2011 Polls: Opposition Disappoints Nigerians
- By Simeon Ogoegbulem
- Published April 18th, 2011
- News
- Unrated
As you read this piece, the results of the presidential elections held last Saturday would have started trickling in. If going by the results of the national assembly elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would by now be preparing for a grand party across the country to celebrate their victories at the two elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) under the 2011 general elections.
Perhaps, the opposition political parties themselves would be wondering what happened to them that PDP is once again coasting home to victory. This is because expectations were very high that the opposition will give the ruling party which claims to be the largest political party in African continent a good run for their money at the polls.
Expectations were very high before the National Assembly (Nass) elections that the behemoth ruling party will come out with a bloody nose following the perceived disenchantment of Nigerians in the way and manner the country is been governed in the last 12 years. Expectations were further heightened by the high profile defections of members of the PDP to other parties especially the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Grand Progressive Alliance (Apga).
Political analysts had, prior to the ongoing elections, submitted never in the political history of Nigeria has a political party with overwhelming majority at the centre and in firm grip of more than two-thirds of the states and local councils recorded the level of defection currently being suffered by the PDP.
From across the six geo-political zones, the party has lost high net worth party members. In most cases, the reason given by these once loyal party men and women who have decided to turn their back on the umbrella is the claim that they were either short-changed in the build-up to the primaries or out rightly edged out in the primaries proper.
Some of the personalities that once made PDP thick but left to seek political green pastures elsewhere include the former presidential aspirant, Chief Rochas Okorocha, who is now angling to take over the Douglass House Owerri under the platform of Apga. In Adamawa state, Major-General Buba Marwa, another known presidential aspirant moved with his supporters to CPC. Marwa will fly the CPC gubernatorial flag next week.
Anambra state got a large chunk of decampees. They include Professor Dora Akunyili, the cerebral immediate-past information and communication minister, who also dumped the party for Apga. Akunyili is currently locked in a bull fight for Anambra Central Senatorial seat with Dr Chris Ngige, former governor of the state. Hon. Uche Ekwunife, who had earlier dumped the party for Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) on whose platform she contested the 2010 governorship election also jumped boat. She is now coming back to the federal House of Representatives as a member under Apga platform.
In Oyo state, former Governor Rasheed Ladoja left PDP for the Accord Party. Ladoja did not move out of PDP alone. He decamped with several of his supporters and faithful who promised to give the ruling party in the state a good a run for their money. In Bayelsa state, Chief Timi Alaibe, former presidential adviser on Niger Delta, has since decamped from the PDP and joined Labour Party (LP). Even at that, other governorship aspirants of the party are complaining that the state governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has short-changed them. But the governor, who picked the ticket boasting he is the first governor whose nomination for party ticket was personally witnessed and endorsed by a serving president, dismissed the claims of his opponents, saying they are bad losers.
However, in spite of the high profile defections, the ruling party came out strong. Apart from the South West where ACN did well and Kaduna and Katsina States where CPC managed to scratch some seats, the ruling party is still in charge. For the opposition, it was a poor showing in the South South, South-East, North Central and North East regions of the country.
From the results so far released, PDP is miles ahead of other political parties put together. With over 60 senate seats and over 170 seats at the lower federal legislative chamber, the ruling party is set to form government again. Before the build up to the election, fears were raised that there may be need to form a coalition government as PDP may not have outright majority in both legislative chambers. But facts emerging from the two elections so far held showed in clear terms that the ruling party is coasting home to victory.
Already, the opposition is crying blue murder in the areas where it lost woefully. From Benue to Kwara, from Bayelsa to Imo and across the six geopolitical zones, the opposition is shouting to who ever cares to listen that PDP has fouled again. The interesting thing is that as the opposition is crying in the areas where it lost, PDP is also lamenting that the states where it did well, victory was denied because they (PDP) is not the party in power at the state level.
Perhaps, the opposition political parties themselves would be wondering what happened to them that PDP is once again coasting home to victory. This is because expectations were very high that the opposition will give the ruling party which claims to be the largest political party in African continent a good run for their money at the polls.
Expectations were very high before the National Assembly (Nass) elections that the behemoth ruling party will come out with a bloody nose following the perceived disenchantment of Nigerians in the way and manner the country is been governed in the last 12 years. Expectations were further heightened by the high profile defections of members of the PDP to other parties especially the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Grand Progressive Alliance (Apga).
Political analysts had, prior to the ongoing elections, submitted never in the political history of Nigeria has a political party with overwhelming majority at the centre and in firm grip of more than two-thirds of the states and local councils recorded the level of defection currently being suffered by the PDP.
From across the six geo-political zones, the party has lost high net worth party members. In most cases, the reason given by these once loyal party men and women who have decided to turn their back on the umbrella is the claim that they were either short-changed in the build-up to the primaries or out rightly edged out in the primaries proper.
Some of the personalities that once made PDP thick but left to seek political green pastures elsewhere include the former presidential aspirant, Chief Rochas Okorocha, who is now angling to take over the Douglass House Owerri under the platform of Apga. In Adamawa state, Major-General Buba Marwa, another known presidential aspirant moved with his supporters to CPC. Marwa will fly the CPC gubernatorial flag next week.
Anambra state got a large chunk of decampees. They include Professor Dora Akunyili, the cerebral immediate-past information and communication minister, who also dumped the party for Apga. Akunyili is currently locked in a bull fight for Anambra Central Senatorial seat with Dr Chris Ngige, former governor of the state. Hon. Uche Ekwunife, who had earlier dumped the party for Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) on whose platform she contested the 2010 governorship election also jumped boat. She is now coming back to the federal House of Representatives as a member under Apga platform.
In Oyo state, former Governor Rasheed Ladoja left PDP for the Accord Party. Ladoja did not move out of PDP alone. He decamped with several of his supporters and faithful who promised to give the ruling party in the state a good a run for their money. In Bayelsa state, Chief Timi Alaibe, former presidential adviser on Niger Delta, has since decamped from the PDP and joined Labour Party (LP). Even at that, other governorship aspirants of the party are complaining that the state governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has short-changed them. But the governor, who picked the ticket boasting he is the first governor whose nomination for party ticket was personally witnessed and endorsed by a serving president, dismissed the claims of his opponents, saying they are bad losers.
However, in spite of the high profile defections, the ruling party came out strong. Apart from the South West where ACN did well and Kaduna and Katsina States where CPC managed to scratch some seats, the ruling party is still in charge. For the opposition, it was a poor showing in the South South, South-East, North Central and North East regions of the country.
From the results so far released, PDP is miles ahead of other political parties put together. With over 60 senate seats and over 170 seats at the lower federal legislative chamber, the ruling party is set to form government again. Before the build up to the election, fears were raised that there may be need to form a coalition government as PDP may not have outright majority in both legislative chambers. But facts emerging from the two elections so far held showed in clear terms that the ruling party is coasting home to victory.
Already, the opposition is crying blue murder in the areas where it lost woefully. From Benue to Kwara, from Bayelsa to Imo and across the six geopolitical zones, the opposition is shouting to who ever cares to listen that PDP has fouled again. The interesting thing is that as the opposition is crying in the areas where it lost, PDP is also lamenting that the states where it did well, victory was denied because they (PDP) is not the party in power at the state level.
