While some notable Nigerians like former President Goodluck Jonathan have argued that it is too early to talk about the 2023 race and scheming, the PDP and APC have already defined their terms and strategies for campaigns.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have commenced subtle campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The two big parties, which have dominated the country’s political landscape for many years, have started throwing tantrums at each other on various national issues in order to attract attention, gain political capital and retain or reclaim power.
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The PDP has consistently criticised the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected and sworn in on May 29, 2015, and re-elected for a second term in 2019.
While the candidate of the then ruling PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat even before the final announcement of the official results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015, his party has consistently bashed the policies and programmes of the APC-led government.
The PDP has been engaging the present administration on issues of national security, economy and corruption.
The party is also using the issue of restructuring the country as a campaign tool, as well as the spate of killings, poverty, hunger, unemployment and alleged corruption in the land against the APC.
Both parties have also exposed high-level corruption in government since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, with each of them seeking legitimacy and approval as the best party to be given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the country in 2023.
Subsequently, political alignment and re-alignment have begun in the country in form of defections.
A few months ago, the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee received some PDP bigwigs who jumped ship into its fold.
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former national chairman of the PDP, Senator Barnabas Gemade and Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, had dumped the PDP for the APC. Others are National Assembly Chief Whip Jimoh Ibrahim, former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi, Sen Isa Hamma Misau, Alhaji Salisu Takai, Senator Elisha Abbo from Adamawa State, and many others.
Majority of the defectors attributed their decisions to alleged poor handling of issues and injustice in the PDP, a claim that was rebuffed by the opposition party.
On December 28, 2020, the APC and PDP wrangled over the issue of Nigeria becoming a failed state under President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that Nigeria had become a failed state under President Buhari, citing deteriorating insecurity in the country. While claiming that the Buhari administration had wrecked the country’s economy, the party also advised the president to step aside for more competent hands.
But while the opposition party has continued its attack, government officials and some APC bigwigs feel the Buhari administration means well for Nigerians. They believe President Buhari is reworking Nigeria to be great again.
In 2015 and 2019 respectively, campaign promises of the APC and its presidential candidate centred on security, economy and corruption.
While there is an outcry in some quarters that the government of the day has reneged on its campaign promises, top officials at the APC national secretariat say the president is not oblivious of the country’s challenges and is addressing them frontally.
There is also a consensus among the Buni-led caretaker committee members that the PDP should apologise to Nigerians for “failing in governance for 16 years.’’
Having failed to reclaim the presidential seat at two general elections, the APC feels the PDP is no longer a viable platform and should bury its thoughts of reclaiming power in the next general elections.
This is despite pronouncements by some APC leaders that the party would collapse at the end of President Buhari’s tenure in 2023.
A chieftain of the party who preferred anonymity said, “The PDP deludes itself that Nigerians desire their return to power. This is truly laughable and an insult to our collective sensibilities.’’
The secretary of the APC caretaker committee, Senator John J. Akpan Udoedehe, stated that the 16 years of the PDP administration was characterised by “looting of public funds,” adding that the party should not remind Nigerians of how it governed the country.
He stated, “The President Buhari administration, which sees the urgent need to have a better policing system for the country and is embarking on sweeping reforms, is definitely not governing a country close to becoming a failed state.
Amid the COVID-19 induced economic slowdown, the administration is stimulating the economy by preventing business collapse; supporting labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture; creating jobs through infrastructural investments in roads, rails, bridges; promoting manufacturing and local production at all levels to attain self-sufficiency in critical sectors of the economy.
“The President Buhari administration is implementing one of the world’s largest and far-reaching social investment programmes, targeting the very poor and other vulnerable groups, including women and persons living with disabilities through pro-poor spending.
Nigerians will recall the ignoble pastime of past administrations, which will rather bury its head in sand and spin conspiracies in the face of insecurity and engage in voodoo economics to hoodwink Nigerians while national resources were stolen and diverted to political cronies. Those days are gone.’’
On the alleged corruption in government during the reign of the PDP for 16 years, Udoedehe stated, “Instead of burying its head in shame and allowing sleeping dogs lie, PDP’s ranting keeps reminding us of the ignominious era when crude oil was sold at an average of $100 per barrel for a consecutive period of four years, yet what did Nigeria and Nigerians have to show for that period? Nothing at all!
We need to remind all patriotic Nigerians of the missing $20billion from the coffers of government as reported by the then country’s number one banker, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Billions of naira meant for arms importation was reportedly discovered in private jets belonging to allies of the then government in faraway South Africa, yet no question was asked and no answers were given by the Nigerian government.
Projects were completely abandoned after funds were budgeted accordingly, yet diverted to chase private ambitions. Salaries of public servants were owed serially as was evident from the series of loans taken to pay salaries in the midst of the oil boom. How sad!”
Reacting, the PDP in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, asked the APC to account for N15trillion allegedly stolen by its leaders.
“The PDP assures that these antics will not save the APC and its indicted leaders from answering for atrocities, which include the stealing of over N15trillion public funds, manipulating the Buhari administration and importing terrorists and bandits for the 2019 general elections, who are now on the rampage, killing innocent Nigerians, particularly in the northern part of our nation.
The APC had become rattled because of pressure from the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians asking President Buhari to go after its leaders, as well as Presidency officials involved in the reported stealing of N9.6trillion ($25 billion) oil revenue as detailed in the leaked Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC’s) memo.
APC leaders are having sleepless nights because the dragnet would soon catch up with all of them involved in the reported stealing of N1.1trillion worth of crude, using 18 unregistered vessels; the looting of over N2trillion in hazy oil subsidy regime, including a criminal under-recovery for unnamed West African countries, as well as illegal tax per litre of petrol, running into trillions of naira,’’ Ologbondiyan stated.
With the level of political attacks and counterattacks between the two big parties, it is left to be seen what the political temperature would become when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declares campaigns open for the 2023 polls in the last quarter of next year.
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