PDP AND THE PARABLE OF THE BEAUTIFUL SERPENT By [Ofonime Honesty]

Another political season is upon us. Another round of intrigues, subterfuges and outright hypocrisy is panning out. The political players are back to the political chess board, executing deft feints and dexterous maneuverings. Dear reader, 2019 is pregnant, and we are anticipating what it shall bring forth.

As I ruminated on the 2019 elections, contemporary goings-on in the polity made a sad tale of yore become relevant. You might choose to call it a fable. You can as well label it a parable, if you so wish. Please, permit me to retale the tale.

Legend has it that a young girl was trekking along a path on a hill enroute her grandma's hut. She suddenly heard a hiss. Looking down, she saw a serpent which spook to her, surprisingly.

"I am about to die here. I am severely wounded, a piece of rock fell on me. Here is too cold for me, I need my wounds to be treated. Please, put me under your coat and take me home. I need you to pour ointment on my wound to make it heal faster", the serpent pleaded.

"You are a rattlesnake, you'd bite me if I pick you, and your bite is poisonous", the girl replied.

"No", the snake retorted, "I can't hurt someone who accepts to deliver me from death. As you can see, I am helpless."

The poor girl sat on a rock for a moment to ponder. She admired the beautiful patterns on the serpent's skin. Suddenly, she said "I will save you", picked and slid it into her jacket. Within split seconds, she felt a sharp pain, the serpent had bitten her.

"How could you do this to me, I admired your beauty, you convinced me with sweet talk, I trusted you", she lamented, writhing in agony.

"But you knew what I was when you accepted to pick me up", the serpent responded and slithered away.

Dear reader, look around and tell me what you see? All in the name of becoming God-knows-what in 2019, they are busy sweet-talking like that proverbial serpent.

Those bare-faced masquerades of yesteryears are plotting a suspicious and inglorious comeback. Those who deserve to be locked where the sun never shines are mounting rostrums, telling us they are the saints we've been waiting for.

Take the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a case study. It was the ruling party in Nigeria between 1999 and 2015. Successive federal administrations under PDP recorded successes and a legion of failures. The foregoing premise was given foolproof credence in March 2018 when the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, apologized for the "past mistakes of the party."

Within 15 years in power, we saw and heard things which made us shudder. Today, same dramatis personae are back on stage with old scripts and brand new costumes.

In a nation where a vibrant opposition party is needed, PDP and allies are parading iniquity men who raped our democracy with impunity.

Leading the bunch is former President Olusegun Obasanjo who has since fallen out with the Muhammadu Buhari presidency. Pitching tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obasanjo has joined force with the PDP in  a coalition codenamed Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), with the sole aim of wresting the presidential seat from Buhari in 2019.

No doubt, the Buhari presidency is grappling with some challenges, but a removal campaign masterminded by OBJ isn't worthy of serious attention. How can we ascertain his sincerity?

The name Olusegun Obasanjo has since lost every shred of inspiration. Lust for power has reduced Baba to a bully in the political space. He hates to be ignored. It is difficult - if not impossible - not to frown when reviewing his deeds. Impunity, corruption and all-what-nots were common place during his eight years as president.
Our saving grace came when Senators rejected millions of cash as bribe to amend the constitution to allow him run for third term as President.

Is it the Zaki Biam or Odi Massacre that Nigerians will forget? A President ordering the military to murder thousands of citizens is a power-drunk dictator. Till date, he justifies Zaki Biam and Odi invasion without flinching. This is a man who withheld the allocation of Lagos State because Governor Bola Tinubu (as he then was) refused to join the PDP.
Space won't contain further mention of his misdeeds but, in summary, OBJ was mean, vengeful, and totally unpresidential as president. Decades into the future, Nigerians will continue to suffer the pains of his gory misdoings.

Obasanjo’s recent theatrical alliance with the PDP which he famously dumped on the eve of the 2015 polls confirms his double standards.

Another figure, former President Goodluck Jonathan, whose tenure was headlined by endemic corruption is busy talking about 2019. Days after his tenure expired, officials of the administration made series of confessions. Monies literally developed wings and left the coffers,  little wonder he famously declared that "stealing isn't corruption."

Having been grossly indicted by his former appointees, GEJ should be behind bars, if global standards are followed hereabout.

Even Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP, isn't generally accepted as a man of stellar reputation. As one of the henchmen of the PDP/OBJ misrule, posterity will treat him harshly. Yes, he is dedicated; but only dedicated to his insatiable quest of becoming president. A man who was mute to the rape of democracy while serving as Vice President shouldn't be seen as the Messiah.

Joining PDP in CUPP is Ibrahim Babangida, who aborted the freest and fairest election ever conducted in Nigeria. He is officially a member of Social Democratic Party (SDP) -same party whose candidate, Chief MKO Abiola, won the presidential election he infamously annulled.

We all know politicians, and can't begrudge their ways much. Aren't we entertained by the stunts?  A politician will walk with his head and clap with his legs to score cheap political points. The antics are about the next elections.

Senator Dino Melaye -a PDP new recruit - was reportedly abducted on on his way to Lokoja for a court case.

Days later, he emerged from God-knows-where, regalling everyone about how he escaped by sprinting into a forest and climbing a tree. He has since accused the police of haunting him. Isn't it this same Melaye who openly threatened to kill himself and put the police in trouble?

Did you also hear the alarm sounded by another PDP new signing, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom? No,  'they' don't want to kill him. 'They' just want to frame him up by killing more people.Even the drama king, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, with myriad allegations and court cases against him at home and abroad, are churning out stunts which make them look like Hollywood thespians than political office holders.

In a nation where role models are in short supply, these men have further disappointed us. This tells me that our political space is clogged up with unprincipled men. From all indications, it may not be out of place for one to envisage the worst in this country.

Those who wanted to rule forever are back to woo us. Advocates of the 'stealing is not corruption' philosophy are back too. Those who annulled the freest and fairest election ever conducted in this climes are here. Those who only offered an insipid apology after abusing us for 16 long years are back on stage. To worsen issues, they claim to be fighting for the masses.

We'd be under a spell to allow them succeed. Amnesia isn't doing us favours.

PDP and her strange bedfellows in CUPP aren't the messiahs we seek.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me, so says a Chinese proverb.

PDP is yet to do away with its serpentine nature. This is evidenced in the crisis-ridden congress of the party, ongoing imposition, sham exercises like the Local Government Chairmanship primaries and elections conducted in my native Akwa Ibom State, et al.

May the locust years not return!
May lightening not strike us twice!

(Ofonime Honesty writes in from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State
honestyofonime@yahoo.com +2348025286082)