Opinion I APC And Her Kangaroo Congresses

APC AND HER KANGAROO ELECTIVE CONGRESSES

        Last two weeks – precisely on Saturday, 5^th May 2018 – the ruling All progressives Congress (APC) had her elective congress in all the 8,812 political wards nationwide as its tradition demanded.

        Prior to the emergence of the epochal outing, many Nigerians earnestly looked forward to witnessing a well organized and distinguished congress. The people’s expectations weren’t unconnected with the fact that the party is currently in charge of the country’s leadership, hence was supposed to come up with an exemplary in-house election.

       Unfortunately and disappointedly, the various congresses were greeted with countless irregularities. It was mind-boggling to observe that virtually all the states across the country were overwhelmed by the ‘unexpected’ loophole.

        In most quarters, the exercise was characterized by all sorts of manipulations and pranks. In some states like Akwa Ibom and Kwara, some of the party members aspiring for certain positions were faced with harassments by hired thugs. Whilst, such states as Imo and Enugu witnessed parallel congress. The worst of all, states like Delta and Rivers never kept murder aside.

        It’s, therefore, needless to state that the long awaited congress, in its entirety, deserved to be confirmed inconclusive, even as a few states had claimed that theirs were hitch-free. It suffices to assert that that political outing, which was inundated with several anomalies, ought to be declared null and void. Hence, I’m glad the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has aligned with this assertion.

       The APC ward congress that bore a kangaroo’s pattern of movement had thrown the citizenry in disarray. Its outcome, which seemed not unlike a soured Egusi soup engulfed in mucus, has continued to generate tremendous ripples among the teeming onlookers as well as succeeded in making most members of the party – especially the bigwigs – to now sleep with one eye open.

        In the same vein, on that fateful day, the APC’s primary election in Ekiti State targeted to produce the party’s flag-bearer for the July 14 gubernatorial polls in the state was equally marred by irregularities. The event, which was disrupted by violence at the voting venue, experienced series of gun shots and destruction of ballot papers. It was gathered that the controversies were ignited by aggrieved party members whose grievances were informed by the alleged malpractice occurring therein.

        On Tuesday, 8^th May 2018, the country’s leading opposition platform – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – apparently tutored the APC on how a party’s primary should be conducted by successfully producing its flag-bearer for the awaited Ekiti guber polls in a seeming keenly contested hitch-free election, though some members like Prince Dayo Adeyeye have alleged imposition of candidate on the party by the state’s Governor, Chief Ayodele Fayose. The outing saw the emergence of the present Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Kolapo Olusola as the party’s flag-bearer.

        The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has pleaded with other parties to emulate the successful conduct showcased by the PDP. The CNPP disclosed that it was impressed about the openness and orderliness with which the PDP carried out the election as it further urged its members to not only emulate the exercise but improve on the level of transparency witnessed at the polls.

        On the day of the Local Government Areas (LGA) congress of the APC being Saturday, 12^th May 2018, the story wasn’t different. There was still such reported incident of irregularities as malpractice, pranks, parallel congress, violence and what have you. Even as some states like Imo and Rivers weren’t opportune to conduct theirs owing to postponement or court injunction.

        It’s noteworthy that what the APC is faced with at the moment was exactly what marred the PDP prior to the 2015 general elections, thereby ousting the latter from the country’s Seat of Power. It would be recalled that the PDP was at the time characterized by lack of internal democracy, which afterwards warranted its abrupt downfall at the various polls.

        One may have thought that the APC ought to have learnt from such a scenario. But as it stands, it seems the ruling party is yet to take reference from that conundrum that befell the PDP three years ago. This, thus, smacks of danger for the APC.

        However, the good side of the ongoing crisis within the APC is that it has enabled most of its stalwarts – particularly some state governors – who believed the party belongs to them to comprehend that an association, either political or social, isn’t owned by anyone, although could be founded by an individual.

        As committees have already been set up by the party’s leadership to investigate as well as address the crises, they must take into cognizance that various states across the federation had been harbouring two or more factions before the outing, which was ostensibly the reason for the parallel congresses witnessed in most quarters. Hence, such a lacuna ought to be considered as fundamental.

        To ensure that it doesn’t become lachrymose in the nearest future, the APC needs to at all cost put its house in order in earnest. To before warned is to before armed. Think about it!

Comrade Fred Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement

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frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador