Kano 2011: Can the PDP recapture power?

At State levels, god fathers have maintained the same grim influence on the course of democracy. Consensus and collaboration are dirty words in their dictionaries. They define democracy within their selfish ambitions of personal power and not power to the people. Once power is no longer in the hands of the people but in the grip of self-seeking leaders, the quality of our democratic practice would be badly undermined. Maniacal ambition for personal power and control is a big threat to internal democracy, which the PDP National Chairman has pledged to restore under the so-called reforms.

Kano State has a critical electoral value to the PDP but can it recapture the State in 2011, considering the personalization of the party by former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who finds it hard to reconcile himself with the reality of being out of the Government House? The fact that he has refused to groom anyone as yet to become the party’s gubernatorial candidate in 2011 should tell any intelligent observer that Kwankwaso is preparing himself for the ticket.

He is driven by the “me or nobody” politics and such notion of democracy carries the potential risk of ruining the chances of the PDP in 2011. The former Defence Minister doesn’t believe in sharing power, collaboration, consensus, team spirit and the synergy of ideas to move the Kano State PDP forward. Currently, the PDP is under his sword. In a recent brilliant analysis on the Kano State PDP crisis by one Musa Garba Minjibir (Leadership Wednesday 28/7/2010,P.14), the writer hit the nail on the head. He argued to the effect that, unless Kwankwaso is ready to work in unison with others to protect the larger interest of the PDP in Kano State rather obsession with personal power, the party will miss any chance in 2011 gubernatorial election.

The worst godfathers are those who believe that a party has no future without them. Recent realities, however, have discredited this asinine notion. During the 2006 third term campaign of former President Obasanjo, sycophants had told Nigerians that the country would collapse if the man didn’t continue in office! When the third term project was eventually defeated because of its unpopularity, Nigeria didn’t collapse and has survived Obasanjo ever since. God fathers are enemies of internal democracy in Nigeria because they elevate their interest far above the larger interest of the party. Despite the fact that former Governor Kwankawso attempted a come-back and failed, the man is still ready to repeat the same mistake, even if it may cost the PDP the 2011 governorship seat in Kano State.

Kwankawso’s supporters usually argue that their master is a victim of envy, which they say is the basis of the hostility against him. This argument is a ridiculous interpretation of reality. The fact is that Kwankawso is impossibly arrogant and this irritates many ordinary people. It is not enough to have good intentions; you must also have a certain level of humility to relate with the people. Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau accidentally became a Governor in 2003 largely because of Kwankawso’s excesses.

While the PDP National Working Committee recently dissolved the Abia and Ogun States executive committees of the party because of crises that can jeopardize the chances of the ruling party, it is surprising why it has failed to intervene in States like Kano where a god father is bent on frustrating every efforts intended to achieve reconciliation with a view to strengthen the PDP for the grim battle of the 2011 elections. Former Governor Kwankwaso has put the future of the PDP in the noose; he is out to blackmail the party into either accepting the inevitability of his candidature or else he draws the sword to seal its fate. As long as they retain personal power and control, these desperate god fathers don’t care what happens to the party. The PDP national chairman should not allow himself to be hoodwinked by hired crowds that Kwankwaso brings along to Abuja to prove that he is the party. Chief Nwodo is experienced enough not to fall for these tricks; he either stops these god fathers or they will bring democracy to its knees. Chief Nwodo must act fast and courageously or else the PDP will be taken to the cleaners in Kano State come 2011!

BICHI wrote in from No. 162, Constitution Road, Kaduna ([email protected])