Buhari: A Political Tool in Kogi APC – Oyisi Okatahi

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The purpose of this article is to highlight salient issues bothering our political system.  Kogi State is an example to site as I share my personal political experience to illustrate the challenges that people who have passion and purpose for Nigeria face in trying to improve our country.

I have been involved in my community development in Okene Local Government Area in Kogi Central for over 10 years. My humble contributions include the award of scholarships, provision of boreholes, youth empowerment programmes and other humanitarian activities through the Okatahi Foundation. My conviction is that life is short and its importance is measured more by how much you gave than how much you got.

One thing people, both family and friends told me was that “politics is a dirty game, so do not get involved.” My simple response was: “Will things improve by doing nothing?” How long will the good people “sit-down-look” and allow evil to thrive?

So, at the very formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I registered my membership with the party and indicated my interest to vie for the House of Representatives to represent Okene/Ogori Magongo federal constituency.  I believe that with my exposure, experience and education, I have much to offer at the federal level.

People who have been in political business advised that I needed a political “godfather.” I acknowledged and got myself a” political mentor” as this is preferred. However, this did not help me as my mentor let me down.

Thereafter, I invested time, money and resources in the party and purchased the nomination forms for the House of Representatives. We had a rigorous screening process, after which I was issued a clearance certificate. I campaigned diligently to persuade the delegates to vote for me. On the day of party primaries, all interest groups assembled at the designated venue at Lokoja, the state capital.

We were all anxiously waiting for the primary exercise to start when a bombshell was thrown. The party leadership in Kogi State sent a message to us that they had concluded and selected a candidate for the party to contest the election. We thought it was a dream: just like that, without consultations, without discussion, against the party guiding rules? To justify this impunity, these “leaders” said their choice was by consensus. Article 20 of the APC constitution as amended says, “For the purpose of primary election, party members in every ward shall vote by open-secret ballot for the candidates of their choice where there is no consensus. Provided that a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of yes or no should be called to ensure that it was not an imposition which could bring discontent and crisis.”  This is a clear violation of the party’s constitution.

The aggrieved aspirants, in keeping to the party’s constitution, petitioned the national body to intervene. The national body of the party sent an appeal committee and we presented all the facts that no primary election took place. The committee’s report in our favour was ignored.

Injustice grows in our society because the perpetrators seem to get away with wrong. What we found most worrisome was that no one from the party’s leadership considers reconciliation. After we did all we could to find justice within the party and were totally ignored, we went to court.

Then the “Buhari factor” started. Every politician in the APC started printing their posters with Buhari by the side. The values of justice, discipline and honesty which Buhari stands for is very alien to many of them. During the presidential and National Assembly elections, Buhari swept the votes in Kogi State. With that momentum, APC also won all the three senatorial seats and five of the eight announced House of Representatives seats. Most people in the communities voted for the APC all through. It was difficult for them to understand how to vote for the APC in the presidential election and another party for the National Assembly.  For my community, anyone who represented the party would have won due to the “Buhari factor.”

So the question is: How can we be singing Buhari/Osinbajo when our values and attitudes are different from what they stand for? It is like what the scripture says: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

For our president-elect to succeed, he will need to discern that not all those who say, “Sai Buhari” are with him. He will need to surround himself with those who sincerely share his values and vision.

But I will continue to make efforts because we cannot give up on Nigeria despite all the challenges.

This is because at the appointed time, this country will be our desired nation.

Oyisi Okatahi, Canada

oyisi47@gmail.com

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