Another Group To Ignore
I had previously written an essay questioning how different the newly registered APC is from the ruling PDP. I got plenty of responses from readers and commentators but none came close to identifying any marked difference between the Tinubu-Buhari promoted party and the one that has GEJ as the national leader. We may not accept it for a fact but I strongly feel that there is no Nigerian today with the resources, reach and structures to floor Mr. Jonathan in a presidential contest. If I were Jonathan, I would simply sit back and watch the whole drama sipping from my bottle of cognac. It is a clear indication of historical illiteracy when commentators begin to assign any importance or real value to anybody opposed to the ambitions, whims and wishes of a sitting president- at least in Nigeria.
I have asked several people what they think of the APC and her promoters and surprisingly, very little is known of the party outside the pages of newspapers. To the beer parlour proprietor in Enugu, the shoemaker in Aba, the patent medicine dealer in Onitsha, the mai-suya in Abuja, the bus conductor in Lagos and the mai-ruwas of Kano, APC does not exist. Many of them, as they have no TV, listens only to music from their small radio set and if they ever watch TV, they only see home movies, are yet to hear of APC and their promoters. They may gloat that Okorocha of Imo state is in the party but I am yet to understand how Okorocha and his co-travellers intend to convince Ndi Igbo that a party that sanctioned the deportation of their people at night, dumping them at headbridge has the interest of those same people at heart. The bottom-line dear friends is: APC is registered with INEC but is hardly registered in the sub consciousness of many- which is the harder part. And when they do, the real challenge begins. It is then that they will be made to answer the question of how they intend to govern, better than what PDP has offered in the last 14 years?
But there is a new development and some naive fellows are falling for it including a dude who should know better- the former EFCC chair- Nuhu Ribadu. In a post on his social networking site last time, he commended the renegades and rebels who walked away from the PDP special convention last Saturday to form what they curiously tagged: NEW PDP. To Ribadu and people who reason like him, the actors in this sordid drama are courageous and must be hailed as heroes but dear Mr. Ribadu, I politely beg to differ.
Pray, what hope does Atiku’s antecedents inspire? What are his core ideologies? What does he stand for and how does he see politics- as a means to an end or an end in itself? Recall that this man left the PDP in 2007 and ran for the presidency under another party- AC or whatever and when his indiscretion failed like it was designed to, he shamelessly scampered back into the PDP, claiming that he “founded” the party. It is now one of the unsolvable political equation how everyone fromOrji Kalu to Babangida to Achike Undenwa and even Chris Uba all claim to have founded the PDP.
At any rate, here is a home truth Mr. Abubakar’s advisers are not telling him: Nigerians have grown too sophisticated for his tricks and shenanigans. The country needs disciplined and humble politicians not those who see themselves as larger than life, around whom the sun rotates and who must be president for Nigeria to be “good.” I wonder if the importance of humility and discipline were taught these men- including the shameless governors who have nothing but shame to present as their scorecards in governance.
The truth is that whoever wishes to be king must be submissive to the king (even if in pretence) and there can be no two ways about it. Jonathan is the president. He remains the president till 2015 and is very eligible for re-election in 2015. Nigerians like me must be given the opportunity to make our choice at the poll. If we feel Jonathan should continue, who is Amaechi, Atiku, Kwankwaso and the ugly one to stop us? The same way, they too are free to put themselves up for election and test their popularity beyond the pages of newspaper. PDP they must be reminded is not the only arty in the land. Jonathan has taken over the structures in PDP and so what? Let them move over to APC, APGA, LP, PPA, PDM and take control. Am certain they will find supporters and promoters. I am not sure however they will find enough admirers to be take over Aso Rock.
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