2023 in perspective and PDP as an opposition

People might think politics is about emotions but it is not. This is because after the beautiful displays and takes about politics and opposition politics; in the face value end of it all, “power is taken, power is not given”. Nobody will unilaterally say “you are emotionally favoured, hence take power”. You will go out there to consult, to meet people, to discuss your campaign with them, you will meet stakeholders, you will lobby and in the end you will sit down to calculate in line with numbers as “politics is all about numbers” really.

That brings us to the essence of political parties. Political parties are vehicles by which politicians get power. This is because in a country like Nigeria where independent candidacy is not recognized by law, after all has been said and done, it is political parties, citizens will vote for, not individuals, in the acceptable eyes of the law.

To this end, people seeking political office would have to join political parties of their choices and do things in line with the constitution and strategy policies of the party, as permitted by the constitution of the country.

One may not agree except yet grudgingly as a bitter pill to swallow; to the fact that political parties may try to bear the minds of the citizens, but however the main goal fair enough for political parties is to “win elections”. Of course, fair enough, it will be by any means necessary but the same “means necessary” shall be within the ambits of the law as permitted by the constitution of Nigeria and the extant laws governing elections in Nigeria. The “means necessary” would usually include canvassing for votes from even the mouth of a lion and going to even the most dark of villages to seek for votes as far as getting to win the majority votes that will be cast in a given election is concerned.

Winning an election is the first priority of any and every political party. Policy formulation and implementation to suit the taste of the citizens will come later, and that material later, is after winning the election under review.

To this extent, PDP as an opposition party poised to return to power in 2023 is in quagmire. It is caught up between zoning as an expectation on it and then reality.

If zoning is anything to go by, it depends on what informed such decision; it could be to appeal to those with the highest population of voters. It could be to appeal to sentiment.

Any which way the PDP will go in solving the crisis of confidence within its fold and as occasioned by sentiment placed on its shoulders by leaders of thought and the citizens by way of word on the street (depending on the sure political value of the street the word is coming from, as well); history beckons but Nigerians must understand with PDP and join faith with PDP and understand that the PDP will as a political party even as an opposition party, likely focus its strategy more on how to win the highest votes in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential election than on micro-zoning sentiment that is to suit any emotional sentiment.

After all has been said and done, It is expected that PDP will focus on how to win the 2023 presidential election be it by zoning or not by zoning. Zoning or not, will depend directly on PDP’s quest to return to power much easily in 2023. Those for zoning and those not for zoning would have to excuse PDP to let it do its consultations well enough on how it will score the highest lawful votes in the 2023 Presidential election. PDP is an opposition party that wants to return to power, it must get its wits right. It must get its winning strategies right. Those who want ticket allocation or ticket zoning because of feeling of turn or not, may have to excuse PDP its guilt of priority which is how can it get the highest votes that shall be cast in 2023 when next the Presidential election comes up.

Emma I.K is a public affairs analyst. He writes from Abuja.