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Navigating The Murky Waters Of Nigerian politics, PDP has an edge over APC~ Umar Magaji Umar teaches Political Science in Sokoto State University.

I begin to sense that, when it it comes to navigating the murky waters of Nigerian politics, PDP has an edge over APC. Apart from keeping afloat throughout the last five years, PDP has been able to contest every post against the rulling party headlong. It also kept APC on check and this pressure at times confuse APC to resort to non Democratic means in order to ward off pressure. These includes name-calling, blame game and image laundering. APC has not been able to muster enough courage to dessimate the hitherto rulling party from offering alternative to apparent poor delivery of the APC. Notwithstanding  overburden of effects of mistake during it's heydays, PDP has been able to launch offensives from it's strongholds which threatened the rulling party's traditional homelands during the last general elections. Research shows APC approach political contest from moralistic perspective which makes it contracting itself in major decisions, actions and body language of the party. On the other hand PDP resorts to Proceduralistic perspective which goes in tandem with the tunes of democratic practice. This is evident in the way and manner PDP has been able to record victories during electoral litigations period. Some of the considerable factors that confer this advantage to PDP includes:  PDP is a household names in Nigeria due to the fact that it has held power  16 out of 21 years of the present 4th Republic. PDP parades seasoned politicians with experience from 70s, 8Os down to late 90s. Although most of these people are no more in active politicking, they were able to hand over to some of their godsons the art of manouver and mobilization. PDP believe in patronage and through this it is able to retain huge number of Politicians who are called Democracy enterprenues. These helps to oil it's structures in the grassroot. PDP is has in it's gene federal outlook and therefore believe in the plurality of Nigerian state. It is evident in it's actions, appointments and membership. PDP has been able to internalize principles and art of politicking and governnance. PDP do not need to take time before they come with experience hands in handling campaigns, elections and governnance. It's membership cut accross military, civil service, security, industry, diplomacy, agriculture, manufacturing etc. The only burden on PDP is relaunch itself in the psyche and minds of Nigerians. This it can achieve through powerful and vigorous campaigns and preparedness to right the wrongs it has ran into during it's days in power.