By Tunji Oladejo
The recent PDP event in Ibadan, touted as a National Convention, will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Rather than a serious gathering of party stalwarts, it devolved into a spectacle that mocked the very concept of the democratic process.
Governor Makinde’s mobilisation of every available “Agbero” and the compulsory attendance of various groups, including motor park workers and vendors, only served to underscore the event’s farcical nature. The absence of key governors, senators, honourable members of the house of representatives and INEC representatives spoke volumes about the convention’s legitimacy.
The event’s defiance of a court ruling prohibiting the convention further eroded its credibility. Instead of demonstrating a commitment to democratic principles, the PDP chose to prioritise a lavish celebration, complete with Fuji music and free buses.
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The convention’s true nature was laid bare: a taxpayer-funded jamboree, a state-sponsored carnival and a motor-park end-of-the-year party. The PDP’s actions have only served to further erode trust in the party and Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
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As Nigerians, we deserve better. We deserve conventions that are more than just empty rituals, where delegates genuinely deliberate and shape the party’s future. We deserve leaders who prioritise the nation’s interests over personal and regional agenda.
The PDP’s Ibadan convention will be remembered as a low point in Nigerian politics. Ibadan is the seat of positive change and its government historically a pacesetter. Ibadan does not deserve this pace in reverse. The event, which was meant to showcase the party’s strength and unity, instead exposed its internal decay and disregard for democratic principles.
As a city that has produced leaders and visionaries, Ibadan deserves better. it is time for the people of Ibadanland to demand more from their leaders. Let us rekindle the spirit of Ibadan’s glorious past, where leaders were known for their wisdom, courage and commitment to the people. Let us strive for a future where politics is about service, where conventions are about ideas, not intimidation and where the people are truly represented, not just mobilised.
Let us hope that the party can learn from this experience and rediscover its commitment to democratic values and principles.
Tunji Oladejo, JP, mnipr, who writes from the University of Ibadan, is the Chairman of The Progressive Forum, Ibadan (TPFI) via oladejo65@gmail.com.
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