I watched with rapt attention, at times bemusement and occasionally sheer disbelief as the Ward, LGA and State Congresses of the APC unfolded. Of course there were pockets of issues of varying degrees and nature across the country.
At the time, I made a submission calling the attention of Party members and particularly calling on the Chief Oyegun-led EXCO and the National Working Committee to ensure that issues arising from the Congresses were handled with fairness and objectivity in the interest of the Party in particular and the Nation’s Democracy at large.
However events in the last couple of days makes one wonder if the HE Chief John Odigie Oyegun’s led APC's NWC may have other plans than setting the party on a solid, peaceful, united and democratic footing. One wonders why.
There’s no doubt that Chief Oyegun has had a running battle with some other leaders of the Party, conspicuously those who towed the line of not extending the tenure of the EXCO.
Furthermore the obvious preference for his kinsman, Comrade Adams Oshiohole by majority of progressive members of the Party, including my humble self, who want the party to return to its true ideology and vibrancy, seemed to have unsettled the Chairman. Inevitably on Friday, 1st of June 2018, Chief Oyegun finally declared what many informed watchers had known all along that he will not seek re-election.
However one cannot help but wonder if Chief Oyegun is on a mission – a vendetta mission of sorts against the Party and certain individuals in the party.
Just today, the State EXCOs of the Party were inaugurated at the National Secretariat of the Party. These were products of Ward, LGA and State Congresses held in the last few weeks. This is good news of course. However, curiously amongst those inaugurated were supposedly elected officials from Imo and Abia States.
One might ask; What is curious about that? Well it happens to be that in a Memo dated 1st of June 2018, and addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, titled “ABIA AND IMO STATE WARD, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE CONGRESSES.
NEED TO STAY ACTION PENDING THE DETERMINATION OF ALL LAW SUITS", the National Legal Adviser of the Party, Dr Muiz Banire (SAN), advised the National Chairman and the Party to stay action on those two Congresses pending the resolution of outstanding legal issues, one way or the other. He noted that “any action on these Congresses will amount to contempt of Court”.
Obviously the NWC in its wisdom chose to ignore the advice of the National Legal Adviser in this respect. No doubt the Chairman is not under any compulsion to accept the learned Counsel’s advice but it further raises the questions;
What is Chief Oyegun’s interest?
Are Chief Oyegun and his EXCO on a vendetta mission and that at the expense of the Party?
It is important to state at this juncture without taking sides one way or the other and without prevarication, from an objective Party man, Patriot and democrats’ perspective, that the Congresses purportedly held particularly in Imo State were undeniably fraught with so many controversies that played out before the public's eye, leading to the widely held belief that no Congresses (in the true sense of the word) held in the State.
Some people have described what happened in Imo State as a 'Civilian Coup-de-tat', even if it might enjoy some support based on emotions and sentiments from a particular group of people/Camp within and outside the party and within and outside the State.
This is so much so that many objective and unbiased members of the Party are of the sincere view that in order to promote unity, harmony, peace, progress and democratic ethos within the Party, the entire Congress process in Imo State should be cancelled and a fresh, credible and transparent process initiated where the shenanigans witnessed the last time would be avoided.
This they argue would definitely help to strengthen the Party in the State and shore up the Party's chances in the 2019 elections bearing in mind the incontrovertible fact that Imo State remains a strong enclave of the PDP and anti-APC sentiments are still very much palpable.
I know some people will jump at me for saying this but i'm not out to impress anyone. Simply to please my conscience. The fact remains that Democracy and internal Party Politics cannot be about sentiments and emotions. I know there are intrigues in politics and the power game but outright brigandage cannot be condoned because of its obvious destructive consequences. If we jettison true democratic processes and people (on all sides) take undue advantage of their liberties and positions to bequeath themselves undue advantages, we cannot grow our democracy.
It does not matter what interests I might have or seek to protect, the common interest should always come first. Two wrongs they say do not make a right. There is no good way of doing a bad thing just like impunity cannot cure impunity. We are called to uphold truth, equity and justice at all times.
It's time for all true democrats and APC members inspite of their allegiance to weigh in to forestall entrenching a bad precedence that will not augur well for the Party going forward. That's what real change is all about.
I can go a bit further but I’m consoled by the fact that the days of Chief John Oyegun as APC National Chairman are numbered and in a matter of days, true progressives shall retake the Party and hopefully some of these shenanigans will either be decisively redressed by the Party or the Courts will come to the rescue.
I only hope and pray that Chief Oyegun and co do not create more problems for the Party that would distract it from continuing delivering the dividends of the Democracy to Nigerians and inadvertently hurt the Party's fortunes in the 2019 elections.
God bless Nigeria.
©Dr Uche Diala
APC Member, Patriot and Nationalist.
Post a Comment