MAY APC GET IT RIGHT. TODAY !!!
As I type, the leaders of APC are in a crucial meeting in Abuja to discuss the party’s guidelines for the 2023 elections. I pray they get it right. Of course Nigeria is a nation of powerful men (and women if you will). The beauty of constitutional democracy however, is that, laws and rules never bow to men. So, hopefully, our leaders will realize that whatever decisions reached today will be part of their and the nation’s history. Most importantly, they must know that the decisions will be subject to extant rules and laws, for the simple fact that party politics does not exist in a vacuum. That is why it is called Constitutional Democracy.
President Buhari has continuously maintained that each aspirant will go to the field and impositions won’t happen. That is exactly the meaning of Democracy that many don’t remember - each aspirant presents himself/herself and his/her ideas and capabilities for the people to choose. In most modern countries, you can’t even become an elementary school Student’s class captain without debates and voting. Now, Nigeria is at a point where even well educated men find it difficult to know the difference between Dictatorship of imposition and Democracy of the open field, when it comes to choosing leaders who will preside over or represent in the affairs of millions of people. We are starting to raise adults and kids who beleive democracy is synonymous with the purchasing power of the common malls where you buy people like they are pieces of merchandise and your purchasing power determines what you get, or synonymous with the rule of the jungle where he who could boast of more killing power rules over the affairs of men. We are at a sorry state where mental and psychological laziness which imposition engenders, is becoming the order of the day. We even have States where educated men celebrate “democratic” dictatorship. It is that bad and we must not continue like this
Unless APC at the top gets it right today, we will be thrown into a chaotic state where the courts will be busy in helping us navigate the path towards democratic rule for the upteenth time, regardless of the attempts to preach party supremacy in the long run. We have experienced Zamfara. We have also experienced Anambra. We don’t need any more chaos.
Our leaders must be strong enough to pointedly address and profer immediate solutions on States in the federation that are still unsettled. Otherwise, stopping our current bleeding hemorrhoids will be difficult and genuine party faithfuls may lose interest in party affairs. Those who bank on imposition must be given handouts on civics and democracy and told to come back when they understand the tenets. To encourage core party faithfuls who continue to stand with APC through thick and thin, good and bad times, those unstable elements whom the wind of ambition blow left and right must be told in simple Yoruba term, “Ajinase kii jeun Ajigbon’nini” (It is injustice for those who sit idly by to enjoy the fruits of the labour of those who work hard under rough conditions). Young and old must be reminded that political parties and democracies aren’t built around those who show up and become active only when elections are around the corner for the sake of their ambitions. Party leaders and members at the grassroots level MUST have a say on who will fly the flags of the party in elections. We must know that those who are afraid of primaries are not fit to be fielded for elections proper. Anambra has thought us that choreographing primaries lead to shame in elections.
May genuine Democracy triumph. May APC get it right, today!!!