The All Progressives Congress is a product of three Political parties that came together in February 2013 and regrouped together under a banner of changing the narratives in our democracy.The Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) originated from The Buhari Organization (TBO) formed in 2006 by General Muhammadu Buhari and his Political allies , The Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Ogbonnaya Onu All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) metamorphosed to formed the Present All Progressive Congress (APC).
Since the return of democracy in 1999 , Nigerians has been crying loud that democracy is fortunate to find it way into Nigeria as most of the elected Political office holders were none career Politicians. The former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was imposed on the People Democratic Party leaving behind those who laboured for the party breathing into the air of mystery. The Party was then accused of turning it is members as balloons who lived in the spirit of expulsion.
Impunity and imposition of candidates against the will of the members became an order of the day. I don’t care attitudes on the part of leadership was made a norm within the PDP. However,The emergenced of one of the Nigerian finest leader Late Umaru Musa Yar’adua (Of blessed memory) that never live long to implement his policies and programs left many in the party singing optional songs and with their eyes widely open looking for exit doors. The fall apart in the Zoning arrangements that brought Former President Obasanjo and late Yar’adua was thrown away in 2015 by the Supreme court paving the way for former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to run having completed their joined ticket.
The Northern oligarchy protested against former President Jonathan moved to reconstest in 2015, according to them ,He has taken an oath of Office twice as President.First after his Precidessor Late Yar’adua died in 2010 and in 2011 when he constested and won elections. The verdict of the supreme court cleared the road for Jonathan to contest which ended the tussles of his eligibility on whether or not base on the PDP Zoning arrangements.The Former President camp was celebrating that landmark judgement and were eying his return while aggrieved party members started digging the grave of theparty that ended up its 16 years regime.
In August 2013 ,Five governors and ex-presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, formed a PDP splinter group. Former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transportation Rt. Hon. Chibuke Rotimi Amaechi (Game Changer), Former Governor of Kano State Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Former Governor of Kwara State Abdulfatah Ahmed, Former Governor of Sokoto State Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State. The flinging Story that went viral on the Social Media then citing 16 votes (Jang) were said to be greater than 19 (Amaechi) was seen to the highest level of conspiracy against any democratic Government.
The strategic meeting that had in attendance, Former head of State and current President Muhammadu Buhari,former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and current National leader of the rulling APC ,Former APC National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande,Then nPDP chairman Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, former Osun State Governor and former PDP Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Kwara State Governor and the Immediate past Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Nasarawa State Governor Senator Adamu Abdullahi,former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former ANPP chairman and the current Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. A joined communique was drafted and issued to the hearing of Nigerians who’s ears was earger to listen, After exhaustive deliberations, the two parties agreed to merge in order to rescue our fledgling democracy and the nation, that was according to Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
This was how the rulling All Progressive Congress came to be and Nigerians were jubilating that a party full of angels is finally here to wash the sins of the People Democratic Party. The irony of this scenario is that ,they could not open their eyes so wide to see the faces of those accused of turning Nigeria to a child playing ground jumping into the change party. During this season of marathon of defections,I said that the only change Nigeria needs is the change of Character and mindset towards doing the right thing,at the right time and as when due not a change of a Political Party. My submission was objective owing to the fact that those joining the APC today are same set of Politicians in PDP yesterday vise versa. They were privileged held positions in PDP regime as Governors and Ministers but with little or nothing written in their faces as their recorded success.
One of the challenges to the sustainability of democracy and the evolution of a robust political system and process in Nigeria, is the gale of defections in the country.This has to a large scale led to a lean political base in the country, that are consistent in the political philosophies, beliefs, values and convictions. Defections cripple Governments sound policies and programs that are gear up towards making practicable solutions meant to heal the wound of the citizens because hardly the opposition hold the rulling party accountable to its campaign promises.Developed democracies like the United States,Germany, France and United Kingdom have politicians with over 3 decades of experience in politics without wavering in party affiliations and ideologies.
The APC is generally considered to be a centre-left political party by Nigerians will to come to favors controlled market economic policies, and a strong and active role for government regulation. A substantial number of its political leaders are followers of or politicians who subscribe to the social democratic political philosophy of Obafemi Awolowo and the socialist and anti-class views of Aminu Kano.The APC will support state’s rights, advance State police ,Unity , fairness, justice and equity for all as a template of nationalism. Both the President and the rulling party was before now seeing as a Messiah that came to end corruption regimes, fight crimes and criminality, enhance capacity building, sustain economic growth through sound and effective implementation of Government policies, Protect lives and properties, Create jobs for the teaming jobless Nigerian Youths (Graduates) and revamp Agricultural Sector from subsistence to mechanise farming.
There is no system that works perfectly without crisis which means just like PDP had their turned the rulling APC are currently battling to fix their own internal party conflicts.The emergence of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and the 14th Speaker Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt.Hon.Yakubu Dogara against the will of the rulling party sparked a lot of crisis in the first tenure of the change party.The internal aggrieved formations within the rulling party made it to loss elections in Bauchi, Adamawa, Edo and Zamfara states among others apart from many legislative seats both at the states and National Assembly.This is manifest in the various factions and executives in the party especially now that some within the APC family are challenging the eligibility of His Excellency Mai Mala Buni led committee.
The supreme court judgement between the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (APC) and Etayo Jegede (PDP) has open another pages of narrations. The Minister of State for Labour and a Chieftain of All Progressive Congress Festus Kyamo SAN has draw the attention of the party that the only reason why APC survive the judgment was the inability of the PDP candidate Jegede to includes Mai Mala Buni led committee in the Prayers.Former Minister of Youths and Sports Development Solomon Dalung was quoted from his Facebook page that he has been vindicated having raised similar concerns long before Kyamo fired this bullet. I also read two separates submission against Kyemo submission from Magnus Abe and Daniel Bwala a Lawyer describing Kyamo as having spoke more as Commentator rather than a lawyer therefore he has scored his own goal. Virtually all major political parties in Nigeria are afflicted with the virus of internal crisis where the APC seem not to be exception despite riding the vehicle of change to clinched power.
I am not a learned luminary rather a trained Statistician that can pin point from our archives how lack of internal democracy, impunity and imposition forced others out of power and APC may be a victim of the same PDP arrogancy .There is urgent needs for the party to urgently re-examines and re-engineer its internal mechanisms for managing conflicts.There is no doubt that almost all political parties in the country have processes for internal conflict management enshrined in their constitutions, it would appear from existential realities that these institutional frameworks are weak.The Zanfara Scenerio that caused the rulling party all the elected seats until should have been enough lessons for the APC. A party that came under a mantra of Change has failed to eradicate impunity and imposition to restore internal democracy.
In Bauchi State for example , Imposition and impunity was among the reasons Bauchians protested against the former Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar.The former Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara was a denied ticket of the party to reconstest despite enjoying overwhelming supports in Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro his Constituency. Dogara been one of the party’s Kingsmen in the State force joined the then opposition PDP to alliened with other aggrieved members of APC to sent him (M. A. Abubakar) out of office. The former Chairman Comrade Adam Aliyu Oshomole was accused of distroying APC fundamental principles of internal democracy, His actions and inactions almost was similar to Bamanga era in PDP. He fought his party in Edo States by imposing Pastor Iyamu instead of supporting the re-election of Godwin Obaseki.
I thought, APC has learned from these internal conflicts to move forward but it seems the change slogan is becoming a mere Political song rather an action plan to bring back Community participatory democracy. The recent defections of Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State and Professor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has open another wide range of power tussle in the two States as the stakeholders were left out of the negotiations processes.
Senator Kabiru Marafa and former Governor Albdul’aziz Yari that that were at the loggerheads together have today team up against Governor Matawalle. Senator Marafa was the key player that ended the APC reigned in Zanfara State as he became a celebrated Political goat after the Supreme court landmark judgement that sacked all elected Offices. On a personal ground, though Governor Mai Mala Buni has delivered enough of Capital projects in Yobe State in the areas of infrastructural development like Housing Scheme,The completion of Yobe Cargo Airport, Building and remodeling of Hospitals , Fighting Insecurity through logistics support and human capacity building. His position as Caretaker Chairman of the rulling APC has not done well enough to unites the party as the celebrated defections leaves behind conflicts taking Ebonyi, Zamfara and Cross River States as references.
These conflicts are gearing up before the Party’s National Convention and Presidential primaries that will determine the party’s lifeline as predicted by many Political Analyst. Many hold to the view that APC is likely to collapse after President Muhammadu Buhari tenure even the President of the Nigerian Senate belongs to this school of thoughts. This is because President Buhari himself is an institution that carried the party in its shoulders for years and he is not the ballot come 2023.The inability of the Party to achieve so much of its promises has affected greatly the party’s popularity and will hunt them in the next coming elections.
In conclusion,The rulling party must forgot it ego knowing fully that power is transient to respond urgently the issues and concerns raised by some of its members. They should know that their party has countless Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) with some occupying key positions in today’s Government where the Minister of State for Labour Festus Kyamo SAN making the list.It is glaring that Mai Mala Buni led caretaker committee will be challenge by seeking the supreme court interpretations on its eligibility to oversee the affairs of the party to conduct ward , local and States Congresses as well as the party convention. The PDP that danced to the tuned of ego and projecting to lead Nigeria for 50 years ended up rulling for for 16 years. However,As a party of due process,they must learn from the recent development regarding Jegede Vs Akeredolu supreme court judgement as Zanfara State scenerio was indeed great lesson.
Political parties that lack the capacity to achieve internal cohesion are the worst hit by defections, and this is always massive because of the aggrieved factions who leave the party.
Sani Danaudi Mohammed (SDM), National President, Arewa Youth Advocate for Peace and Unity Initiative. Writes from Bauchi.
