In recent times it has
become politically correct and popular to declare that the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is dead in the South-West of
Nigeria. Some are less emphatic; they say the PDP is in its
dying days in Yorubaland. This has become a particularly
common rhetoric in the light of the landmark rulings that
gave the keys to the government houses in both Ekiti and
Osun States to Governors Fayemi and Aregbesola respectively.
Indeed these two men have fought and won and their
inauguration as governors of these respective states could
be rightly described as victory for democracy-certainly
victory for the electorate and the ordinary people who cast
their votes for them. Earlier on, the Appeal Court in Benin
had also quashed the illegal government of Dr Olusegun Agagu
by declaring Dr Olusegun Mimiko as the duly elected governor
of Ondo State. Before this, Comrade Adams Oshiomole had also
secured victory in the law court over the illegal government
of ex-Governor Osunbo of Edo State. One thing is common to
all these gentlemen; they fought doggedly until their stolen
mandates were restored to them. They all share a similar
story in this and they seem to have a similar background in
the Alliance for Democracy (AD) agenda that later became AC
and now ACN except for Dr Mimiko who has had to travel from
AD to PDP and before now getting into Labour Party. I read
from the news that there is pressure on him to declare for
the ACN.
Indeed there is much to celebrate in this trend. That truth
will prevail however long it takes is something Nigerian
politicians must be getting used to. On this occasion, it is
to the declaration that PDP is dead in the South West or
Yorubaland that I would like to return. In the 2nd Republic,
it is true that the whole of the region was under the UPN
government led by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In
fact, attempts to rig them out of office in Ondo State were
met with stiff resistance to the extent that many lives and
properties were lost in ensuing crisis in Ondo State in
1983. It was an unambiguous message that the people would
not acquiesce in the face of electoral fraud, especially
when they knew that their rights and choice were being
tampered with.
It is the motivation for this that interests me more. I
believe that these people appreciated so much of what their
government was doing for them. The government was delivering
for them and they had total confidence in the
Adekunle-Ajasin led government that they were not going to
submit to an Omoboriowo-led NPN government for any reason.
Perhaps much more interesting was the respect and trust that
the Yoruba people had for Awolowo, especially in view of his
antecedents. When he was in power as Premier of the Western
Region, he delivered. His programmes met the yearnings and
aspirations of the people of the South-West and they were
not interested in any retrogression under whatever guise.
Today, more than two decades after the death of Chief
Awolowo, his name continues to feature in the politics of
the South-West as though he is only retired or dead a few
years ago. It was his government that put the Southwest on
very sound footing initiating many programmes that have
benefited a lot of people. His free education policy is one
that they are not quick to forget. The development and
building of Cocoa House in Ibadan is another one. For the
average Yoruba person Awolowo was trustworthy; he promised
and he delivered. He knew what they wanted and he gave them.
The current politicians know these about Awolowo, which is
why they have continue to exploit his name more than 20
years after his death. Yet I see a lot of challenges here
for the crop of politicians on the podium with Governor Rauf
Aregbesola and indeed the political class of the South West.
Before I proceed any further, it is worth asking how we got
to the stage we are today. The argument before was that
being on the opposition was not good for the Yoruba or the
Southwest, hence some people wanted to impose the party of
the Federal Government on the entire South West, forgetting
that Awolowo was in opposition when he delivered to the
people. In 2003, whether by crooked or genuine means, they
were successful with the loss of the entire South-West
except Lagos to the PDP government under Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo. Whether in Ogun or Oyo, Osun or Ondo or Ekiti or
Edo, PDP was in power. There were much disappointment,
accusation and counter accusations of betrayal especially by
the governors of the defunct AD who were outsmarted in their
own political game. Nonetheless there was no appetite for
strong resistance even where it was evident that there was
open rigging and molestation of voters. No one was ready to
fight. You might ask whether the people had then abandoned
their love for Awolowo. No, they remained committed to
Awolowo and his ideals but they were simply not persuaded
that the ex-governors were Awoist enough. And so, it was not
a genuine enough cause to risk their lives for. The
governors were derailing and had begun to take their people
for granted. No dividends of democracy; rather some of them
were only interested in serving themselves and their
cronies. That did not look like the Awo that the people had
fought for in 1983 and in the 1st republic. They had become
pompous.
In fact, one recalls that the exit of Chief Bisi Akande from
the governorship of Osun State was a relief to many teachers
and civil servants in 2003. There was a lot of discontent
everywhere. They had lost their right to govern and people
had become hesitant to vote for them. Now I am not able to
say whether the election was free or fair. But it was
obvious even to outsiders that Osun wanted a changed.
So here is another test for the Southwest governors,
especially now that ACN has reclaimed Osun State. They would
need to work and prove to the people that they deserve to
rule. That is, they would need to go beyond mere rhetorics
to real action, mindful of the true situation of the people
of the state. They need a government that can identify with
them but which they can also identify with. So there would
need to be serious work to facilitate genuine human
emancipation and poverty alleviation. A fire brigade
approach will not last. A one-off free eye surgery will not
suffice; a one-off hernia operation in a village will not
do. Rather it is a policy that has a long term programme for
treating people with such predicaments that will stand the
test of time, not only in Osun but all over the South West.
So is PDP truly on its way to extinction in the South-West?
Maybe. But what guarantees have we? The Yorubas respect
Awolowo and his political agenda even 23 years after his
death, but I am convinced that they are not prepared to be
taken for granted by any hungry and careless politician who
cannot deliver to them. What determines who stays in power
is the ability to serve and deliver good governance to the
masses. This is Awolowo politics; not simply rhetorics. The
rhetorics of a dying PDP would be music to the ears of many
but the reality can only be achieved by responsible
people-oriented government. If the ACN governors or those
gradually taking over the reins of government in the
Southwest think that they can deceive the people by simply
appealing to the name of the revered late politician Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, then they would be best advised that they
would fail unless they serve and deliver in the manner Chief
Awolowo served his people. Those who benefitted from Free
Education in the South-West would always remember his
programmes. At a time when life expectancy in our country is
falling below 50 years, health of the people is a thing that
true Awoists must take seriously and other programmes that
could lift people out of poverty.
As if to answer our question the new Governor of Osun,
Engineer Rauf Aragebsola confirmed that he would model his
government after that of late Chief Awolowo when he ordered
the singing of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)
anthem during his inauguration. By declaring that Awolowo’s
government is back he seems to be striking the right chord
with his people. But in a similar vein he has presented
himself with an agenda on which his government will be
assessed and challenged in the very near future. How truly
UPN or Awolowo his government will be would be tested by his
ability to deliver to the people what matters to them, just
as Awolowo did in his own time. This is not a question for
only Gov Aregbesola but a challenge to all these so-called
Awoist governors. Will they live up to it? Is the PDP truly
dead or on its way to dying in the Southwest? Time will
tell. If PDP is to be truly dead in the Southwest, the
governors of ACN/Labour in the region will have to
demonstrate that they are capable of meeting the yearnings
of the people. The only thing that can ensure it is,
deliver, deliver and deliver! Avoid waste and concentrate on
improving the lives of the people, then and only then can
the rhetoric that PDP is dead come to reality.
Published
December 2nd, 2010
