Conundrum Facing Opposition Groups

In the past, opposition parties were home to a diverse range of ideologies, including radical leftists, socialists, welfarists, labour, and liberals, but now those individuals are in government, leaving a void in the opposition.

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The question remains as to where the core conservatives and establishment figures have gone, as their presence is necessary to provide a counterbalance to the current government, which is how politics and government are typically run.

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A political party's ideology serves as the foundation for its manifestos and provides direction on how to govern, and it is not something that should be changed on a whim, but rather based on shared thinking and focus.

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Unfortunately, the current opposition parties have become mixed and jumbled, making it difficult to identify them, as they have not been focused and have been jumping from one alliance to another, not for altruistic purposes.

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For instance, Peter Obi, who left the PDP with great fanfare, is now fraternizing with the same people he rejected in 2023, raising the question of what has changed.

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A similar story can be told about Rabiu Kwakwanso, and the story of Atiku's penchant for dumping parties has been retold numerous times, leaving one to wonder if he will succeed this time around.

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The opposition parties' approach suggests that they believe their current difficulties are rooted in external forces, but they should instead look inward and resolve their internal disruptions by putting aside their greed and self-interest.

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They need to be bold enough to confront their own flaws and weaknesses, as the saying goes, "whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad", which is evident in the confusion that has engulfed the opposition parties.

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The opposition parties had everything in their favor, but allowed ego, pride, and greed to get in the way, and now they are looking for someone to blame, rather than taking responsibility for their actions.

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At the end of the 2023 presidential election, the results showed that the APC, represented by Bola Tinubu, received 8,794,726 votes, followed by the PDP's Abubakar Atiku with 6,984,520 votes.

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The Labour Party's Peter Obi received 6,101,533 votes, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party's Musa Kwakwanso got 1,496,687 votes, and if you add the collective votes of Atiku, Obi, and Kwakwanso, it would have made a significant difference of 5,788,014 in their favor compared to Bola Tinubu.

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The opposition, led by Atiku Abubakar, had the opportunity to oust the ruling party, but they squandered it through their actions or inaction, and now they appear to be thoroughly battered and are placing all the blame on Tinubu's APC government.

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The Nigerian masses, who have been battered by hunger and lack caused by the Federal Government, are ready to follow the opposition's lead, but common sense dictates that we should be discerning of the language used by politicians.

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Instead of doing some soul-searching and finding out what went wrong, the opposition parties went on a wild goose chase and left their parties fractured, with governors leaving in droves.

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The case of Obi highlights the importance of structure, and many believe that he was robbed of the election because he had no structure to defend his votes, and in Nigeria, you cannot leave things to chance and propaganda.

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A post-election analysis should have focused on how to bridge the gap between popularity and structure, and if possible, starting a new party with like-minded individuals and building a base from the local government level up.

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However, Obi lost control of the Labour Party and ultimately abandoned ship, which raises questions about his leadership credentials.

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For Atiku, it is a case of "what if", and if he had allowed true power distribution in the PDP, made peace with Nyesom Wike, and stayed in one party to fight his battles, the outcome might have been different.

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As for Kwakwanso, Kano State is his stronghold, and he proved that in the last election, but he has also jumped ship from a feuding party and is a local champion without national reach.

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The best bet for the opposition is to accept a nationally recognized and accepted candidate, combined with strong zonal representation, preferably from the North, which would present a more formidable force against the ruling party.