The best chance that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stands to sack President Buhari of the all Progressives Party (APC) is in 2019. If, for any self-inflicted reason, the PDP failed to remove the APC in 2019, it is not likely going to be able to remove the APC again for another fifty two years – that is assuming there would still be a party known as the PDP twenty months after if it lost (God forbid!).

In this epistle, I shall be discussing four steps to take to successfully disrupt, remove this sordid regime on May 29, 2019.

President Buhari appears not set for or interested about free and fair contest in 2019 – or even before then, judging by the reasonable apprehension of fear among Nigerians over the alleged rather palpable partiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The nation’s Police, unfortunately, have been transmitting series of transmitting transmissions to suggest, without leaving many in doubt, that it is an interested party in the 2019 election.

But how can the people of Nigeria led by the PDP ensure the sacking of President Buhari on May 29, 2019 in the light of the above situation?

Before I go further, let me state clearly here that President Buhari no doubt appears to me to be a man with a golden heart to see that Nigeria is divested of corruption and corrupt politicians. Unfortunately, the President, based on empirical evidence of his tolerating – even celebrating evidently corrupt people who are with them or are blackmailed to join them – appears also to have only wooden, not golden, strategies to fairly or even actually enforce the golden ideas that could have birthed a corrupt free Nigeria. 

As a result of the failure of the Buhari administration (same way as his former Buhari regime was said to have woefully failed in thoroughness or humaneness in the so-called fight against corruption) and the extant apparent penitence of the PDP over its 1999-2015 less than optimal stewardship to the Nigerian people, for which it was justifiably sacked by Nigerian people in 2015, it is now expected that the PDP, having learned a bitter lesson in power management, should now be invited by all Nigerians to return power to the people on May 29, 2019. It is hoped that the Party should continue the anti-corruption campaign of the outgoing APC administration, albeit with injection of three socioeconomic vaccines; Sincerity, Totality, Impartiality.

But what is the strategy to be adopted by the PDP to ensure that all her many aspirants each aptly qualified but apparently desperate, stay in the party to work the success after the primary – beyond wishful thinking or signing the usual undertaking that evidently lacks the force of law and over the years have been flouted after every election? I have developed a strategy, and it would be listed among the four steps I wish to suggest for ensuring that the forthcoming decisive primary of the PDP does not only not tear the party apart but also raise the revenue and solidarity base of the party. The following are my suggestions; 

1. PDP must hold a very transparent primary election. If possible, direct primary. As much as possible, let the primary be held at the least contentious location. Ekiti would be such a nice idea and could demonstrate solidarity for the outgoing Fayose who was a great force for goodwill for the Party.  So that each delegate and aspirant would be assured of a level playing field, and the PDP would also enrich that state with their show of strength.

2. PDP should ban inducement of delegates of any kind and by any means. The Party should publish its budget for the welfare and logistics of each delegate and encourage each aspirant to make a donation to the central purse for this purpose and distribute this to the delegates equally. The Party should disqualify any aspirant who pays the bills of any delegate in whatever way or induces any delegate with money before, during or after the election. As much as possible, uniform dressings or any forms of unity lists should be banned – let each delegate be standing alone during the primaries and no state dressing should be allowed. If you want a different result, adopt different methods.

3. PDP should get all the Presidential Aspirants to sign a Presidential Aspirant Bond (PAB), deposed to on Oath at a High Court, with Affidavit including that they would stay in the party after the primary election and also work for the party or lose a Pledge Bond Deposit which shall be 40% of the budget that the Party estimates would be for the Presidential Campaign. This should discourage the jokers or those who, allegedly, have been planted by opposition for a spoiler game and this would also end the talk about moneybags. Getting 40% of each of about 10 aspirants would mean that the eventual candidate would have 75% more money than is needed for the campaign.  On the part of the Party and the Candidate, would undertake to give each of the aspirants certain named justiciable Privileges and Pledges, when the victory is secured. Everything should be written down and sealed on Oath, because Gentleman Agreements, from experience, seem not to work anymore among contemporary Nigeria politicians.

4. Each of the Aspirant should Sign a legally enforceable irrevocable document on Oath that the court should recognized his resignation from office in the event of his ever having to leave the Party before the end of the tenure he was elected to preside. Lawyers should not argue about the legality of this instrument but rather work towards its best application.

With the above four stratagem, and one secret strategy I would reveal only to the Chairman if he’s humble enough to ask, it would not be possible for the APC to resist the power of cohesion that would be among the Nigerian people when they decide to scream Enough is Enough, in 2019!

May God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

*Saintmoses Eromosele is the Executive Director of Oneghe Sele Foundation, a charity supporting destitute, domestic aides, girls and women’s rights. He writes from Braunschweig, Germany, and is reachable ontalktosme@gmail.com or 0 702 040 7106 anytime for feedback or further enquiry in theories and strategy of power management and nation building.