EMEKA NZE examines why the various bodies championing opposition cannot come together to form a formidable team.
Opposition in the Nigerian political landscape, as an orphan, has suffered, often subjected to the whims and caprices of power mongers and men and women of means to favour their cause.
Apart from the People Democratic Party (PDP) which which readies itself to take over and therefore has shown consistency in playing opposition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) , the other parties merely exist on the papers of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) and readily group themselves together to be used by those who can afford them.
In the yesteryears, they came under Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and made up of the then All Nigeria’s People’s Party Congress (ANPP) and other minor political parties.
Since the APC took over the reins of the country’s leadership, CNPP naturally fizzled out and towards the preparations for the 2019 presidential election, the Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP) emerged formed by portfolio political parties in alliance with the PDP.
The CNPP and CUPP have been described as birds of a feather, majorly put together by those parties whose only hope to have a taste of power is to integrate with the major opposition party. However, their impact in opposition have been somehow short-lived and minimal.
Moreover, a deeper peep into their activities (CNPP and CUPP) indicates that the platforms are usually marred by squabbles within themselves, riddled with internal wranglings, power tussle, rancour and bitterness amongst former political friends now turned foes.
Observers have attributed this to financial impropriety and sharing formula usually gone sour amongst the chieftains of the political parties who came together to form the opposition platforms. Because their major source of income is donations from beneficiaries of their political activities, the platforms are usually plunged into intractable crisis due to disagreement by stakeholders.
When the PDP reigned in Nigeria, CNPP sprang giddy against the then government, picking hole in every programme and policy of the then governments. While raising the hope of a formidable opposition in the country, observers said it veered into other unwholesome activities and often used by some elements to propagandise and champion other undemocratstic courses.
Its then spokesman or National Publicity Secretary (NPS) was Enugu state-born Mr Osita Ikechukwu now Director General at Voice of Nigeria (VON).
A diehard follower of President Muhammadu Buhari, Okechukwu’s background as member of then major opposition party, All Nigerias Peoples Party (ANPP) and later Congress of Progressives Change (CPC), one of those platforms that fused into the APC, put in him at a vantage position to deal several ruthless blows to the then party in power, PDP and its government.
Okechukwu’s instrument of warfare were press statements churned out from the comfort of his home against the then party in power and disseminating same to pressmen, some of who he hardly met in person through addresses and emails, and in turn, they were run in their various media platforms.
Some of the statements, bothering on serious and topical issues, they usually attracted the front pages and brought the CNPP and its spokesman to national limelight The former CNPP spokesman became popular vide the CNPP. He became more popular than his ilks in the CNPP almost equalled by Alhaji Balarabe Musa, the then National chairman and one time governor of Kaduna state governor.
Analysts agree that playing political opposition can sometimes be financially lucrative, sometimes attracting local and foreign donors who see it as a veritable instrument of selling their views and championing their causes.
According to a source who preferred anonymity, sometimes chieftains of opposition platforms like the then CNPP were hired by individuals and organisations to craft statements to sway public opinion in their favour. This is perhaps CNPP’s departure point as a veritable instrument of credible opposition.
Today Okechukwu, a hitherto pushover governorship aspirant in Enugu state , even as the Director General of VON, a reward for work well-done, is a formidable governorship aspirant of his home state, Enugu on the platform of the APC.
Since APC took over the reins of power in Nigeria and Okechukwu appointed as the DG of VON, opposition from CNPP died and CNPP died.
The CUPP emerged at the heat of the campaign for 2019 presidential election, made up of mushroom political parties and the PDP, it has since , taken over the roles of the CNPP becoming a thorn in the flesh of APC and it’s government. it’s vocal spokesman another Igbo, this time from Imo state, Barrister Ikenga Imo.
Unlike CNPP, the CUPP was floated to support the presidential bid of the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the last general election and when he could not win, the coalition transformed to an opposition instrument criticising every programme of the APC administration it perceives to be anti-people.
The image of Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo, its spokesman, within a short time has loomed large through his courageous and enboldened advocacies and opposition against federal and state governments, which many said were sponsored.
From a reliable source, now there’s no love lost between Ikenga and other members of the coalition who allege that Ikenga has deviated from the original principles and ideologies that set up CUPP. To those members, “the CUPP spokesman is feathering his own nest and needed to be stopped.”
The above analogy merely underscores the squabbles within the ranks of opposition platforms allegedly used for personal aggrandisement and expansion personal political frontiers.
Just on the eve of Edo governorship election, the muribund CNPP which lost its voice since the Buhari government assumed power resurfaced.
Now controlled by its national secretary and traditional ruler of Opi in the Nsukka area of Enugu state, Chief Willy Ezeugwu, CNPP surprisingly rose to challenge the federal government of Nigeria to refrain from acts capable of killing Nigeria’s democracy.
Apparently referring to a programme of empowerment by the FG in Edo state at the twilight of the election, Ezugwu’s CNPP warned that “acts of benevolence by the federal government in states during campaign periods have gone beyond coincidences to becoming a suspicious vote buying by proxy as is being witnessed in Edo State today.”
He called on international community “to seriously take note of the strategic death blows the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to give Nigerian democracy since the historic election that brought the party into office in 2015.
His statement further read: “The APC and PDP must be made to realise that they are not the only registered political parties in Nigeria and that every act of election rigging perpetrated by these two political parties that have continued to alternate their members and candidates is a death blow on democracy in Nigeria.
“At least, the PDP could be forgiven for coming to a realisation that election rigging will kill the country’s democracy and gave Nigeria the most transparent election in the history of Africa in 2015, leading to the defeat of a sitting President who was also a candidate in the election”, he said.
Continuing, CNPP noted, “The ordinary Nigerian electorate who believed in the change mantra of the APC voted the then opposition party into office, reasoning that the party, with the anti-corruption disposition of President Muhammadu Buhari, will leave up to its promise to do things differently.
“Alas, five years down the line, Nigerians are now counting their losses rather than gains. APC is gradually killing all other political parties in the country.
“We must recall that even with the level of election rigging under the PDP led federal government before the globally celebrated 2015 general election that brought the APC to power, smaller political parties were able to win governorship elections in states like Abia, Ondo, Edo, Anambra, to mention a few states.
“Under the Buhari administration, with anti-corruption war as its selling point, electoral corruption through all manners of federal government induced vote buying have been invented in the last five years.
“Such vote buying by proxy schemes like Tradamoni and school feeding programme, nicknamed social investment programme, were fully deployed ahead of 2019 general election, which was superintended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who went from market to market to distribute cash to would-be voters before the elections, with allegations of the APC government collating the permanent voter’s card numbers of the beneficiaries.
“In Kogi State recently, billions of naira were released to the state few days to the state governorship election, an act seen by many stakeholders in the Nigerian pro-democracy family as monies intended for vote buying.
“Today, in Edo State, barely three days to the state governorship election, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, and an APC member, found the wife of the APC governorship candidate, Idia Ize-Iyamu, as partner in “empowering” women in the state.
“How would the wife of a candidate in an election be partnering with the federal government a few days before the election to “empower” Edo people? How do you defend it? That is a clear vote buying by proxy.
“Right now, desperate APC and PDP chieftains are engaging in a war of words over allegations and counter allegations of vote buying, which was never heard of in all the days of PDP’s electoral impunity.
“The CNPP, therefore, calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all security agencies to save Nigerian democracy by preventing all acts of vote buying before they occur.
“If Nigeria must survive in 2023, it’s about time President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on INEC to do what is right to save Nigerian democracy from desperate politicians who see elections as do or die.
“No lover of Nigeria will stand while the APC and PDP continue to rape democracy in broad day light.
“The judiciary has not lived up to the general expectations of Nigerians in deciding post-election disputes. However, most pre-elections matters have been dealt with fairly by the judicial arm of the government but more needs to be done in post-election matters to discourage electoral violence and vote buying”, the CNPP stated.
When the election results were out CNPP came up with another statement congratulating the winner, Godwin Obaseki and saying that “Nigerians are now energised to kill godfatherism.”
“The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has said the people of Edo State has demonstrated exceptional resilience and stood out as champions of democracy by standing against obvious intimidation to not only vote but also to ensure that their votes counted.”
“The people of Edo state is the real winner in the September 18, 2020 governorship election for coming out enmasse, standing against obvious intimidation, and ensuring that their votes were counted as well as insisting that their votes must count.
“Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is indeed a popular candidate in the state by all standards but we see every vote against him and his party as a vote against godfatherism in the country.
“The Edo people have again demonstrated that if voters turn out in large numbers to vote and stand to protect their votes, it will go a long way in bringing sanity to the electoral system and ensure the sanctity of the ballox box is upheld for democracy to thrive in the country.
“Godfatherism and nepotism are the two major killers of the Nigerian democracy. So, we urge Nigerians to emulate the Edo people and united to retire all godfathers from politics everywhere in the country.
“Now that the people are awake, political parties should begin to compel their elected public officeholders to deliver exceptional dividends of democracy for the good of the people as a prerequisite for reelection.
“We, therefore, commend the international community for the recent visa restrictions placed on identified election riggers in the country.
“The CNPP therefore urge more countries in the international community help save Nigerian democracy by identifying and visa bans on election riggers in Africa, extending such restrictions to members of their families, judicial officers, as well as all the beneficiaries, including top members of benefiting political parties, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“INEC is hereby commended for not bowing completely to federal pressure to utterly corrupt the electoral process. It must be noted that if INEC does not want any election to be rigged, no politician can alter the will of the people.”
The question on the lips of people is whether CNPP has bounced back as an opposition platform or it’s one of those one-off sponsored statements. Questions are also raised why both bodies made up of opposition parties cannot come togther to pursue a common cause.
