“Until recently as 2019, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah proved that any political party can be mainstreamed.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
Major political parties that have gained substantial ground through winning elections have assumed a sense of importance that tends to position them as the god of democracy. In Nigeria, this was the case for the former ruling national political party, the People’s Democratic Party – PDP, before the All Progressives Congress ousted it – APC, in 2015. In 2003, the only thing one needed was to secure the PDP’s ticket for an election.
The real contest shifted from the general election to the PDP’s primary election. Whoever had PDP’s ticket was as good as elected for the position he was contesting. In 2007, the situation became even more daring. It was either PDP or nothing except in places like Lagos, which from 1999 emerged as the opposition sanctuary and maintained its cause. Lagos proved that opposition can work if politicians know what matters. Today, that seed of opposition in Lagos has metamorphosed into the ruling APC. That experience, from all accounts, can be repeated because no political party was mainstreamed at formation.
In States like Anambra in 2003, the PDP began to have problems after Dr. Ngige emerged as governor on the party’s platform. This problem forced Dr. Ngige to seek an alternative platform, so he joined the AC, which later became the ACN before it became the APC. But in 2006, APGA reclaimed its victory through the courts, marking Anambra’s journey as an opposition state. APGA was just one of the many ‘small’ political parties parading as opposition parties before it became mainstream in 2006. It has remained so within the politics of Anambra State for almost 20 years. Indeed, another political party can challenge APGA’s position, just as it did years ago.
Then again, the APC, which is the ruling political party, has now assumed the same god-like position over our democracy, just like the PDP did in its days. And so this brings us to an important question. Who or what mainstreams a political party? The simple answer is that since sovereignty comes from the people, a party’s mainstreaming comes from the people, not the political party, as many erroneously believe. The stronghold of mainstream political parties is anchored on their ability to win elections. In other words, the relevance or claims to the mainstream of any political party is tied to its election-winning credentials. To put this differently, these political parties are not mainstream because of their names. They are mainstream because the people voted for them. Therefore, when politicians waste their time, energy, and resources struggling to be accepted in a mainstream political party, one wonders why they can’t think of creating another platform and nurturing it into the mainstream. There is nothing special about mainstream political parties besides the fact that they have emerged as the choice of voters subject to regular change where there is an alternative. Voters change their minds, make new decisions, and align and realign based on prevailing realities such that a ruling political party might become defunct. All voters need is an alternative.
It is, therefore, both strange and absurd that politicians would rather go and line up in a political party that has turned itself into a god that dehumanizes and rips them off with their consent! They appear as if they are helpless, not minding that even those parties were mainstreamed on their leaders’ efforts and the people’s votes. Why would a politician who truly wants to serve his people go through all manner of abuse and fraud just to pick a party’s ticket? If a politician is willing to submit to these levels of abuse and fraud experienced in these political parties, what will he do for the people? If a leader cannot rescue himself from a fraudulent process against his wish, how can he fight for the public good?
Until recently as 2019, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah proved that any political party can be mainstreamed. After his sham disqualification from participating in the APGA senatorial primary, he moved on and joined the YPP. APGA, which, as of 2003, was begging people to come and associate with them and take their ticket, suddenly has become so arrogant and conceited that it fragrantly disqualifies aspirants baselessly. But Senator Ifeanyi Ubah resisted that attempt and went to work. His campaign was robust and insistent. Ultimately, he defeated all the mainstream political parties, winning all 7 LGAs in the Anambra South senatorial district in that contest and repeating the same feat in the next election year. In 2023, the Labour Party was begging people to accept to be their candidates so that they could at least present candidates for the various elective positions. Given the votes the party garnered from the people in that 2023 election, the party has suddenly turned into an oppressive political entity, just like the others before it.
In the end, the way out is that Nigerian politicians and party administrators must be determined to put an end to the tyranny of the handful of political parties that use the support the voters gave them to commercialize their tickets and destroy our democracy. People interested in serving the public should not be scared of building viable political options and putting the required work into providing options to the voters.
______________
- An Essay: I Saw It All, Firsthand: Death and Resurrection - April 20, 2025
- Need for New Opposition in Anambra as PDP, APC and LP Falter - April 15, 2025
- Misconceptions About Mainstream Political Parties - April 14, 2025