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APC at crossroads?

By Ayodele Fagbohun

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The rumblings within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the aftermath of dramatic exit of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of the ruling party and the succeeding weak hierarchical party structure inexorably bring to the fore malicious, cavalier and spontaneous individual self interest and shady approach to presidential race come 2023.
Besides, there is surreptitious plot in the pipeline to whittle down the rising political profile of an established politician perhaps at best in the ultimate to nail him politically ahead of the nomination for the office of president.
In spite of the emphatic denial of the office of the newly sworn in boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of sending any advisory to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on any aspirant.
Nevertheless, this smacks of rank indiscipline which has long ago been endemic in party politics in Nigeria. However, this ugly evilly disposed dangerous trends must be halted in the ruling APC to avert the boat being rocked by some misguided itenerant political neophytes who caught their political teeth through brazen political opportunism.
This coterie of emergent political merchants should be called to order by the committed and dedicated progressive leadership before the journey towards 2023 officially begins in earnest.
It is disheartening and nauseating that some chieftains in the party whose current role is likened to soldiers of fortune hankering for political venality and juicy fruit in the presidency without counting the cost. This venal desire is no doubt prompting these untested politicians to put the fragile political outfit in quandary and at the crossroads by the acts of commission and omission.
First, the clandestine drafting of the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a president who could not decipher theft or stealing from corruption. A president who could not preside over a stable polity almost torn apart from Boko Haram insurgency, spate of bombings right in his nose in Abuja metropolis, the seat of federal government and even in his home state, Bayelsa not up to a local government in some bigger states across the country.
The latest denials to the contrary by the leadership of APC and same PDP loyalists of Jonathan do not hold water. It is only a medicine after death.
However, Jonathan’s appointment as ambassador plenipotentiary around Africa to intervene on peaceful initiatives on behalf of the federal government is a self-indictment on the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari. It is a veiled attempt to give pardon, a clean bill of health for immediate past Jonathan led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration which plunged this country into slough of corruption and gargantuan misrule.
Why then the unnecessary flexing of muscles on the tardy and diffident activities of the EFCC and ICPC when the government has come to terms and broke truce with the predecessors over a glass of wine.? The George at well’s “Animal Farm” is gradually unfolding before our very eyes!.
Now, the political clown of the century. The self advertised elected governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello who ascended the governorship of the state out of sheer political opportunism and rode to power evidently on the horseback of ethnicity. Shekina!.
For a Yoruba man should have become governor in person of Hon. Faleke. It is ludicrous when Yahaya Bello ought to have sat down and face the serious and earnest challenges of politics.
Yahaya Bello is committing some political harakiri in the political space. He must be very careful and watch out some indecent comments about his elders in politics. Yahaya Bello is now saying it is youth clock. This is arrant nonsense that must not slip out from the tongue of a ward councilor in a local government let alone an elected state government.
This may boomerang and may lead to early song of nunc dimittis.
Let me ask Yahaya a leading question where is H.E. Yahaya Bello when Joe Biden, 79-year-old brand new president of America was making a lot of progressive changes in the US and around the world?
All sorts of ill-kites have been flown and already in the space to provoke reactions, divert attention and test public opinion which is fair and good in seeking good governance to all and sundry. But when being deployed to a diabolical ends as reminiscent of the second Republic the righteous indignation of the people shall be greatly kindled and unleashed against the few privileged class.
Prelude to 1979 transition to the ill-fated Second Republic, a dangerous and vile campaign transpired in the Constituent Assembly (CA) ostensibly to ban some old politicians but in reality, the target was no other person than Chief Obafemi Awolowo whom the outgoing military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo dreaded most.
The military junta in its closet had resolved not to hand over to Awo in spite of his impeccable credentials as the most credible, hardworking and acceptable presidential hopeful out of the five contestants.
The sad, chilling and fatal experience of 1979 should better be avoided and not tried or reared its ugly head by any shape this time around. Moreso, the arrow head of the dastardly and unpatriotic act, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who ironically was two-term president is still very much around if he can humble himself enough to confess that he bungled a classic opportunity of installing Awo to rebuild and reposition post-war Nigeria to favourably compare to United States of America.
The late sage Awo warned that the office of the president is not an office of pleasure which should be approached and treated with grave mien, weight and all seriousness and concentrated it deserves for any aspirant to succeed.
If the APC ruling party is serious about being relevant in the administration of the country in the subsequent electoral push, the party must go back to the drawing board to re-strategise. Let party discipline prevail. And justice equity, fair-play and egalitarianism roll down like a running water in every tier of government be it local, state or federal.
For the multitude who gallivant all over the place for presidential slot an irresistible columnist, Idowu Akinlotan on Nation Sunday has this shocker to grapple within. But only a few of the aspirants will prefer antithesis to be judged by their leadership character, ability to assemble a great team of achievers, vision and understanding of how a modern, inclusive government should be run-in short the perfect antithesis to the current and increasingly illiberal presidency.”

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APC at crossroads?

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