In an earlier write–up titled ‘A fog so thick – Nigeria waiting for change’ I mentioned the impending catastrophe in the ruling party; the All Progressives Congress. Prior to the election of major officers of the National Assembly, the events at the two chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday the 9th day of June vindicate me. It was to be the first test in cohesion as a party for the broom bearers. Hitherto, the central working committee, and the Exco of the party had conducted a mock election that produced Alhaji Lawan, and George Akume as senate president and deputy, while the speakership was reserved for Femi Gbajabiamila and in the senate, the unity group led by Ahmed Yerima, and Dino Melaye went to work, they cleverly curried the favour of the PDP senators and wisely traded the position of the Deputy Senate Presidency to the opposition. This cross pollination has never happened before in Nigeria, and this adds colour to our evolving democracy. The same thing happened in the lower chamber and the result was the emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as the senate president and deputy respectively and Yakubu Dogara and Lasun as speaker and deputy. Handing over the leadership of the senate to the immediate past senate president, David Mark of PDP was the icing in the cake for the big umbrella.
This episode in the political history of Nigeria throws up many questions about the ruling party. How cohesive is the APC as a party? How prepared are they for the onerous task of governance as the ruling party? At what point will they accept defeat as PDP graciously did? There are many more questions, though may be rhetorical. I’m jolted by the actions and utterances of some of the APC big wigs. Banabas Gemede apart from being a senator is an elder statesman, a onetime chairman of PDP, George Akume, a former Governor of Benue State on the platform of the PDP who lost the deputy senate presidency not only boycotted the exercise, but came out to address the press, saying that they were meeting with the president when the voting was going on, what a dummy! How could the president invite them for a meeting at the same time such an important business was going on in the upper chamber of our National Assembly? Buhari should beware of some characters in his party for his credibility is at stake.
The Central Working Committee of APC through its able spokesman, the all mighty Lai Mohammed condemns, and rejects the outcome of the election that produced Senator Saraki, what he’s yet to tell Nigerians is what their next line of action will be. The matter has been taken to court praying the court to declare the anomaly as null and void. When ACN connived with some independent minded PDP House of Representatives members to produce Aminu Tambuwal their mule as speaker of the 7th House of Representatives PDP took it with a big heart, they accepted the verdict of the members and managed to work with a house headed by a null of the opposition. They didn’t throw caution to the winds by behaving irrationally. Lai Mohammed should know that being a spokesman of the opposition and the spokesman of the ruling party are two different ball games. He once said that Olisa Metuh should come and learn from him how to be the spokesman of an opposition party, he is the person who really needs tutorials as a government mouth piece.
The euphoria of electoral victory over the over bearing PDP has blinded the APC to the fact that Nigerians are warding off their political naivety and are getting wiser politically every day, if they don’t retrace their steps quickly, call themselves to order, and embrace Saraki and Dogara, the long term consequences will be disastrous. It is too early to have a fracas of this magnitude in the ruling party, PDP survived as a united party for at least 15 years before things fall apart.
APC, an amalgam of strange bedfellows may not last for too long; their demise is easily predictable, if they cannot manage success at this stage we don’t need a Babalawo to tell us how far, they can go. Their lost is PDP’s gain securing the enviable position of Deputy Senate President and senate leader as a minority party is no mean feat. It has never happened before in Africa! Is this a life line for the big umbrella to rise again?
Most South Western Senators boycotted the voting, and so did some Northern Senators, only 75 senators voted. Only 25 APC senators took part in the exercise. The above numerical analysis is to throw up certain sentiments that cannot be ignored. Whose senate president is Bukola Saraki? He has vowed never to return to PDP, he has promised not to work for any party but for the Nigerian people, he has promised to work with president Buhari to deliver the Nigerian people from corruption, poverty, insecurity, unemployment etc. One thing is, he will always be grateful to PDP who made his ascension possible.
APC should recognize their predicament and sheath their sword in time to avoid more damages. They should clean up their bloody nose and identify with both Saraki and Dogara. They should realize that if they continue to antagonize these gentlemen, it will affect the relationship between the legislature and the executive, all their electoral promises to the masses will not be achievable and it will affect their fortune in the election.
The real losers of this battle are the South Westerners. Yes, they have the vice presidency in their kitty, but once again they have lost the chance of producing the speaker of the House of Representatives. I know there is fury down Bourdilon Road, Ikoyi, kick boxing the air, name calling and threats cannot palliate the situation. It is the right time to dig a grave and bury the pride that has crashed, it is the time for sober reflection, is a time for stock taking while preparing for the real business of governance. I predict more woes for the Bourditon Empire, Buhari will not dance to the tune from that direction always, having used that base to ascend the presidency, he is likely to be his own man, he cannot afford to be seen as an apologist of Bourdilon brand of politics that does not abhor corruption, and covetousness.
The Hausa/Fulani has always seen power at the centre as their birth right; they cannot allow infidels’ from the south to dictate to them how to use it. Their agenda is best known to them, one thing is sure, they will not want to relinquish power in a haste.
Back to the Yorubas of the South West, they suddenly realized that with an alignment with the North, they can always achieve their political ambitions. They discovered that without the South East and South South, they can win elections; their permutation is that after 8 years of power in the North, they will grab it with ease. The Igbos of the South East can go and hang! They forget so soon the June 12th saga and those who fought with them. Their new found romance with the North is intoxicating them, I wish them a lasting romance with their new suitors.
Nigeria we hail thee!
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