People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
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| People's Democratic Party | |
|---|---|
| Image:PDP-Flag-Logo.JPG | |
| Chairman | Ahmadu Ali |
| Secretary | Ojo Maduekwe |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Way, Wuse, Abuja |
| Political Ideology | Moderate |
| Colours | Green, White, Red |
| Website | [7], [8] |
| See also | Politics of Nigeria Nigerian Political parties Nigerian Elections |
The People's Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. It won the elections of 1999, 2003, and 2007, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.
Contents |
[edit] History
| President | Vice President | Election | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olusegun Obasanjo | Atiku Abubakar | 1999 | Won |
| Olusegun Obasanjo | Atiku Abubakar | 2003 | Won |
| Umaru Yar'Adua | Goodluck Jonathan | 2007 | Won |
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.[1] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Economic issues
The PDP favors free-market policies which support economic liberalism, 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.[2]
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.[3]
[edit] Social issues
The PDP is against same sex relations, and favors social conservatism 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.[4]
On the other hand, the PDP adopts a more liberal 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.[5]
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.[6]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Political parties in Nigeria | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary parties | People's Democratic Party · All Nigeria Peoples Party · Action Congress · Progressive Peoples Alliance · Labour Party · Accord | Image:Flag of Nigeria.svg |
| Other parties | United Nigeria People's Party · National Democratic Party · All Progressives Grand Alliance · People's Redemption Party | |
| Portal:Politics · Portal:Nigeria · List of political parties · Politics of Nigeria | ||
fr:Parti démocratique populaire ig:People's Democratic Party sv:People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
