By Tony Osakpamwan Agbons
A look at our natural surroundings, atmosphere and the galaxies serves as a gentle reminder to us mortals of an unseen activator and creator of the universe. The ambience of nature and its serenity is a testament to the astuteness of its designer and originator. Be you a believer in faith or not- Christian, Muslim, African traditional religionist (ATR), Buddhist, Hindu, or Atheist, there is no denying the fact that at some stage, someone or something somewhere had a template from which nature and existence came to be. The bang must have been very well banged!
In the times past when empires held sway, Kings and Queens reigned supreme in different climes. There was absolute domination as wars were fought and territories taken over. Powerful monarchs ruled by decrees. As recorded in history the advent of republicanism led to the fall of the once powerful large empires and rise/formation of much smaller entities or nation states. Leadership ascension changed from primogeniture or filial relationships to regional selection and later elections. With it also came the emergence of nationalism, pressure groups formation and think tanks associations which over time metamorphosed into political parties. The latter became the ‘special purpose vehicle’ to ascending national office/positions.
Social scientists affirm that these SPV’s are in different shades and colours. They posit that membership of political parties is an aggregation of like minds within the circumference to the right, left and centre wings. The gravitational pull within the perimeter of this spatial orientation is directly proportional to ideology. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines ideology as a set of beliefs or principles, especially one on which a political system, party, or organisation is based. It is a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. As stated by the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, particular categories of ideology are socialism, communism, anarchism, fascism, nationalism, liberalism, capitalism, and conservatism. It therefore subsists that political parties are cast by clear cut ideological persuasion both in shape and form.
In the United States of America with her presidential system of government their major special purpose vehicle for political ascendency is via either the Democratic or Republican Party. In the United Kingdom, with its parliamentary system, it is the Labour Party, or Conservative Party that are the dominant forces. In Ghana, it is the National Democratic Congress, NDC and the New Patriotic Party, NPP. In South Africa it is the African National Congress, ANC, and their main opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) which hold sway. A study into these political parties reveals a strong ideological base. These political parties have their core discernible identity which clearly reflects in their values, system of thoughts, behaviour, body of doctrine, myth, and beliefs. Take a trip to Nigeria and it is game! Can any Nigerian beat his/her chest and tell the ideology of the All Progressives Party, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP or even the so-called new kid on the block, the Labour Party, LP? Do these political parties have an ideology? The answers stare us in the face.
At Independence in 1960, the main political parties in Nigeria were the Action Group, AG, National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons, NCNC, and the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello respectively. At the elections, none of these political parties was able to win the majority. The NPC and the NCNC decided to form a coalition to form the national government which led to choosing Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as the Prime Minister and Nnamdi Azikiwe as the Governor-General (and later President). Students of history will tell you that each of these political parties of yore stood for something and fought for something.
The generation of that era could with pinpoint accuracy decipher what each of the political parties wanted to do in all sectors. Fast-forward to 1979, we had five registered political parties; National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) and the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP). Again, each of these parties had very clear ideas on critical sectors like education, healthcare and social services, agriculture, foreign policy, amongst others. In particular, the NPN and the UPN were unique in their very distinct ideologies. Nigerians knew without any equivocation what the NPN or UPN had to offer in education, healthcare, housing etc. This was not just at the federal level but cascaded down to the state level.
A major thrust of that era was the strong structure of the political party leadership in every sense of the word. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was impervious in the UPN. He commanded respect and his followers never doubted his near superhuman abilities. He was a colossus. Elected Governors of the UPN knew what they were in for. They knew that the margin for error was zero. In the NPN, Chief Adisa Akinloye held sway. Like a trojan, he bestrode the party with zest and was respected. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was untouchable in the NPP. He was venerated. Mallam Aminu Kano was in charge of the PRP. He was saintly while Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim handled the GNPP with gusto. He was a statesman. There was regard for party supremacy unlike what obtains in the current dispensation. How many Nigerians today can state in a jiffy albeit in black and white what the APC, PDP, APGA or even the LP ideology is? If you know please show and tell dear reader. These parties it seems are all floating across the river in the same boat. The politicians change sitting positions at the slightest turn of the journey. Once at shore they junket and hop into each other without candour. They are not perturbed. Many get elected on one platform and abandon ship at the slightest of opportunities. They deceive the electorates by playing the victim’s card.
Many Nigerians even refer to the two major political parties in the country as APCPDP, an acronym that amplifies the conjugality between them. Like Siamese twins, the APCPDP duopoly cannot be differentiated by way of their ideologies. They are same of the same. Yes. Nigerians can no longer be cajoled. Nigerians are becoming wiser by the day because of the antics of these politrikcians. They have been found out in their game of deception. The last 2023 elections as flawed as it was shows that Nigerians are getting up to it.
The tsunami wave that greeted the candidature of Mr Peter Obi was monumental. If our constitution allowed independent candidacy, Peter Obi would still have sailed. It wasn’t about political party. The anthem, `carry me dey go, peter obi carry me dey go for a better naija` was loud in every corner of the country. He received massive support from across the political divide. Nigerians didn’t really care about the SPV (political party) he was in. We recall how he left the PDP at the midpoint of the primaries campaign to pitch tent with the LP. For many, even if he had gone to YPP or XYZ, people were ready to align with him. The atmosphere was electrified as prominent members of both the PDP and APC openly threw in their support for Mr Peter Obi. Although in the Labour Party, Peter Obi garnered unprecedented cult followership both within and outside the shores. Reason was simple, Mr Obi was seen by many people as a breath of fresh air, and torch bearer capable of turning the country around for good. His message of character, competence, capacity, and compassion resonated greatly with the citizenry. People gravitated towards Peter Obi as a result of his pristine persona, spartan discipline and the simplicity of his message. They could relate to him. Although a billionaire, he understood the situation of the ordinary man and woman and engaged with them.
Dr Agbons is lead, Institute of Leadership and Good Governance at www.twin2.org
