Of blame, truth and compass

BY IFEANYI OKORO

The All Progressives Congress (APC), in the last few weeks, hasn’t lived up to its name.  Only a diagnosis of self-unawareness or loss of sense of scale would excuse any of its members who still refers to the party, at this time, as a conglomerate of individuals with progressivism ideology. 

There has never been a time in the history of political party management that maladministration is this pronounced. Over the years, during the 16 years rulership of the Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP), we saw on many occasions where the presidency influenced the running of the party. It’s a different and strange twist in the APC. The presidency’s consistent nonchalant posturing since the inception of its reign has given life and emboldened the wrangling in the party. 

CCEPC got introduced into Nigeria’s party system and a sitting governor was considered the best option to head it. A six-month mandate almost became a monarchy throne, instrument of law became weapons of mass destruction, the simplest task has become the big stage for schemes and fists. 

These only leave one to wonder if this crop of leaders and breed of party men have the interests of their party at heart, let alone the country at large. At the expense of the masses and taxpayers, some governors and ministers left their primary duty posts, grounded the running of the nation for the political feuds. 

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of the party, popularly revered and adulated as a man who shares equal passion in good governance and healthy party affairs is also nowhere to be found in rescuing the party. He is deep in his presidential pursuit and probably confident that the ongoing warfare won’t consume the party or strategically waiting for the eleventh hour to put on the superman cape. 

The misfortune that has befallen the party in the last eight years hinges on the shoulders of the founders of the party, particularly the president who as of today is the greatest beneficiary of the marriage that formed the party. He has perpetually taken the back seat whenever and every time there was turbulence that needed his presence and intervention.

As it’s been speculated and feared, if President Muhammadu Buhari eventually gifts the party chairmanship to the 80+ Abdullahi Adamu – who couldn’t even submit his nomination form himself because of the “rigorous” process that would require him to climb the stairs of the party secretariat up to the second floor – that would be his greatest disservice to the party. 

March 26 is fast approaching, just some days away. A few individuals have gotten the chairmanship form for N20 million, a whopping sum validating that large pockets occultism isn’t leaving our party anytime soon. Worthy of mention is that most aspirants are not worthy to lead the party that enjoyed the patronage of Nigerians with her anti-corruption mantra. 

Former Nasarawa state governors, Tanko Al-Makura and Abdullahi Adamu, have been investigated in recent times by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over financial crimes and abuse of power while in office. Whatever the state of Nasarawa is today, these men’s impurity can’t be excused. 

The only man standing tall and clean among the aspirants is Saliu Mustapha, the Ilorin-born politician whose political trajectory screams loyalty and respect for party supremacy as he has never cross-carpeted to any other party in his over twenty years political career. The 49 years old man, a favourite of the youth and those that have sworn never to be led by politicians with the baggage of corruption and indiscipline. 

For his virtues and experience garnered as the then CPC national deputy chairman, he is adjudged to the best man to lead the party at a time when party members are yearning for a foundational leader whose core values and ideology have never been questioned; and agile enough to lead the party to victory at the 2023 polls across all regions, particularly the unconquered south-east and retaining the presidency. 

Whoever the party goes with, wherever direction the party chooses, one thing is certain, there will be travails, there will be losses and there will be legacies. Let the one percent of the one percent remember that history will not be kind to them if they mortgage the future of the party, come  Saturday, March 26, 2022. 

Ifeanyi Okoro can be reached via [email protected]