APC ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING A SINGLE TERM PARTY; as a new ideology
sets to establish its authority, a new political party beckons
-Orkuma Hembe former NANS President
The twilight of the 16 year rule of the PDP administration, climaxed in
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s five year administration when he held sway as
the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A better part of
those PDP 16 years was described by watchers and political analysts
alike, as a period of a nascent democracy, another school of thought
often argued that politics was an evolutionary process but I always
begged to disagree.
Then our mistakes as a nation or deliberate
attempts by politicians to swindle, arm-twist or manipulate the
electorate/ people were often down played under the blackmail of a the
popular mantra; “our country’s democracy is only so far experimental and
an evolving democratic experience”.
Incumbent leaderships at that
time had the power to do and undo, in fact I once eaves dropped on a
highly placed politician telling his friend that after God, government
might is next in line in terms of authority and power.
A President
or Governor –elect had his second term automatically guaranteed as soon
as he wore that toga of incumbency. The general public as well as public
office holders were all at the mercy of these incumbent individuals
whose enormous powers new no bounds.
I remember in 2003, when
Obasanjo presented himself for a second tenure re- run election against
the then General Muhamadu Buhari. A good number of Nigerians opposed his
re-election bid so vehemently; I was one of them. In fact, I together
with other student leaders mobilised to Abuja to protest against the
pronouncement of his re-election victory by the controversial the
Maurice Iwuh led INEC. We were arrested, molested and ended up detained
at the Zone 3 Police station for several days on the orders of the
former inspector General of Police Chief Tafa Balogun. The news of our
arrest didn’t even make it to the cartoon (omoba) page of any national
daily, just as our execution or death sentence wouldn’t have meant so
much.
The use of states instruments of coercion to manipulate our
electoral system was the order of the day and this saw to the smooth
RE-SELECTION even of the most unpopular government officials in various
states and local Governments, all to the disadvantage,
disenfranchisement and disagreement of the opposition and electorate.
At that time, all a politician need to do to be relevant within the
polity had nothing to do with his popularity amongst his people or his
performance while in office; instead, all that mattered was your ability
to remain in the good books of the incumbents, especially the President
of the Federal republic so he could hand you the states instruments of
coercion during the electioneering process.
In all this political
calculations, the electorate/common man was completely ignored helpless
and relegated. Whether he chose to vote or not, it did not matter
because his opinion or civic duty could not alter the final results of
the electoral process anyway.
In every crisis situation they say,
great opportunities lie. A plethora of litigations followed the
post-election era and instantly bestowed a new status of “the beautiful
bride” to the bar and the bench. Lawyers and law practice became one of
Nigeria’s most lucrative professions.
These political power
supremacy battles would then shift from the ballot boxes to the law
courts (which are also run by humans who are Nigerian). Politicians
would then resort to approaching the courts in company of high political
power backing, allied with the popular Nigerian Ghana-must –go bags.
They fought and got victory at all cost, leaving behind Senior Advocates
and Judges heading to the banks with smiles as wide as if they could
eat a banana sideways. Leaving the judiciary with very little to admire
or desire.
In all these the electorate, the common man, the ordinary voter, was either relegated ignored or completely helpless.
The People Democratic Party remained one united party whose defeat or
voluntary exit from power was not in sight. I believe it was not even
contemplated within the following century; power seemed completely of
the reach of the opposition parties.
As the years went by and more
events unfolded, I began to gradually align my thoughts with the idea
that politics is truly evolutionary, with no permanent friends or foes
only permanent interests. Just about when I would conclude that no
opposition party had the nerve to unseat the PDP, a doctrine of the holy
Bible came to pass; “a house divided against its self will not stand”.
This doctrine set itself upon the path fulfilment in 2003, when Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar stepped up to challenge his principal Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo in the race for the almighty PDP Presidential ticket. This
singular act initiated the journey to what we enjoy today as voters,
whose votes count.
The rofo rofo between Obasanjo and Atiku
consciously or unconsciously set the stage for a consideration of the
common man but rather fortunately or unfortunately, the Governors forum
ambushed the electorate and once again took authority (which originally
was that of the common man) to decide who got what and how. The
Governors became what Obasanjo described recently as emperors in their
states and the nation at large. Their word was law and their states were
held hostage under their careful watch.
As the internal wrangling
within the PDP continued, it caused Obasanjo to begin a search for his
successor whose credentials and public image would appeal to the
electorate/common voter on the street as well as meet the condition of
the Governors forum that such a candidate must be from within their
fold. This led to the emergence of Alhaji Umaru Musa YarAdua, a man
whose character was unquestionable.
At the time had far more
appealing credentials than any of his colleagues; I stand to be
corrected. YarAdua stepped in more like a neutral personality, a meeting
point for the trio of an incumbent President the Governors forum and a
bit of the Nigerian electorate.
Chief Obasanjo and the PDP would
later allocate/impose Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as running mate to
YarAdua. The duo was then brought the forth to be challenged once again
by Muhamadu Buhari, who to me was gradually becoming a career aspirant
of the opposition party.
The battle for supremacy between king
makers, king, subjects and nights of the palace continued fiercely
within the PDP and the Presidency after YarAdua’s victory and this
fuelled our national political evolutionary process in no small
measure.
Providence would later play a major role, I will not want
to bore you with the politics that led to the emergence of Gooluck Ebele
Jonathan; but I must mention as a matter of fact, from a mortal man’s
perspective that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo single handedly made it
possible for GEJ to become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Another rofo rofo fight soon set in between Obasanjo and his benefactor
GEJ, which in my opinion also added a shoulder to our continuously
evolving democracy. I want to believe that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was
providentially designed to be Nigeria’s President at a time such as when
he became. He surely had his weaknesses that mainly stemmed from lack
of experience and a relatively low self-esteem (I mention this
respectfully).
The rofo rofo this time had prompted Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo to unseat Goodluck Jonathan at all cost and he needed an
alternative candidate and a platform outside the PDP. It was time to
once again search for a candidate with a good public appeal. This time
not exclusively to the incumbent President and Governors forum alone but
to the general public; it was time to empower the neglected
electorate/ordinary voter and return his original franchise and mandate
to him.
Aggrieved and disgruntled members of the PDP and the
opposition began to regroup, strange bed fellows began a romance of the
absurd, sentiments of religion and regional politics occupied the media
space, politicians that were hitherto beneficiaries of the PDP largesse
and impunity, who had cross carpeted to the opposition were baptised and
given a new image of freedom fighters and change ambassadors. But the
search for men of integrity who would appeal to the electorate would not
stop and this saw Chief Oyegun emerge as the APC party chairman and
later General Muhamadu Buhari was given the party’s flag to fly.
In
2015 for the first time in our recent history, the electorate voted and
our votes counted, sitting incumbents from the local government to Aso
Rock were voted out of office and it stood. Some erroneously give credit
to GEJ for conceding defeat and handing over power, but I will never
succumb to such cheap attempt to give glory to an undeserving
personality.
GEJ had earlier in a cowardly attempt tried to throw
Nigeria into a civil war situation when his lieutenants, Chief Fadile
and Godswill Orubebe attempted to scuttle our electoral process in his
popular “we will not take it” episode. GEJ conceded defeat out of a fear
of the unknown as far as I am concerned.
As it stands today, we
have become beneficiaries of an evolving democracy; it will get better
as we progress. Power now rests in the hands of the electorate, we now
have the ability to vote in and vote out anybody at will, the incumbency
magic has been demystified and dismantled; this was the victory I
celebrated when I added my voice to the “change” mantra. I did not
celebrate PMB’s victory as President or Governor Ortom’s victory in my
home state as much as I celebrated the victory for our evolving
democratic and electoral processes.
Before someone misunderstands
me, I make bold to say I have no regret as an individual joining forces
to vote our GEJ. A man whose numerous short comings one could excuse,
save for the irritating fact that he elevated hoodlums and common
criminals to statutes of states men. Nonentities like Asari Dokubo,
Tompolo and their likes were given such authority to make unguarded
statements and take our dear country for a ride.
The wind of
change I believe will gradually restore Nigeria to its factory settings.
Only last weekend, Senator David Mark and Daniel Onjeh subjected
themselves to a keenly contested electoral process and the electorate
decided their fate. That is the change we voted, prayed and fought for,
let the people enjoy their exclusive right to decide who leads them.
Today I am proud to be a Nigerian more than ever; I can now
conveniently become an official card carrying member of a political
party but definitely not the APC or PDP, I see an emerging political
party with a strong ideological foundation made up of men of high
integrity; this is evident in the recent punching and kicking within the
PDP that greeted the emergence of Senator Ali Modu Sherif and the new
party chairman. That new ideology, that new shift, that new political
party, that’s where I will pitch my tent, that’s where I shall belong.
As for PMB and serving Governors (Mostly APC) please always be mindful
of this fact “our card reader still dey oh”. As some of you have chosen
to do anyhow, I know the electorate MUST make you see anyhow by the next
general election... (Will R share my honest thoughts on the Buhari,
Ortom and APC administration in due time )
