In few days from now, precisely the 10th of December 2014, the Nigerian opposition party (APC) will be holding its party primaries to select who fly?s the party ticket in the next general election coming up February next year 2015, who ever emerges the winner on that day will be expected to challenge with full vigour the incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan (PDP) who happens to be his party anointed sole presidential candidate. A consensus decision reached by the (PDP) party leadership which the opposition parties thought was lacking in transparency, accountability and internal democracy on the part of the ruling party (PDP), a topic for another day.
Besides, in my last article on (APC) party, entitled ?I will vote and Campaign for Atiku, If…?
In that, I had stated the danger of Mohammed Buhari flying the APC tickets, and subsequently my optimism that Atiku would be a better choice, should the contest were to be between him (Atiku) and Buhari only, considering Buhari reputation as a military junta who seized power from a democratic government in the past. That article as a matter of fact provoked serious resentments from some of my readers who had thought otherwise of my opinion; many of whom from the southern Nigeria where sentiments of a Muslim taking over power at the centre are high. In their predicament they had argued it was a betrayal, if not treasonable offence that a south easterner should be proposing such an idea.
Actually what many of those who criticised me failed to consider is the fact that political opinions are best debated, served and discussed when sentiments, prejudice and emotions are kept aside and put to bed. I wanted with that article to wake up from slumber those whose parochial approach to national politics has crippled the chances of the Nigerian electorates to use and make better their political capitals in terms of voting for the right people irrespective of their party, region or religious affiliation, and forming strategic political alliances hence the diversity and plurality of Nigerian society are concern. They didn?t realise that for a democracy to flourish politicians and citizens alike are expected to approach issues of good governance and leadership with the seriousness it?s required to check-mate each other.
The truth been most of the people who re-acted negatively on that article probably did not grab the full content and message, even though I still maintain my stands to campaign for Atiku should he emerge the winner at the APC primaries. That in any way does not mean an endorsement but a comparison of him and Buhari as to whose personality is needed in these troubling times in the history of our country, assuming the opposition party were to take over Government next year. A dream I believe many Nigerians Christians from the south would wish never comes to pass.
Nevertheless, since that last article a lot has changed in Nigeria political space and particularly for the opposition (APC). One notable change is the unclear murky picture which suggests that Mohammed Buhari may after all be losing the chances of clinching the tickets at the party primaries as earlier postulated by pundits. In fact, it was said that some of his close allies has gone to the extent of secretly advising him to step down on the note he is unelectable in Nigeria of today, according to the report some of his supporters are afraid that defeating him openly at the primaries would spell doom for APC in the next election, especially the core north where he is seen as the political masterpiece for common people in the region, folks whose loyalty is unquestionable and may in the event of his defeat at the primaries abandon APC in drove for PDP.
The most apparent signs were the absence of former Governor of Lagos Alhaji Asiwa Tinubu at the eagle square during the former ?declaration of intent? last month. Alhaji Tinubu considered a strategic partner to Buhari when both men joined ACN southwest and CPC north together to form APC opposition party. Tinubu to the chagrin of many had sent his wife and the Governor of Lagos state Fashola to represent him and stayed away entirely, to some political analysts his absence at eagle square portend a change of game as he was said to have decided to pitch his tenth on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar former Vice Preisdent. On the day of the event, Governor Fashola did not minces words when he was said to have directed most of his speeches on what appears discouragement to Buhari declaration by stating the need for older generation to pace ways for the younger generation to take over Governance in Nigeria, a clear statement that put Buhari who will be 73yrs next years in a tight corner, mainly on how to convince his party delagates to vote a septuagenarian like him in power when younger candidates in the likes of Atiku Abubakar, Dr.Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso even the publisher of this day newspaper will be contesting the primaries with him.
Probably, the most visible changes within APC came from the announcement of the Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state to join the presidential race next year. Two weeks ago when I wrote that article he had not formerly indicated his interest, but as of today he had declared and have since embarked on campaign trail across the country to convince party delegates to vote for him. As a man who grew up in the north, speaks and understands the people of that geopolitical zone very well, his chances of rousing jonathan from Aso rock are much higher. Rochas being an igbo man will definitely seize all the votes from the south east region where believed is the strongest political base for the president, but all that will change should Rochas challenge him (Jonathan). The people of south east are most notable for their political agitation to produce the country?s president. Such sentiments are mostly likely to play in favour of Rochas whose has been a proponent of Igbo Presidency from the out-set. Even some south-south states especially in Rivers state people where the Presidency and the Governor of the state Rotimi Amaechi (APC) have been engaged in fierce battle on who control the state ahead of next year election. Intractable political fallout that had since divided the state between supporters of the PDP lead by Nyesom Wiki the immediate past Minister for Education and those in support of the Governor whose grips on the state political machinery is putting a strong opposition to the president ambition, many may likely to vote Rochas.
In south west it?s believed Rochas will equally beat Jonathan hands down in many states there including Lagos where (Igbos) easterners are heavily concentrated, Lagos for instances has up to 40% of their resident to be easterners , that makes it easier for Rochas to win Jonathan there if he were to fly APC ticket. So the chances of APC winning next year general election lies on the party delegates to rise above sectionalism, regionalism and geo-politics, to choose a candidate who has the political will, force and capital to confront PDP next year.
The question then is this; what are the interests of the party delegates? To choose a candidate based on region, religious sentiment or to choose a candidate based on his acceptability across board. In my opinion, any mistake by the APC delegates to vote against Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state would amount to dashing out the presidency to PDP for another four years.
So far there is overwhelming evidence suggestive that some northerner?s politicians think APC is alternative party platforms for one their own to assume power next year disregarding the fact that other Nigerians from other sections may have better alternatives. These kinds of erroneous and anti democratic mindset are enough to limit the chances of the delegates to choose the best candidate at primaries. Even though this writer doubts the chances of Rochas to pick the ticket, yet he is optimistic the unthinkable may come out of the convention in Lagos in the next days. While it?s difficult to predict exactly what would finally happen in the end, let it be known that Rochas remains the best option for APC to take over Aso Rock next year
Source:
Adams Kennedy Chidi
