The All Progressives
Congress (APC) was
conceived and founded as
an alternative platform to
the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, with avowed
mission of effecting a fundamental social,
economic and political change in the
country.
One of the ways in which the Party must
show that it desires and wants change is
discard the mindset that PDP has foisted
and etched on Nigerians that you have to
collect money from whoever desires your
vote in an election to vote for that person.
This tendency is somewhat responsible for
the fetid corruption we see every day that
has stagnated the country.
In the 2011 Presidential Primary Election of
the PDP that took place in the Eagle Square,
Abuja, was polluted with obscene display of
money politics between President Jonathan
and his opponent, Atiku Abubakar.
The two aspirants were widely believed to
have doled out to delegates nearly 500
million dollars! Atiku Abubakar is now an
aspirant in the APC in its forthcoming
Presidential Primary Election.
Recall the allegation made by President
Jonathan while addressing a Rally in Kano
on the 15th April, 2014, that Governor
Kwankwaso emblezzed the millions of
dollars he gave to him to give to delegates
from Kano State during the PDP Primary
Presidential Election!
The APC , as a progressive party committed
to fighting corruption squarely must guard
against sordid and damning allegation that
may erupt after its Presidential Primary So if
the APC is for change it must come out with
guidelines and templates that will
discourage the use of money by aspirants to
win the minds and hearts of delegates.
Aspirants that decamped from PDP must be
re-oriented to the sub-culture of the APC.
The APC must compel all its aspirants to
sign an undertaking not to use money to
induce delegates at the proposed
Presidential Primary Election.
Any aspirant that breaches such
undertaking must be instantly disqualified.
The APC must not hesitate to disqualify any
aspirant that doles out money to delegates
to influence them to vote at the
forthcoming Primaries.
Any aspirant that attempts to re-enact the
show of shame that marred the PDP
Presidential Primary Election at the Eagle
Square, Abuja, in 2011 must be out rightly
disqualified and a complaint lodged of such
aspirant with the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission for him to explain the
source of the money distributed to
delegates.
Undoubtedly any aspirant that doles out
money to influence delegates to vote in his
favour does not stand for change and is
corrupt. Such aspirant will likely run a
corrupt government founded on Cronyism
and graft. Such an aspirant will not deserve
the ticket of the Party. APC slogan of change
must not just be sloganeering to deceive
the voters.
Written by Okoi Obono-Obla