestimates your contributions in
the last 13 years. In 2003, you fought the most important political
battle of your life for the soul of Lagos when you stood your ground and
ensured the state was not “captured” by the then Olusegun Obasanjo-led
PDP which had hoodwinked the old guards in your political camp. That
singular act of yours also started a political revolution that swept the
thieving buccaneers out of this political zone in 2007. It provided the
momentum for the progressives who had been bruised, battered and left
in political wilderness to stage a comeback. It also ensured several
electoral and legal victories for many of the governors and elected
representatives whose mandates were stolen in brazen electoral fraud by
the PDP.
Your endorsement of
Babatunde Fashola, who has since proved himself also confirms your
ability to spot talents. In you, Nigerians saw a man who can put the
ruling party in check. The South-West victories also inspired other
states to challenge the ruling party which had been thought invincible. I
believe the history of our democracy will not be complete without
documenting your role as a major protagonist. But the narrative has
since changed. That is why I am at pain in using this medium to
communicate to you this open letter. However, I am left with no other
choice because of the urgency of the message that needs to be conveyed
to prevent a looming political disaster that will spell the doom for a
viable opposition politics.
The
truth is that your party is becoming more of the same it helped to
defeat in previous elections. The party is derailing from those ideals
that attracted the entire South-West and Nigerians in 2003 and 2007. Now
opposition politics faces an uncertain future. This is worrisome
because this democracy needs an opposition that stands out. It needs an
opposition that is distinguishable from the rot in the ruling party.
Opposition parties are vital to the functioning of democracies as they
provide a representative system of the electorate while keeping ruling
parties accountable. But how can this happen when your party has failed
to isolate itself from those undemocratic practices that are inimical to
democracy, a recent example being the imposition of a governorship
candidate in the Ondo election? Now there is also a worrisome perception
of your continued role as a leader of opposition. Remember this is also
not about you. It’s about building a strong and enduring opposition
that will outlive the heroics of one man. These perceptions (either true
or false) are gradually eating away at your party’s fortune. Can your
party continue to be a credible opposition platform as it did in 2003
and 2007? Do you still consider yourself to be able to command the
momentum that led to the success of the opposition in 2007? Can you
still boast the people’s confidence to support your cause? What do you
make of your party’s misadventure in the just-concluded Ondo election,
for example? The results even showed that your party came a distant
third behind the PDP. That is scary. Perhaps, that statistics could be a
sign of what to expect in future elections.
Are
you not worried that the division and negative portrayal of your person
as an opposition leader will affect the fortunes of your party and
ultimately opposition politics? These negative portrayals were not there
at the beginning. So, it’s time to look inward. Now you are viewed in
the public domain as high-handed and overbearing. The word out there is
how you want to turn the entire South-West into your personal fiefdom.
You have been portrayed as not giving elected leaders in your party the
free hand to do their jobs. They say you breathe down the neck of
elected governors and do not allow them to function. The most disturbing
is the patronage system that is alleged to be rife in your party.
During the Ondo election, you spoke of “capturing” the state. You should
have known better that such statements put the electorate off. It
reminds them of what Obasanjo wanted to do in your Lagos in 2003. It
reminded them of what President Shehu Shagari attempted to do in 1983.
Instead of the warlike campaign strategy on display, it would have
served the party better to showcase its achievements. Now, I fear a
bandwagon effect in other South-West states in future elections if you
do not tone down your rhetoric and play the leadership role that
endeared you to the people in the first place.
The
questions being asked by the electorate are: if your party is now more
of the same with the one that was replaced; if the public has a certain
perception of your party, don’t you think it is capable of ruining your
chances in future elections? As a matter of urgency, it is important
that your party eschews some practices that will make it implode from
within. The Ondo election could be a pointer to future calamities. The
practice of imposition in picking candidates for future elections should
be avoided. It causes disaffection- as it was in Ondo we will see in
future elections. Party primaries should reflect the wishes of the
people. Unfortunately, this is not the case today in your party. As a
major opposition figure, you should constantly be above board and must
be seen in positive and sharp contrast to the ruling party so that the
electorate can have a clear choice. This is becoming increasingly
important now that the votes count.
Remember
this is not about you. It is about having an enduring and a vibrant
opposition which is critical to the survival of democracy. For in the
words of Barrack Obama, “Africa does not need strong men, it needs
strong democratic institutions”.
Culled: Punch
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