Is There Any Difference Between The PDP and The APC?

As 2019 approaches faster, it is important we begin to understand who the main political actors are and what they offer.

Nigeria is now a defacto two-party state. The APC and the PDP are the true mammoths of Nigeria’s political landscape. Yet, a lot of Nigerians hold negative views about them. But as 2019 approaches fast, the question everyone is asking is: is there any difference between the APC and the PDP? Aren’t both parties the same?

These questions are not without reason. I mean incidences of either parties members “defecting” everyday to the other has been easier than opening a sachet of noodles.

However from our experience since 2015, we have seen that both parties are not the same. They are neither better nor worse than each other, yet they are still not the same.

The key difference I see between both parties is in terms of their party structure and decision making process.

In the APC, we all agree that there are too many godfathers. And it’s safe to say that a higher caucus comprised of godfathers determine how decisions are taken at the APC. Tinubu decides for the South West, Saraki for Kwara, Atiku for the North East, Kwankawso for Kano, and a whole lot of other shadow figures. So decision-making is less chaotic in the APC.

But in the PDP, things are more chaotic. The PDP comprises of the most ambitious politicians Nigeria has ever seen. And each has to vie for power or lose out to the others. From Wike, Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Atiku, Shekerau, the PDP seems to be an easier ground for politicians to compete and grow. Most people never heard of Wike until Jonathan made him a minister, and now he’s a key decider in the affairs of the PDP. This somewhat “zero-sum game” situation ensures that decision making in the PDP cannot easily be hijacked by godfathers.

Yet decisions are not made easily. Decisions are made only after complex negotiations, and usually involve different power brokers. We’ve seen the PDP behave this way for over 15 years. For example, Obasanjo’s decision to run for third term was rigorously opposed by many in the PDP. Atiku’s decision to contest in 2007 for presidency was also opposed. Only after deal brokering did the Yar’ adua and Jonathan combination emerge.

This behaviour was still displayed even after the PDP lost power in 2015. Following the triumph of the APC at the National Assembly, former PDP-turn-APC legislators met other PDP legislators to oppose Tinubu’s attempt to impose his own candidates for key posts in the National Assembly. Compromises and negotiations were made and this resulted to the emergence of Saraki and Dogara as Senate president and Speaker respectively. This act shocked everybody in the country, most especially Tinubu.

However, this deal making and negotiations in the PDP has been a key reason why the it usually gets caught in crisis easily. Too many cooks they say spoils the meal. At the PDP, too many divergent interests with little time to for compromises causes issues to take longer to resolve. We saw this with the Makarfi and Sheriff bickering over the Chairmanship of the PDP.

But with the settling of this dispute, we saw the PDP resort to old ways again, as old negotiation and politicking tactics were leveraged at their National Convention a just recently.

C’mon, where else would a so-called “Unity List” emerge from if not from the midst of negotiations from politicians, as they try to pacify divergent interests.

Yet no one can fully discount how important this tactics are to Nigeria’s democratic development. The country has too many divisions and a high risk of greater conflict. 

Still, no political party has shown that they have the interest of all Nigerians at heart; all they’ve shown is their selfish interest so far.