CRN APC Ticket And The Fallacy Of Reconciliation

 

File picture of Cross River APC leaders in Abuja during the reconciliation led by the Minister that ended the leadership tussle

By Inyali Peter

One of the major challenges facing politics parties in Nigeria is complete absence of internal democracy. The country's democracy is still at its infant stage and it's evolving, however, in the anti-democratic tendency of always subverting or attempting to subvert the wishes of the people by a conservative few called "stakeholders" has become a serious cankerworm that has eaten deep into the heart of political parties and politicians in the country.

This terrible and injurious tendency is usually highlighted mostly during primaries for the nomination of candidates. It is almost becoming a tradition in our politics that the wishes of the people in selecting candidates don't count and this trend is seen in almost all the parties even though it's increasingly becoming worst in APC, especially the Cross River State chapter.

As a foundation member of APC from 2013 when it was formed, I can say that one of the things that endeared the party to so many Nigerians in 2015 was the promise of internal democracy which was displayed across the country during primaries for the selection of candidates. 

The 2014 APC Presidential primaries was adjudged the best in the country by political watchers and this gave more credibility to the party as Nigerians saw a classical departure from the trend in PDP where candidates were always imposed. 

While the party is trying to sustain the 2014 legacy in some states, in others like Cross River, the situation has been messy and a direct opposite of it. APC primaries in the state is a myth and a mere show to fulfill all righteousness as candidates emerge  through other undemocratic ways like imposition.

This pitiable situation has always plagued the party into crisis but it seems the people don't learn. When everybody was expecting that APC was finally ready to challenge the PDP dominance in the state after the leader of the party and Honourable Minister of State, Power,  Prince Goddy Jedy Agba ended the over three years leadership tussle, the first major assignment undertaken by the party is threatening to tear it apart again and it's not for any reason but the same old story of imposition.

When would the Cross River APC learn that as an opposition, it's more profitable to go with the wishes of the majority than those of the minority which is mostly driven by personal interest? 

The Cross River North APC senatorial primary has shown clearly that the party doesn't learn and it's not ready to be taken seriously in the state. If this is not the case, how can one explain the wisdom in repeating one thing over and over again that has not worked yet expecting different results? Primary is a test of one's strength, popularity and acceptability and not a sort of a joke where a few people just want to impose their opinions on everybody.

As usual, after hurting people's emotions, they stay in Abuja and talk of reconciliation. What is reconciliation in  the face of injustice? You rob a man and all the people only to turn back to call for reconciliation? You abuse the people's sensitivity and only to turnaround to ask them to sheath their sword in the interest of peace? What's peace when impunity holds sway? 

I find the call for reconciliation in a APC as deliberate trivialization and mischaracterization of an important issue of injustice and stealing of one's mandate as bizarre and spurious. Reconciliation and justice are two inseparable variables. World over, forgiveness and reconciliation are not achieved where injustice is served in place of justice.

If truly the leaders of the party want reconciliation, they should start by admitting that they have made mistakes by giving the Cross River North APC ticket to the person that won it and stop the pretense. You can't deliberately kill a man's joy simply because you think you can always ask for forgiveness.

An anonymous APC leader said that "the call for reconciliation has mostly come from the Joe Agi proponents, ostensibly to firm up the purported candidature of their Principal but while their prayers are yet to approach the efficacy line,they have yet to admit their 'sin' or fault of subverting the process of our 'holy' democracy believed by all to be better than a military command tactic same as they invented and propagated in the recent primary elections".

More and more members are now aware that the only thing of interest to most Cross River APC leaders is federal appointment and nothing more. The common man on the street would work for the party at the end,  the leaders would go to Abuja to struggle for appointments that don't have direct benefits to the average party members. All they do is to stop the party from winning elections and if APC don't win election, how would the people who have played opposition all their lives benefit? 

A stitch in time saves nine. It's either the APC show commitment for sincere reconciliation by allowing the wishes of the people to stand to safe it from the impending doom or continue to deceive themselves and joke over a fallacious reconciliation that's built on injustice and abuse. 

I know some people who have never supported the APC beyond the social media would come after me but let me remind everybody that in 2019, I was a lone voice crying for the soul of APC but nobody listened and in the end, the party suffered embarrassing defeats in all the elections except Abi/Yakur federal constituency. Except something is done, the bye-election is as good as over for the APC.

Inyali Peter writes from Calabar.