Will The Real APC, Please Stand Up!
By Ademola Adeeko
I couldn’t help but agree with The National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who said the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) will focus on issues-based and ideas-driven politics.
He went further to say that APC was determined to promote unity and peace among the various ethnic and religious groups in the country.
He said: ‘‘the APC will do a lot for Nigeria, it will change the way politics is being played in Nigeria.
“Politics of personality is divisive; it uses things that divide like religion and ethnic sentiments, but ideas based politics unites everybody.”
“This is why we have agreed that we will use the broom to sweep away poverty from Nigeria.”
“We have leaders of note coming together from various parts of the country in an agreement to solve our problems.”
Dr. Onu also reiterated that the driving philosophy behind the formation of the mega party was not to compete for political power, but to solve the problems currently facing the nation.
He said the APC would help the country to have two strong parties so that anybody in power will know that he or she can be voted out for under performance.
“We are not against anybody or group, we are for Nigeria; we want other nations and foreigners to respect our country and to hold us in high esteem.”
“Our interest is not just to form government or produce governors and other officers, but we also want to solve the problems of Nigeria.”
He said that within the next three to four months, “we would have completed all the processes we needed to put in place for the APC to become a reality.”
As I read through his seemingly optimistic and patriotic words, I was getting carried away into another dimension of Nigeria. That dimension that saw everything working well, good roads, security, uninterrupted power supply amongst the other common ‘Nigerian Factors’. I was so adrift in my hallucination that the name APC didn’t even ring a bell.
Just as I was about moving into the next level of dreaming about Nigerians in the diaspora rushing back home due to the massive development back here, then it hit me! APC? Wait oh! Which APC are we talking about here?
Against the political party registration process initiated by the new merger, All Progressive Congress APC, a statement was issued by INEC that another party had forwarded a proposal to be registered by the electoral commission with the acronym APC (African Peoples Congress). Although, that didn’t come as a shock to me because I have never and will never under-estimate the desperation of the PDP in smearing and mudslinging any sort of opposition in a bid to hold onto power.
As we are all aware, Nigerian politics and the PDP’s struggle to hold onto power forever was always going to put spanners in the works of any merger of any colouration by opposition figures. Why a party that claims to have changed the face of Nigeria positively cannot tolerate competition still baffles me. This issue shouldn’t be seen as a normal political game politicians play as usual, instead it should be an eye-opener for the millions of informed Nigerians who intend to set the foot of this country on to the right path come 2015. The desperation of PDP against the merger is obvious even to the politically inactiveones. If truly the PDP has genuine intentions for Nigerians (let’s not talk about the wasted 14 years now), they should allow for free and fair participation of others who believe they can do better. They should also believe and allow for the free will of the people to drive our democracy. This fight against PDP shouldn’t be seen as APC’s alone. It is our fight!
In as much as I agree that the APC might not be the next best thing, I also believe the PDP isn’t something we should continue with.
PDP in its recent statement described the inability of the merging parties to duly register the proposed name of their party before embarking on a jamboree and propaganda as the hallmark of political naivety, lack of planning and a foreboding that the party will drive Nigeria to the socio-economic brink should it be entrusted with power. While that might be true, it should also be noted that the said phantom APC isn’t duly registered with the INEC, instead it only wrote a letter of intent to bear the acronym which doesn’t mean they can lay claims to the acronym for now.
Here lies the work to be done: I believe at this point in time, it’s obvious that PDP doesn’t intend for this country to move forward. Their thirst and greed for holding onto power for their personal enrichment is as glaring as the recent sunshine and heat wave experienced all over the country. This is the time for Nigerians to demand that the individual(s) behind the African Peoples Congress should duly step out for identification. We should demand to know what their ideals, aims and objectives are and why the name of their platform carries ‘Africa’ as they intend contesting elections in Nigeria only. PDP isn’t attacking APC based on politics of ideas rather frivolity that can neither put the poor man’s kids in school, can’t feed the old and needy nor fix our roads and electricity. Nigerians have had enough, that’s why its time for us to rise and walk the talk!
This isn’t relieving the APC itself from the work to be done. This is the time they’ll know that their presence as opposition is not tolerated by the incumbent party and this should serve as a reminder of the responsibility they’re about to bear as the liberator of the people from the shackles of the PDP. 2015 isn’t going to be an easy catch for the opposition. Its time to put heads together, fashion a way of kicking out our number one enemy and giving us governance entirely different from what we have suffered in the past 14 years. Nigerians are becoming wiser, this is an opportunity for APC to cash in and bring about the difference they claim!
The recent presidential pardon showered on a criminal whose actions earned him the name, “Enemy of the people” by Mr. President is a direct pointer that we are in trouble in this country. Mr. President is already availing us of his formation by 2015. He’s obviously setting up a seemingly formidable team to help him achieve his 2nd term bid which I see as a sacrilege against the Nigerian people. The earlier we realize that, the better for us!
But in the meantime, will The Real APC Please Stand Up???
The writer is on Twitter as @OccupyNaija
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