THE 2012 NATIONAL Convention of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), held some days ago at the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, ended with the party squandering a historical opportunity to deepen and expand the frontiers of democracy in the country. This is disappointing, coming from a party that claims to be the biggest in Africa and like a behemoth has monopolised power at the centre of Nigeria's federation since the inception of the prevailing fourth republic in 1999. Although no one was in doubt as to the deeply flawed nature of Nigeria's democracy, many expected that the party leadership would use the event to showcase its potential and for that matter, the country's capacity for democratic deepening particularly at the grassroots. The reason is simply that a party's convention tugs at the soul of the party, and democratic equality is required to lubricate it. This historical opportunity, often rare in the annals of man, was wasted by the party in ways that left it in huge democratic deficit.Prior to the convention, party members who were desirous of elective positions within the national working committee of the party traversed the length and breadth of the country to solicit for voters' support within the ambit of the party's constitution, only to run into brick walls of party stalwarts hell-bent on imposition. In this manner, the democratic principle of rational choice was subverted by the whims and caprices of the party's leadership already prospecting for the 2015 coveted prize, even when it has yet to justify the extant mandate it holds, to the satisfaction of Nigerians. Candidates who were endorsed by the constraining code of zoning within the party were jettisoned for the pre-ordained to the detriment of those who expected that the elective principle would triumph over selection.The abnormality was played out especially in the North-east and the South-west where dark horses rose by imposition, justified by the authoritarian principle of consensus. Indeed, contrary to the vaunted expectation that the convention would be the most credible, peaceful, hitch-free in the party's and country's history, it turned out be another incremental and rapacious devaluation of the principle of internal democracy. The sermon of some of the party leaders about the principle of fairness, justice and rule of law is preposterous when indeed the convention made those principles its principal casualties. It is instructive to note that societies that apparently endorse the selection mode also operate inherent mechanism for tutelage and mentoring for their candidates; and above all, moral standards are often applied to cushion occasional upset of the process. Sadly the PDP convention, rather than showcase a semblance of these attributes, displayed only contempt and absolute disregard for decency, order and indeed rule of law. These traits have become common staples of political actors in this clime.The PDP's adoption of the infamous and characteristic path of impolitic is worrisome because much of the bitterness seen in Nigerian politics is a consequence of the absence of internal democracy within the party. It accounts a great deal for the poor governance output we see all around us. As political thinkers have thought through, the democratic principle of legitimacy is the principle of consent. To subvert it is to consign democracy and its claim to value to the dustbin of history. Similarly, the role of the presidency in the imposition politics of the convention is appalling. Irrespective of arguments that may be advanced for the tenability and legitimacy of any person within the party to nudge its interest in the choice of party leadership, such interest must be made to go through the democratic mill. Presidential meddlesomeness simply evinces the complexion of the incumbent president, especially his authoritarian bent which could disrupt the party and consequently slide the country into troubled waters. Such interferences in the past only succeeded in heating up the polity.Why is it impossible for democracy to deliver its goods and remediate itself in Nigeria and Africa in general' It would seem that the leadership claimants in this clime do not learn anything from history. Historically, imposition is no guarantee for electoral fortune. Also the absence of hegemonic elite especially in terms of a common agenda for national development is the bane of our politics and progress is not possible in that context. Where hegemony around development is absent, present is the common benchmark of misapplying, misappropriating and outright looting of national resources to the impoverishment of the commonwealth. These converge with the evident ideological poverty in political groupings that lay claim to partyship.The opposition parties, unfortunately, have not excelled in their own turfs on the question of internal democracy as they have been largely compromised by their big financiers. But there is a lesson to be learnt. They should improve on their democratic credentials as far as internal democracy goes. They should encourage the spirit of healthy competition within the party and harvest democratic surpluses such that could make them beneficiary of democratic turnovers in our plural political environment.
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