The Politics of Adoption

The Politics of Adoption
By Sam Onimisi
Ahead of the 2011 general election, a battle is raging between leading contenders of the presidential race. Some two weeks back, a group of 22 political parties met under the aegis of coalition for New Nigeria (CNN) and signed an M.O.U. to work with the Congress for Progressive Change towards presenting a common Presidential candidate for 2011. There is no other interpretation beside the fact that they intend to adopt the presidential candidate of the C.P.C. So far, the only aspirant on the platform of the new party is General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.). This was a development which elevated Buhari’s acceptability or popularity a notch higher than other parties’ aspirants.
Not to be outdone, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party reached out to other parties – a move which the cockish previous chairmen of the party felt demeaning to do. Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, a veteran politician who has tasted life in the ruling party as well as in opposition in this dispensation has proved wiser than his predecessors. He was clever enough not to attempt selling his party. He knows so much has gone wrong with the party as to make it ugly and undesirable. First, he sold his credentials as a principled democrat who could disagree to agree and who is prepared to yield to superior argument. He assured the opposition parties that his regime is prepared to turn a new leaf and work with other parties in the overall interest of the country. As an astute politician, the PDP Chairman know the advantage of incumbency in electoral contest, and so, believes that if President Jonathan obtains the ticket of his party, the race becomes easier to win.
Therefore, he also sold the candidacy of Goodluck Jonathan to the other parties. The result is that those parties who ordinarily would have dined with the PDP using a long spoon, found in Nwodo and Jonathan, gentlemen with whom they could do business. At the end, 46 political parties decided to work with the PDP to ensure that political practice is clothed in civilized garb and devoid of criminal violence of the past. The difficulty however is, how do you work with Nwodo and Jonathan without any advantage accruing to the PDP?
If this is a dilemma, there is a bigger dilemma the opposition parties have to contend with. One, in the recent amendments to the Constitution, certain opposition parties championed a two or five party system in the National Assembly. It was the PDP that saw merit in a multi-party system for a plural society such as ours. If the vote had been otherwise, most opposition parties would have been wiped off or de-registered. Two, elections into local government councils in non-PDP states were rigged just like those of PDP states. Meaning that, the AC, ANPP and APGA behaved the same way as the PDP in election management. So, if you can work with those opposition parties, why not the PDP? Three, as a ruling party, the fate of the entire country remains in the hands of the PDP. To continue to treat the PDP as a leper is to imperil the future of democracy in Nigeria; since the likelihood of unity of purpose in opposition parties appears remote.
In effect, the formation of the Grand Coalition of Political Parties (GCPP) is in the interest of the Parties as well as the entire country. Four, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has failed to carry out its responsibilities due to undemocratic tendencies in its leadership; led by Alh. Abubakar Balarabe Musa since 2002, the CNPP broke into pieces with Balarabe Musa, Olapade Agoro and Maxi Okwu leading one faction each. Balarabe Musa was accused of tenacity of Office, having been elected in 2002. He has rebuffed every attempt to hold a election convention and all efforts at reform. He is also accused of using his chairmanship of CNPP as a meal ticket, visiting states to inaugurate state chapters and paying courtesy call on governors for patronage, and who were alleged to have financed such inaugurations.
If the CNPP has not been a dismal failure, what could have made Alh. Balarabe Musa to have joined the CNN as one of its leading lights who also went ahead to adopt General Buhari as their candidate? If those expected to lead the opposition have become partisan, then others are free to find associates with whom they could work. The adoption of CPC/Gen. Buhari by the CNN and Alh. Balarabe Musa as a factional Chairman of CNPP is enough signal, if not an impetus for other political parties to find accommodation under the umbrella of the Grand Coalition of Political Parties, GCPP. In fact, Olapade Agoro is a leading member of GCPP even as a factional chairman of the CNPP. Barr. Maxi Okwu will not surprise anyone in CNPP or the GCPP if he announces tomorrow, a coalition of parties working for another presidential aspirant.
What lessons do we need to learn from all these, either as politicians, voters or mere political animals? First, as political practitioners, there is the need to keep faith with your mandate and its time frame. No matter how good you are, some others are equally good and could do the job, if not better. Tenacity of office or tenure elongation destroys credibility and honour and helps to give birth to rebellion and factionalization. Second, what subsists in politics is permanent interest, not permanent enmity or friendship. A foe today may become a friend tomorrow. Everyone or every party watches its interest and aligns with those who are likely to advance or promote such interests. Third, a time comes when one has to make a choice as a democrat. The choice here is between two or more contenders whose background are opposite of each other. As a democrat, you need to ask yourself a question. Who is likely to promote democratic ethos if he/she accedes to power; a civilian politician or a military politician? Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has given us an experience which is not palatable to repeat so soon. So, before you accuse a political party of selling their mandate to a candidate of another party, you have to consider the foregoing issues if you are to make sense in your assertion.
Political Parties exists to promote and advance democracy, to have access to power or be in position to influence public policy beneficial to its members. That being so, they are right, free and justified if and when they join forces in an alliance or coalition which promotes such objectives. If the alliance or coalition entails the adoption of the candidate of one of the coalition parties, provided each party in the coalition fulfils its obligation and adheres to the terms of the alliance, democracy is enhanced and the electorate is protected. The politics of adoption is a bi-partisan approach that encapsulates divergent interests and goals such that the violent contents of partisan competition are reduced to the barest minimum.
Examples from abroad: Gen. Collins Powel was a member of the Republican Party but he supported Barak Obama of the Democratic Party in 2008 election. Secretary of Defense Bill Gates was appointed by President Bush of the Republican Party but retained by his Democratic Party successor. Must we not learn to grow democracy for the benefit of all?