3 things Obasanjo’s ADC must do to be embraced by Nigerians

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has collapsed his Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) into the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“The leadership of the movement, after detailed examination, wide consultation and bearing in mind the orientation, policies and direction of the movement, have agreed to adopt ADC as its platform to work with others for bringing about desirable change in the Nigeria polity and governance”, Obasanjo said.

Chief Obasanjo tore into the APC and PDP as he touted the ADC as the viable alternative for millions of Nigerians.

“ADC, as I understand it, is neither based on the immediate past, condemnable records of PDP as a ruling party in Nigeria nor on the present disastrous and destabilizing performance of APC. It is a new platform and a new page in our political history”, Obasanjo said.

Obasanjo was PDP and PDP was Obasanjo

For the records, I don’t believe a word Obasanjo says. Never have. The PDP oversaw Nigeria’s affairs for 16 years before it was sacked from the center in 2015. Obasanjo was president from the platform of the PDP for 8 of those 16 miserable years.

Obasanjo should take a chunk of the blame for the corruption, poor governance and infrastructure deficit that was the lot of Nigerians for all the years PDP held sway. He can't just wash his hands off this one.

However, we shouldn’t throw away the baby that is ADC with the bathwater that is Obasanjo. If Nigerians really want to sack the duo of PDP and APC from governance across tiers, then they have to allow the ADC present its case and programs like every other political party worth its name on the ballot paper.

1. For the ADC to morph into that ‘third force’ some Nigerians have been yearning for, it has to give the young a chance on its platform

I would like to see the ADC blood young politicians with a point to prove, as flagbearers for legislative, governorship and even presidential positions.

The ADC should make its forms affordable and attractive to younger Nigerians.

Obasanjo says the “ADC will embrace the policy of 30 per cent youth of under 40 and 30 per cent women in all organs of the party", but that isn’t enough. The ADC should go one better by making it a matter of policy that no one above 50 years of age will be handed a ticket to run for elective office on its platform.

2. Ideology driven

The party has to be seen as a youth and ideas driven party if it wants to be taken seriously. The ADC must have an overarching ideology that guides its operations.

3. The ADC should hand the party to the people

A political party should be able to fund its operations from financial contributions of members in order to stay accountable.

The reason why the PDP and APC are such a mess has to be because the parties have been hijacked by moneybags and persons with inexplicable wealth. He who pays the piper calls the tune, goes the cliche.

By way of a recap, the ADC will be embraced by Nigerians if it begins to pivot to a youthful, innovative demographic.

If the likes of Obasanjo and Olagunsoye Oyinlola continue to speak for the ADC or CMN in public and continue to call the shots in the background, the ADC shouldn’t be taken seriously. It should be dismissed as dead on arrival.

No one needs geriatric ideas in a fast-paced 21st century.