The Igbimo Odo Yoruba, wishes to use this medium to call the attention of Nigerians, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and all lovers of democracy to the looming danger confronting our democracy, particularly as it concerns the affairs of the governing APC, its leadership and President Muhammadu Buhari.
As close watchers of events in the party, since General Buhari took over in May 2015 as the President of the country, we have observed a culture of total disregard for party principles and ideology, lack of directional leadership and consistent contempt for democratic practices within the APC. Today, the party is on its way back, to the dark old days of state dictatorship, lawlessness, impunity and repression, which characterized the existence of the former ruling party in the country, from which the APC took over power in 2015.
Nearly three years since coming to power of the APC, the current National Executive Committee of the party with active connivance with certain elements at the Presidency, tacitly supported by President Muhammadu Buhari have reduced the running of the party, to a show, by a very few number of men. The party today has become so divided more than ever witnessed, in most states of the country, including those presently governed by the APC.
Every hope of a desired change by Nigerians, are now being smothered before our very eyes all because of the obsession of these few members of the party’s NEC, a few elements within the Presidency, and President Buhari himself, with re-election in 2019, not minding the implications of their actions on the existence of the party, and the nation’s democracy at large
Only yesterday, President Buhari had through the twitter handle of his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu which was later followed by a two-paragraph letter, announced that the President has appointed Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to handle the responsibility of reconciling all aggrieved members of the APC, in the country. We consider the President’s decision as not only absurd, disrespectful, but also a clear-cut disregard for party’s constitution and conventions.
Engaging the President’s official channel and office to interfere and dictate how to operationalize party affairs, is an act of reckless violations of all known ethics, and a sign of lawlessness, and impunity that is becoming the norm under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also, beyond the inappropriateness of the President’s approach towards resolving the prevailing crisis across the various organs and chapters of the party, we consider it ridiculous, to have engaged Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for such a task, at a time, when the President has continued to show so much bias, amd endorsement, towards the way and manner, that the Chief John Oyegun led National Working Committee has continued to run the affairs of the party. Any genuine reconciliation, within the APC, must begin from a scrutinization of the present workings of the party, not a super imposed reconciliation move, which may likely have been a result of consultation with leadership and stakeholders within the party.
President Buhari must be reminded, that what operates today is democracy and being a beneficiary of such, he must be ready to work and allow democratic principles to guide his action especially when it has to do with political affairs, not minding his position as a National Leader, of the party. He is neither the Executive or National Working Committee of the party . Mr President should immediately desist, from allowing himself to be used in subverting the integrity of his hitherto respected political party, APC.
A true reconciliation must be such that will address the grievances of the entire leaders and members of the party, not one, which will further portray the party, as an example of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where some animals are more equal than the others.
In conclusion we want to advise Mr. President not to allow the obsession of those around him, with his re-election, to pose further pose danger to the survival of the APCand the nation’s democracy. He must henceforth be seen as a unifying factor within the APC and ensure that our people are no longer divided along ethnic, religious, political and social lines.
Finally, as much as we respect the right of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to accept or reject this purported reconciliation mandate, we want to advise him to honorably reject this offer in order not to set a bad precedent for the party as an avowed democrat
Thank you.
Signed:
Princess Modupe Adedayo,
Secretary General,
Igbimo Odo Yoruba.