"With the monumental failure that became the hallmark of Buhari administration and the APC, one may think the PDP will be more determined and ferocious in its opposition against APC policies ..."
The devastating level of insecurity in the North calls for sober reflection. As Baba Bala Katsina rightly pointed out some days ago, there are important segments of the society - scholars, elder statesmen, influential religious and traditional establishments, opposing political interest groups, the women and youths groups; who until they rise to the occasion, these government may not do anything tangible and there won't be solution in sight.
Many have so far written on most of the aforementioned segments. However, I think its pertinent to beam our searchlight on the opposing political interest group. In this case, the PDP.
At a time of crisis and uncertainty like this, when those in power seemed incapacitated and bereft of ideas to tackle the myriad challenges of insecurity, the opposition party has a greater role to play in putting the ruling party on its toes. It's their constitutional role.
We remember, prior to 2015, how the APC as the main opposition party capitalises on the failure of GEJ, and by extension the PDP, to tackle insecurity in the northeast, using every available avenue to attack and lampooned PDP. The APC deployed all materials at their disposal, money, the media especially social media in to making President Jonathan appear as grossly incompetent and clueless man to have presided over the affairs of Nigeria. The then spokesperson of the APC Lai Muhammad painstakingly and relentlessly issues press statements, putting more pressure on president GEJ and his government to do more in its war against insurgency and general insecurity in the country. Even the Twitter handle and Facebook account of Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju, Atiku, El-rufa'i etc were busy with updates and calls for GEJ to resign.
Numerous peaceful protests were organised by the then main opposition party. I could remember how Buhari, Tinubu and other APC stalwarts were sighted at mass rally, calling on president Jonathan to resign over his failure to secure the lives and property of Nigerians. There is nothing that the likes of Fashola, Elrufai, Dino Melaye didn't call GEJ and PDP.
Coming down to Katsina, as members and sympathizers of APC, the names of people like Nasir Lawal Danmowa, Muhammad Lili Katsina, Wake-up Katsina Youths to mention but a few were household names. They were in the forefront of agitations against PDP and Shema's administration. They play their part as opposition voices and concern citizens. The APC did well as opposition Party, keeping the ruling PDP on its toes. They capitalises on the weaknesses of GEJ and PDP to advance the course of APC. Call APC, it's foot soldiers, and sympathizers opportunists, unpatriotic; whatever adjective you want but the fact remain, as opposition party, they play their card well.The cumulative effect of these were glaringly visible and yielded the desired result!
Now the table has turn. The main opposition party is now in power and the former ruling party found itself in opposition. The expectations are, PDP is going to play its role as the main opposition party by keeping an eye on the policies and programmes of the ruling APC. However, quite the opposite. The PDP have transformed in to an ineffectually incompetent opposition party, a lame duck that were abysmally absent in one of it's core Responsibilities.
With the monumental failure that became the hallmark of Buhari administration and the APC, one may think the PDP will be more determined and ferocious in its opposition against APC policies and inability to combat terrorism. But Hell No! They are waiting to return to power come 2023 as if power is something that is given on a platter of gold!
We didn't see constant press statements from the PDP headquarters not even a twitter from its top guns like Atiku, Kwankwaso, lamido and co. We are yet to see any protest engineered or participated by the opposition leaders. To show how ineffectual PDP as an opposition party has became, not many people know the name of its National Publicity secretary.
Here in katsina save for Majigiri in some few instances, the deepening silence is worrisome. Despite huge number of lives lost to banditry, PDP rarely comment not to talk of putting pressure. PDP need to wake up and do more even if not for the of humanity but their political interest!
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