By Tom Ohikere.
The Senator Ahmed Tinubu-led reconciliatory assignment to bring aggrieved members of the ruling All Progress Congress, APC, to a peaceful table of reconciliation may have hit a jolt in Kogi state due to some glaring and deliberate non-appeasement actions of Governor Yahaya Bello.
President Buhari had recently tasked Senator Tinubu to undertake the onerous assignment of restoring peace to the party through a planned reconciliatory mechanism aimed at strengthening the party and forestalling looming incidence of dumping the party by some aggrieved members. The reconciliatory assignment cuts across all the states in the federation.
While the reconciliatory move was seen as a step in a right direction, one is not too sure, if all stakeholders in the APC are ready to cooperate, collaborate, liaise and conjoin with the Former Lagos state Governor by shelving egocentric tendency and embrace peace towards nurturing of the APC, a party that came into existence in 2014.
Following chronicle of political activities in Kogi state before and after the reconciliatory assignment was handed Senator Tinubu, it is obvious that, Kogi state governor and his handlers are seemingly not ready to mend the cracked wall within the party and sheath their sword thereby making the reconciliation assignment nearly an impossible venture.
By way of calling the spade by its name, Kogi APC crisis started from the moment we lost our political ICON, Prince Abubakar Audu to the cold hands of death and the shady processes that led to the installation and imposition of governor Bello without recourse to the dictates of natural justice.
It is on record that, those that did the behind-the-scene works for the governor Bello’s installation are still the people fanning the ember of crisis in the state. They have simply not leant their lessons. Under APC, Kogi state has not known the language of peace as it has been from one bad news to another and from one crisis to another even though those drumming for the negative dance are still devising other strategic approaches towards exacerbating the problem in the confluence state.
It is also worrisome to note that, while Senator Tinubu appears prepared and committed to the assignment of reconciling the APC members, Kogi state government unlawfully and singlehandedly sacked the state party’s executive, thereby worsening the party’s woes in the state. However, this attempt has been reversed and condemned by the party’s National Executive Council.
Though for the national chairman of APC to participate in the inauguration of the new secretariat for the Government Bello led APC faction in the state, leaves more to desire. It also spells doom on the impeccable output of Tinubu’s assignment. APC has proven that, apart from losing its supremacy as a ruling political party, it has respect only for those in power at the peril of its members that work those people in.
The truth remains that, since some stakeholders within the party have not seen reasons for the reconciliation as in the case of Kaduna state, and also Kogi state, Senator Tinubu’s assignment may end like every other cosmetic panel they have set up in the recent times.
Today, APC has its own members as its major opposition while other distressed members are ordinarily pushed to the back seat. The voice that sang for the victory of the party has become nuisance by the same party’s handlers. The party has not grown to the level of establishing for itself a political family status and it is evident that APC does not only lack in-house peace but it also lacks political unity of purpose.
The political violence and unending acrimony both in the state and Kogi APC is initiated and fueled by the APC at national level through whose conspiracy the party’s electoral victory in the 2015 governorship election was raped at the peril of those that worked for the victory. And since they have turned deaf ears to plights Kogites, one no cares.
While the destiny of Kogi APC remains in comatose, the deliberate silence by the leadership of the party to call governor Bello and his errand boys to order has posed serious danger to the security situation of the state through in-house fight by the party’s members.
Despite the unpopular method of installing governor Bello in Lugard House which is naturally alien to the soul and the spirit of our laws, the haters of Kogi politics have not deemed it fit to repent from fermenting and orchestrating unnecessary political bitterness among party’s faithfuls.
Despite the constant threats on lives and property by the government of Kogi state on those that paid supreme sacrifice for the 2015 victory, no one has been called to order as if those that are privileged to be in power appear more powerful than our laws.
Where was APC at national level when Governor Bello and his team of e-rats took it as a duty to recall Senator Dino Melaye even when it was obvious that, such venture was dead on arrival and was also void of the support of the people of his senatorial district?
Did APC’s national leadership speak out either for or against the alleged attempt of assassination on Senator Dino’s when the police confirmed same and even went ahead to arrest some individuals who the police indicted? At what point did the case change gear that now involve the federal government and the possible arraignment of Senator Dino. It is yet to be seen, why those heavily armed police officers were deployed to the court premises on Friday.
And for the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC at national level to keep mute and pretend to be unaware of what their installed errand boy has turned the state to, is a clear evidence of calculated conspiracy against the welfare and the survival of the good people of Kogi state.
Kogites are keenly watching and at the right time, they will show their might through the electoral strength of their voter cards. APC should be aware that, Kogi state has never succumbed to the politics of incumbency and may kick the party out of the state should their installed man continue in this manner.
APC should bear in mind that, it is possible for a king to have the crown without the crowd submitting to its leadership. One may have the throne and lack the people’s consent. While the party’s goodwill has grossly depleted, allowing those in government to use the state’s resources and agents of government to fight the innocent citizens will certainly spell doom for the party come 2019 general elections.
APC should turn a new leaf by following the footsteps of the ruling African National Congress of South African which sacked the country’s President, Jacob Zuma by recalling him from his post. That singular act was a good example of how a political party has supreme power over those elected on its platform and not party leaders becoming toys in the hands of those in power.
– Dr Tom Ohikere, is a veteran journalist.
