Whither the opposition parties

Unquestionably, opposition political parties and their representation at the legislative level are important components of any democracy and good governance plan. Alas! That is not the circumstance in Nigeria, where the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed miserably to rein in the excesses of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which has made Nigerians to be taken for granted.

Before it assumed power after the PDP, the party mounted smear campaigns against the PDP. For a fact, Nigerians voted for APC because the party managed to present itself to them as an anti-corruption, anti-Boko Haram, pro-good administration, and pro-improvement of commoners’ living conditions.

What has been happening in the country lately is that the party is not being challenged to fulfill its campaign promises more so now that ordinary and not so ordinary Nigerians are being killed daily.

It is sadly the case that no strident opposition currently exists to challenge the ruling party as was the case in 2011 and 2015.

Nigerians will recall that under the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, they bought petrol at N85 per litre. An attempt to raise the price led to massive resistance hence the move was aborted. Today, under the Buhari-led administration, the move to raise the price from N165 per litre to N340 has not attracted a whimper from the leading opposition party.

And whereas the country faces multiple, unprecedented and daunting security challenges with no apparent end in sight, with many people in some parts of the country living in fear every day, waiting for the worst to happen, the parties in opposition are practically on AWOL!

One remembers that APC once enjoyed widespread support in all corners of the country. This was why Nigerians supported the party’s bid to rescue the country from 16 years misrule of the PDP. Our hopes have since been dashed with the APC showing how unprepared it is for the task of freeing the country from the ravages of insecurity, especially in the North West, where a group of hooligans and terrorists tagged “bandits” continue to test Nigerians’ collective resolve. The situation is utterly abhorrent.

And while one reckons that the opposition could help checkmate the ruling party as would be expected in a vibrant democracy, instead, the opposition appears to have abandoned the citizens to their fate – which should not be.

The point is, if there is a strong opposition party that consistently comes out and pressurizes the ruling party to live up to its responsibilities of safeguarding the lives and property of all Nigerians, it is possible that things could have been different.

Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani, wrote from Galadima Mahmoud Street, Kasuwar Kaji Azare, Bauchi State