TheCable

All Progressives Congress (APC) held its nationwide ward congresses yesterday. The reports coming from Ekiti, Oyo, Adamawa, Imo, Rivers, Delta and many other states are better imagined as  fairy tales. A common response when there is internal crisis and chaos within a party in Nigeria is ‘it is a family affairs’. Is this a family affair also?

I am tempted to ask which family kills, murders its members in a broad day light without suffering extinction overtime? A family of chaos and internal wrangling is a family where its elders are not respected; had refused to do their  homework or where the bastards out numbered the real children. A family with highly respected, incorruptible elders will talk with their  children, driving the vision and purpose, and they will listen. They may disagree to agree but will never result to murder.

Take for instance, the  situation in Ekiti state, how can 33 aspirants be contesting for one position without dialogue, consensus and alignments? We may say this is the beauty of democracy but considering this is  a state  with a population  of  ten Millions or less, will it be right to say greed  and selfcentredness  are at the  root  of most of the aspirations?  The possibility of PDP beating the party to a stupor is high In the next election.

In Delta State,  a local government chairman aspirant was stabbed to death in the name of a primary election?  Where is our values? What is the worth of a human life to APC? In Oyo State, there was violence and Adamawa election had to be postponed. Is this a party  with well grounded value and ideology capable of doggedly lead and deliver this nation from its current woes?

The big question is do we ever learn from history? History is supposed to guide us to the future. History outlined what was so we can see what can work and what may not.  Here, our constant and  best approach is to ignore history as if there was no yesterday to learn from. History beacons every moment. Many of us humans are irreparable hopeless beings when it comes to reading the handwriting of history on the wall.

History shows us the bright and the dark lines we have crossed so we can make informed decisions about today and tomorrow. APC is refusing to learn anything from the fall of its predecessor. APC may set new record of a colossal failure. This colossal failure of the party may be irreparable if it does not change its course of action as fast as possible.

what is Nigeria and APC as party turning to if organising an ordinary ward elections breed such levels of violence and acrimony? Can we trust this party to deliver sound security to the entire populace?  Is this a mirror of what is happening in the larger society where APC-led government has not found solution to the spate of killings by the herdsmen? With this tell tale sign, can Nigerians absolutely trust APC to provide the kind of leadership we are hoping for?

My fear about APC as a party has started to be unfolding. As an individual,  my concept of a political party is that it has an ideology which informs its association and engagement which members must abide with. APC’s  slogan is change. Change was touted as bedrock of its being, given the decay Nigerians had witnessed in the past sixteen years before it took over power. Unfortunately, because the party desired victory at any cost, it opened wide its door to everyone from anywhere.

The influx of half committed, self seeking gladiators from the former ruling party  was a timed-bomb projected to explode at any moment. This was not a difficult outcome to predict except if we are deceiving ourselves. When a city is at peace, it is an indication many of its so called  bastards are not yet grown up. I think water is now finding its levels. APC hooligans had now grown wings. In less than five years of its establishment and just in the second internal nationwide election of the party, members slaughter one another as fowl!

Can we say the fear of some members of the APC  who had suggested  postponement of any intraparty election for now is justified? They had seen how fractured the party was? Though outwardly everything seemed okay. In my own thinking even if the outcome had justified these set of individuals, not holding the party election now is postponing the evil days. This is beside the fact that not holding the election may be an act of illegality for APC at the long run.

I am afraid to ask  what if we remove President Buhari’s image from the party, how many states will APC win if we go by the outcome of yesterday’s  ward congresses? A state I am so sure APC can win is Lagos State given the overbearing influence of Asiwaju Tinubu.

Is there still hope or remedy for APC? We think there is. APC still seems to enjoy a level of goodwill, even though that is transient. Also, Nigeria does not have a credible opposition as of date. These are  good advantages. Three, we still have almost a year to the national elections and many had said 24 hours is too much in politics. The earlier the aggrieved parties are pacified, contending issues are resolved and a new strategy is  embraced the better for the party.

Many of the APC’s state governors are becoming liabilities to the party. APC leaders must work hard here. The clock is ticking,  time waits for no one. APC at the national level may have to learn a lesson from Lagos State lesson chapter with this outcome.  Lagos State’s last primaries to elect local government chairmen were fraught with violence. Today there seemed to be changes and re alignment given what happened yesterday. Killing one another is not a family affair.