Media experts and seasoned public analysts on Saturday expressed their views on current political developments in Nigeria ranging from the defection of a frontline presidential aspirant, Dr. Peter Obi, to the politics of the bizarre delegates of sorts in the ongoing primaries of political parties, on Freedom Square Media Conclave, an interactive radio program on Solid 100.9 FM, Enugu.
The passing week has been packed with a lot of political intrigues, a major one being the defection of a presidential aspirant, Dr. Peter Obi, from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Labor Party barely 24 hours to the PDP’s presidential primaries.
In addition, former President Goodluck Jonathan took a swipe at the political party selection process as provided by the controversial Section 84 of the amended electoral act, which stipulates that only elected delegates elect people that will vote at party primaries. He argued that such a law makes no sense and that political parties should not be lumped together with uniform guidelines, rather, they must have the leverage of doing certain things differently. This includes the method of selecting the parties’ candidates.
Reacting to the former President’s comment on the ongoing primaries, Mr. Dennis Agbo, Enugu State Vangurd Correspondent and Public Relations Manager, was of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with the amended electoral law as it is meant to prevent politicians from recycling themselves in office. He maintained that the system now ensures that new people are given opportunity to participate in the selection process. He pointed out that those crying out, like former President Jonathan, are doing so because they have been excluded from perpetuating themselves in the political system.
On their part, both Mike Ubani, Publisher, Summitnews Online, and Dr. Obasi Obasi, a Public Affairs Analyst, agreed that the points raised by the former President are gamine. Dr. Obasi believes that the section 84 of the electoral law, as amended, might be the most ridiculous law made by the National Assembly whose members shot themselves in the foot in an attempt to muscle political appointees but unwittingly played into the hands of the governors. Ubani, however, disagreed with the former President that the political parties were lumped together and made to followed a uniform guideline in selecting their candidates. He argued that the new electoral law gave the parties leverage to choose between conducting direct primaries, indirect primaries, or choosing consensus candidates.
There is an agreement across board that Dr. Obi left PDP because there are clear indications within the party he would loose at the primaries. For Ubani, he should have stayed back, even at that, to galvanize his huge cult-like following among the youths and transform it into a political movement for a future political aspiration.
Obi is a decent politician who speaks the truth and seems to genuinely, want to bring about the much-needed change in Nigeria as attested by the anchor of the program, Dr.Uchenna Cyril Anioke. However, for Dr. Obasi, the continuous defection from political parties does not indicate the quality of a stable politician.
Some callers on the program applauded Dr. Obi’s defection from the PDP, however, they expressed doubt if Labor party, where he has pitched his tent, will be able to deliver for him the presidency. Others pointed out that the Igbos, whose turn it is to produce the next President of Nigeria, are clearly being sidelined which shows the Igbos do not belong to Nigeria. Therefore, they concluded that the best thing to do is for the people to face reality and take charge of their affairs.