I know from close experience that when a marriage has lasted for as long as the one between the self acclaimed “largest political party in Africa”, PDP, and the well acknowledged largest killer of countries on the continent, Corruption,the process of divorce can be at best,very strenuous. In our societies, the prevalent idea is to give up on such a demanding exercise while embracing perseverance but there are those who also hold on to the marriage for the sole reason of how tied they are to it, mostly through the children and other times, simply through defiant love. In the case of the latter, divorce appears elusive regardless of the marital damage, and the PDP may be exhibiting such symptoms.

Since the kick-off of the anti-corruption clampdown under the current administration of President Buhari, the PDP has steadily, though rather erroneously, held fast to the role of attacking such moves. Its claim is that the campaign has been selective in targeting their party, even when former Governor of Adamawa, Murtala Nyako and his family, and Senate President Bukola Saraki, both of the ruling party, have had cases of corruption instigated against them under the same administration.

Sadly, this virile cause has been voltroned by the same people who have admitted to the need for reforms in the party. One would have hoped that, in the interest of an active democracy, the PDP would have sought the much needed divorce with shenanigans, but here we are.

So much has been said by everyone, not the least the President himself, about the role played by the social media in bringing the current administration into power, and the PDP looks to have a keen interest in exploring this outlet but are playing it rather unwisely. Even amidst all the in-house bickerings, the party has been quick to appoint a “Social Media Director”, in what appears, a show of intent. The opposition party however seems to be overlooking some fundamentals in its wild goose chase.

The social media was not the major reason they lost; it did not kickstart the movement, it pushed it. For the backbreaker, the PDP will need to take a long hard look at the mirror. The ineptitude of the government of the PDP, and the ability of the APC to provide an alternative was the deadly combo promoted by the social media to deliver that change in government.

Social media under the former president did not have to coerce people into seeing the administration as lawless; cases of the Governors Forum elections, several houses of assembly “impeaching” speakers with minority members without any concern for rules, amidst several others all self-operated by government, did enough justice to that. People did not also need hashtags to see their President as condoning corruption when the President freely said stealing was not corruption. All of these were only promoted on social media as why a change was necessary. The pertinent question therefore is, what is the PDP currently promoting on social media? And the answer, a fightback for corruption.

The continued dismissal of severe corruption cases as mere witch-hunt, is the greatest disservice the party can do to itself. In a new low, the PDP went to dangerous limits, by saying embattled former NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was only being persecuted because he was likely to become the party’s next presidential aspirant. It was an abuse of the collective intelligence of the people and such statements only cause harm to the party, if they could see beyond their nose.

The PDP is running down its lifespan really fast and all talk of rebuilding, so far exists only on the pages of newspapers asides reports of court cases over its chairmanship and Metuh’s statements dismissing the only source of joy to the observing people so far under this administration, as mere witch-hunt.

If the PDP seeks to at the very least, provide meaningful opposition, it must embrace divorce from all links to corruption. It will be very difficult of course, seeing as corruption seemingly has fed the party for some time (reports of the party suspending building of its headquarters, and slashing salaries of staff, since their exit from power imply so), but it is the price they must pay for renewal of a relevance gradually washed away for the whole of sixteen years. Every divorce is difficult but holds the key to joy, in a relationship that only breeds sadness. A word is not always enough however, except for the wise.

Gbolahan Yusuf

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