A former presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are not true representations of what political parties should be.
Mr Okupe stated this in a Twitter thread early Friday in response to the clash between Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the suspended APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
“In truth, there are no true political parties in Nigeria. What we have are ideologically non-specific political platforms available to the rich and heavily influential persons to contest elections,” wrote Okupe.
“A political party is defined as an organised group of people who have the same ideology, or who otherwise have the same political positions on pertinent issues, and who field candidates for elections in attempt to get them elected and thereby implement the party’s agenda as unequivocally stated in its official and universal manifesto.
“In truth, presently, none of the prominent parties in Nigeria qualifies to be so called as per the above definition.
“It is therefore not a surprise that the various anomalies being exhibited by both PDP & APC in the present imbroglio going on in Edo politics.
“In an organised party no national chairman will behave as Adam’s Oshiomhole has done. Also a party faithful and political protege of a political leader will not conduct his affairs as Gov Godwin Obaseki has done.
“Under these circumstances the disposition of Pastor Ize Iyamu lacks integrity and comportment befitting a person aspiring for leadership of a state.
“On the PDP side, apart from obvious desire to win by whatever means possible, the lack of due process and institutional consultation betrays the inherent weakness in that organisation as is common to all political formations in the country.”
The former presidential aide called for political party reforms in the country.
“We need to allow ideological parties with robust and practicable manifestos to emerge,” he said.
