APC, New Wine In An Old Wine Skin?

The All Progressive Congress, APC is one party in whom I am well pleased. I have never been so passionate about any political party in the history of party politics in Nigeria. Even at that, I remain a professional journalist but with deep sympathy for the APC. I dare say that it is my inalienable right as a free born Nigerian citizen. However, I must say that I am gradually getting pissed off with the party following some developments dogging it since the last general elections where Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for CHANGE. Sometimes, I start to ask myself if this is the CHANGE we voted. At a point, I started to have the feelings that my darling APC may turn out to be the biblical new wine in an old wine skin. This fear has been further fuelled by developments in the Bayelsa State chapter of the party. For weeks now, the chapter has known no peace following the controversial primary election to pick a flag bearer for the December 5 governorship election in the state. Fillers from there have been very unpalatable, disgusting and nauseating! Yet, the party flag bearer and former governor of the state, Timi Sylva says no cause for alarm. I must say that there is cause for alarm as a lot of problems await the party ahead of the December 5 election.
A situation whereby some persons believe they are the owner of the party in any state, anybody that comes into the party is seen as an interloper, one who has come to reap where he did sow is unhealthy for the growth of the APC because some persons must start something. I believe that everybody who is a card-carrying member of the party must be seen and regarded as one and equal stakeholder in the APC enterprise. Discrimination breeds bad blood and it’s capable of leading to betrayal and protest votes in extreme cases.
I must say that the APC leadership did not handle the issue of Bayelsa primary well. The party has set a very bad precedence which may affect its outing in the 2019 general elections.Without sounding alarmist, the party will start seeing this danger signals from the December 5 polls. Except something drastic is done to check this culture of indiscipline and impunity which is fast creeping into the party, the change mantra of the APC may turn out a mere slogan. These are clearly some of the vestiges of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP which the APC must get rid of if the party must not go the way of the latter. If the party had taken pains to put up a seven man committee headed by a state governor to supervise a primary election in Bayelsa State,by all standard, it is a serious matter. It is a measure of confidence in the ability of the committee members individually and collectively to deliver on the assignment. The committee came out openly to say that one of the aspirants was too desperate to be returned as the party’s flagbearer, using all sorts of unethical and undemocritic means to achieve his aimes. Without mincing words, chairman of the seven man committee and Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole alleged that this aspirant, out of despiration, imported armed thugs and cultists to ensure the exercise went his own way. He also alleged that their lives were threatened and that as the chairman, he was held hostage. Hear him: “ If as a governor, I had to seek the intervention of the army as I was placed under siege. I had to ask the aspirant if I was kidnapped and if the ransom was that I conduct a primary without accreditation……” The governor went further to say that “ gun shots were being fired, AK 47 were recovered including two pump action and other ammunition.” He did not spare the police for its alleged ignoble role in the melee. According Oshiomhole, “we had the state commissioner of police and the AIG in charge of the zone to supervise the election, yet, the exercise was messed up and that is why I believe that the police were compromised.” One would have expected the police authorities in the zone and state to have been surmoned to Abuja by now to explain their role in the whole mess.
It’s unfortunate that the APC ignored these critical reports, the CWC, with tail between its legs, never deemed it fit to descend heavily on this aspirant, rather, it called for a repeat of the primary election under a fresh committee! For allowing that kind of imputy to stand, the level of lawlessness and thuggery as witnessed in Bayelsa will turn out a child’s play compared to what awaits us come 2019. Clearly, the party has embarrassed the Oshiomhole committee for not acting decisively on the report. Again, hear this from oshiomhole, “if anybody wanted to do a shady job , they will not approach people like me and others to be part of that excercise. I cannot be used for such fraud.” This statement from the chairman speaks volume about the role of a section of the party’s leadership in the Bayelsa mess. Obviously, a cabal within the party wanted the ticket for a particular aspirant. It’s therefore very clear that this cabal does not want to win the December 5 election. For doing it the PDP way, the APC can as well kiss goodbye to victory in the December election.
An influncial political group in the state, Concerned Bayelsa for Change and Good Governance had called for the disqualification of the main gladiators in the primary election, the two Timis, Alaibe and Sylva to give room for a credible and crisis-free primary to boost the chances of the party in the main election slated for December. That would have been the best reasonable position of the party’s CWC, but it did otherwise to apeace some gods in the party. Alas, Timi Alaibe was “forced” out of the deadly race thereby clearing the way for the obviously prefered candidate. Wither the Change? At the end of the day, former governor and one of the aspirants who was alleged to have orchestrated the crisis was returned as the party’s flag bearer for the December 5 election. I wonder how a candidate who could not win a senatorial district is expected to win a state’s three senatorial districts. The election is barely two months from now, I stand to be proved right or wrong on this position.