How opposition squandered its chances for power

It has been a long and tiring journey. And some of the war weary cadres have since jumped ship to join the party they had opposed with everything they had. The 55-year-old war has been generally an exercise in futility in so far as its objective of capturing State power is concerned. No less than 10 opposition formations have been engaged in a tussle for power with the BDP over the years. Despite setbacks and humiliation suffered during the course of the struggle, some political formations adapted and metamorphosed to remain relevant and resilient while others fell by the way side and had been swept into oblivion. Indeed there is no easy road to freedom.

It is not so much the strength and organisational ability that kept the BDP in the driving seat all these years. Rather, it was the opposition’s political immaturity and pettiness that always offered the BDP a lifeline even when the chips were down. The opposition movement has a notorious distinction of failing to manage its internal differences at the crunch time.