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People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
Encyclopedia
The People's Democratic Party is a political party
in Nigeria
. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum
. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999
, 2003
, 2007
, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic
.
In the legislative election
held on 12 April 2003, the party won 54.5% of the popular vote and 223 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives
, and 76 out of 109 seats in the Senate
. Its candidate in the presidential election of 19 April 2003, Olusegun Obasanjo, was re-elected with 61.9% of the vote.
In December 2006 Umaru Yar'Adua was chosen as the presidential candidate of the ruling PDP for the April 2007 general election
, receiving 3,024 votes from party delegates; his closest rival, Rochas Okorocha, received only 372 votes. Yar'Adua was eventually declared the winner of the 2007 general elections, held on April 21, and was sworn in on May 29, 2007, amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud
. In the Nigerian National Assembly
election, the party won 260 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives and 85 out of 109 seats in the Senate.
At the PDP's 2008 National Convention, it chose Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as its National Chairman on March 8, 2008. Ogbulafor, who was the PDP's National Secretary from 2001 to 2005, was the party's consensus choice for the position of National Chairman, selected as an alternative to the rival leading candidates Sam Egwu
(who was backed by Obasanjo) and Anyim Pius Anyim
. All 26 other candidates, including Egwu and Anyim, withdrew in favor of Ogbulafor. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje was elected as National Secretary.
However, in recent weeks, wave of mass defection has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across Nigeria, with many aggrieved members decamping mostly to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The aggrieved members who are moving with their supporters will no doubt, boost the chances of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the presumptive Presidential flag bearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) ahead the 2011 general elections in Nigeria. The Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, bolstered by its recent electoral victories, is gearing up to win even more states including the coming presidential elections by forming alliances with other opposition parties.
As delegates from Nigeria's ruling party are gathering in the capital for a convention to choose their presidential nominee for the upcoming 2011 general elections in April, an Enugu High Court has granted an interim order restraining the party’s national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, from “parading himself as chairman of the party.”
, and limited government regulation. In 2003, President
Olusegun Obasanjo and Finance Minister
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
embarked on a radical economic reform program, which reduced government spending through conservative fiscal
policies, and saw the deregulation
and privatization
of numerous industries in Nigerian services sector — notably the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL)
industry.
On the other hand, the PDP adopts a more leftist stance towards poverty and welfare. In 2005, President Obasanjo launched Nigeria's first National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure that every Nigerian has access to basic health care services.
The PDP strives to maintain the status quo on oil revenue distribution. Though the PDP government setup the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC) to address the needs of the oil-producing Niger Delta
states, it has rebuffed repeated efforts to revert back to the 50% to 50% federal-to-state government revenue allocation agreement established in 1966 during the First Republic
.
on moral and religious grounds. In 2007, the PDP-dominated National Assembly sponsored a bill to outlaw homosexual relations, making it punishable by law for up to five years in prison.
The party is a moderate advocate of state
-autonomy and religious freedom
for the Nigerian provinces
. In the year 2000 the introduction of Islamic law
in some states in Northern Nigeria
triggered sectarian violence
in Kaduna
and Abia
states. The PDP-led federal government refused to bow to pressure from the southern, predominantly Christian
states to repeal the law, and instead opted for a compromise where Islamic law would only apply to Muslims.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum
Political spectrum
A political spectrum is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions....
. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999
Nigerian presidential election, 1999
Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 27 February 1999, the first since the 1993 military coup. The result was a victory for Olusegun Obasanjo of the People's Democratic Party, who defeated Olu Falae, who was running on a joint Alliance for Democracy-All People's Party ticket. Voter...
, 2003
Nigerian presidential election, 2003
Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 19 April 2003. The result was a victory for incumbent Olusegun Obasanjo of the People's Democratic Party. Voter turnout was 69.1%.-Background:...
, 2007
Nigerian general election, 2007
The Nigerian general elections of 2007 were held on 14 April and 21 April 2007. Governorship and state assembly elections were held on 14 April, while the presidential and national assembly elections were held a week later on 21 April. Umaru Yar'Adua won the highly controversial election for the...
, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic
Nigerian Fourth Republic
The Fourth Republic is the republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999 it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and 1983 and suffers many of the same problems, such as multiple...
.
History
| President | Vice President | Election | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the... |
Namadi Sambo | 2011 Nigerian presidential election, 2011 A presidential election was held in Nigeria on 16 April 2011, postponed from 9 April 2011. The election follows controversy as to whether a Muslim or Christian should be allowed to become president given the tradition of rotating the top office between the religions and following the death of Umaru... |
Won |
| Umaru Yar'Adua | Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the... |
2007 | Won |
| Olusegun Obasanjo | Atiku Abubakar Atiku Abubakar Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alias Turakin Adamawa, GCON was the Vice-President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He is a Muslim native of Adamawa State, and was an influential member of the ruling People's Democratic Party until 2006 when he switched affiliation to the Action Congress party... |
2003 Nigerian presidential election, 2003 Presidential elections were held in Nigeria on 19 April 2003. The result was a victory for incumbent Olusegun Obasanjo of the People's Democratic Party. Voter turnout was 69.1%.-Background:... |
Won |
| Olusegun Obasanjo | Atiku Abubakar Atiku Abubakar Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alias Turakin Adamawa, GCON was the Vice-President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He is a Muslim native of Adamawa State, and was an influential member of the ruling People's Democratic Party until 2006 when he switched affiliation to the Action Congress party... |
1999 Elections in Nigeria Elections in Nigeria are democratic forms of choosing representatives to the Nigerian federal government and the various states in Nigeria.-Background:... |
Won |
In the legislative election
Nigerian legislative election, 2003
Parliamentary elections were held in Nigeria on 12 April 2003. The result was a victory for the ruling People's Democratic Party, which won 76 of the 109 Senate seats and 223 of the 360 House seats. Voter turnout was 50%.-Senate:-House of Representatives:...
held on 12 April 2003, the party won 54.5% of the popular vote and 223 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Nigeria
The House of Representatives of Nigeria is the lower house of the country's bicameral National Assembly. The Senate of Nigeria is the upper house....
, and 76 out of 109 seats in the Senate
Senate of Nigeria
The Senate is the upper house of the National Assembly of Nigeria. It consists of 109 senators: the 36 states are divided in 3 senatorial districts each electing one senator; the Federal Capital Territory elects only one senator....
. Its candidate in the presidential election of 19 April 2003, Olusegun Obasanjo, was re-elected with 61.9% of the vote.
In December 2006 Umaru Yar'Adua was chosen as the presidential candidate of the ruling PDP for the April 2007 general election
Nigerian general election, 2007
The Nigerian general elections of 2007 were held on 14 April and 21 April 2007. Governorship and state assembly elections were held on 14 April, while the presidential and national assembly elections were held a week later on 21 April. Umaru Yar'Adua won the highly controversial election for the...
, receiving 3,024 votes from party delegates; his closest rival, Rochas Okorocha, received only 372 votes. Yar'Adua was eventually declared the winner of the 2007 general elections, held on April 21, and was sworn in on May 29, 2007, amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
. In the Nigerian National Assembly
Nigerian National Assembly
The National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a bicameral legislature established under section 4 of the Nigerian Constitution. It consists of a Senate and a 360-member House of Representatives...
election, the party won 260 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives and 85 out of 109 seats in the Senate.
At the PDP's 2008 National Convention, it chose Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as its National Chairman on March 8, 2008. Ogbulafor, who was the PDP's National Secretary from 2001 to 2005, was the party's consensus choice for the position of National Chairman, selected as an alternative to the rival leading candidates Sam Egwu
Sam Egwu
Doctor Sam Ominyi Egwu is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party in Nigeria.He was Governor of Ebonyi State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007....
(who was backed by Obasanjo) and Anyim Pius Anyim
Anyim Pius Anyim
Anyim Pius Anyim is a Nigerian politician and currently the Secretary to the Government of the Federation . He was elected as national Senator on the People's Democratic Party platform in 1999 for the Ebonyi South constituency of Ebonyi State...
. All 26 other candidates, including Egwu and Anyim, withdrew in favor of Ogbulafor. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje was elected as National Secretary.
However, in recent weeks, wave of mass defection has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across Nigeria, with many aggrieved members decamping mostly to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The aggrieved members who are moving with their supporters will no doubt, boost the chances of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the presumptive Presidential flag bearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) ahead the 2011 general elections in Nigeria. The Action Congress of Nigeria ACN, bolstered by its recent electoral victories, is gearing up to win even more states including the coming presidential elections by forming alliances with other opposition parties.
As delegates from Nigeria's ruling party are gathering in the capital for a convention to choose their presidential nominee for the upcoming 2011 general elections in April, an Enugu High Court has granted an interim order restraining the party’s national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, from “parading himself as chairman of the party.”
Political ideology
The party has a neoliberal stance in its economic policies and maintains a conservative stance on certain social issues, such as same sex relations.Economic issues
The PDP favors free-market policies which support economic liberalismEconomic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
, and limited government regulation. In 2003, President
President of Nigeria
The President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained...
Olusegun Obasanjo and Finance Minister
Finance Minister of Nigeria
The Minister of Finance of Nigeria is a senior cabinet official in the Nigerian Federal Executive Council. The Finance Minister's directs the Nigerian Ministry of Finance and ensures that it operates in a transparent, accountable and efficient manner to bolster the country's economic development...
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed in July 2011 as Nigeria's “de facto prime minister” and the new Minister of Finance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Prior to this appointment, she was the Managing Director of World Bank and has also held the position of a Finance Minister and Foreign...
embarked on a radical economic reform program, which reduced government spending through conservative fiscal
Fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
policies, and saw the deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
and privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of numerous industries in Nigerian services sector — notably the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL)
NITEL
Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, or NITEL, is the principal telecommunications company in Nigeria, and was owned by the government of Nigeria until it was sold to Mtel by the Bureau of Public Enterprises...
industry.
On the other hand, the PDP adopts a more leftist stance towards poverty and welfare. In 2005, President Obasanjo launched Nigeria's first National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure that every Nigerian has access to basic health care services.
The PDP strives to maintain the status quo on oil revenue distribution. Though the PDP government setup the Niger Delta Development Commission
Niger Delta Development Commission
The Niger Delta Development Commission is a Federal Government agency established by Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria....
(NDDC) to address the needs of the oil-producing Niger Delta
Niger Delta
The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
states, it has rebuffed repeated efforts to revert back to the 50% to 50% federal-to-state government revenue allocation agreement established in 1966 during the First Republic
Nigerian First Republic
The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution.-Founding :...
.
Social issues
The PDP is against same sex relations, and favors social conservatismSocial conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
on moral and religious grounds. In 2007, the PDP-dominated National Assembly sponsored a bill to outlaw homosexual relations, making it punishable by law for up to five years in prison.
The party is a moderate advocate of state
States of Nigeria
Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The states are further divided into 774 Local Government Areas....
-autonomy and religious freedom
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
for the Nigerian provinces
States of Nigeria
Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The states are further divided into 774 Local Government Areas....
. In the year 2000 the introduction of Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
in some states in Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria is a geographical region of Nigeria. It is more arid and less densely populated than the south. The people are largely Muslim, and many are Hausa...
triggered sectarian violence
Sectarian violence
Sectarian violence and/or sectarian strife is violence inspired by sectarianism, that is, between different sects of one particular mode of ideology or religion within a nation/community...
in Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
and Abia
Abia State
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people...
states. The PDP-led federal government refused to bow to pressure from the southern, predominantly Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
states to repeal the law, and instead opted for a compromise where Islamic law would only apply to Muslims.
External links
- Assemblyonline Nigeria News
- PDP Related News Items