By Bode Olagoke and Donald Iorchir, Abuja
Former Vice President and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar, again, publicly chided his party over failure to organise statutory meetings for its various organs, saying lack of internal democracy had made the party and others “bullying and undemocratic.” He spoke at the second annual conference of the InterParty Advisory Council of Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja, on internal party democracy. Addressing the gathering which had in attendance politicians and other stakeholders in the nation’s democratic project, the Wazirin Adamawa specifi cally called the attention of the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Shuaibu Lawal, who represented the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to take notice of his speech. Oyegun’s failure to hold convention Th e governing APC, led by its National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, came under severe criticism for failing to hold its National Convention after the 2014 version which brought him in as the party’s chair.
Notably, the governors were believed to have been at loggerheads with the party leadership over its refusal to come up with workable processes towards a National Convention, over two years after. Th is development generated quite some heat as there was speculation that the governors wanted the convention to bring in one of their own as replacement for Oyegun. Although the party, at its National Working Committee meeting in May, this year, initially agreed to hold the biannual convention without President Muhammadu Buhari (currently on medical vacation), it however made a U-turn some two weeks ago when it declared that it would not hold the event without Buhari in attendance. Th e process commenced last weekend with local government congresses election where delegates were expected to emerge. Again, this, however, has been marred with allegations of imposition in some states, and leading to violence in some others, with Kaduna as a case study. Atiku carpets parties Speaking on the lack of internal wrangling occasioned by lack of internal democracy within parties, the APC chieftain said, “for a number of years now, we have had political parties, even governing ones, which hardly hold meetings of their important organs, including those meant for the democratic selection of their leadership, or even constitute institutions prescribed in their Constitution. “In the absence of those meetings and elections, their existing leadership, often under the direction of the Executive at the state or federal level, fi ll the void.
Th at’s not partybuilding but party-bullying. And it’s certainly not a way to democratise parties and aggregate their members’ opinions, interests and aspirations. “Th is means that eff orts to deepen Nigeria’s democracy must include eff orts at democratising our political parties. Th e institutionalisation of democracy in our internal party processes will help us deepen democracy in Nigeria. Leaders are more likely to tolerate opposition from citizens and other parties if they tolerate it within their own party.” Continuing, the former number two citizen noted that “ lack of internal democracy in political parties is one of the reasons for the fraught relationships among parties and their elected representatives, and the legislature and the executive.
“Th e loyalty of some in the legislature and executive lies not with the party, but with a godfather who sponsored them, and the godfather may even be in a rival political party. Such anomalies will reduce if internal democracy fl ourishes in our political parties, and by extension the wider society. “Th e selection of leaders in a democracy is a serious business because so many other things ride on it. Whenever we get it wrong, the nation or a part thereof suff ers. We must strive to get it right most of the time. And it is the voters who should freely make that determination. I, therefore, thank the IPAC for organising this conference and for inviting me to chair it.” Okorocha begs Nigerians But the Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, has said it would be too early for Nigerians to judge the APC-led federal government.
Th e PGF is the forum of governors elected on APC platform. “We want to appeal to Nigerians not to judge us from past sins or within the two years we have been in the mantle of leadership of this great country. You should judge us when the mandate entrusted to us expires,” Okorocha made the plea at the opening of a retreat on policy synergy between states and the federal government, which held yesterday in Birnin Kebbi. Th e governor reminded Nigerians that those presently at the helm of aff airs, came on board when the country was at the brink of collapse due to security and economic challenges. He assured that the APC-led administration would meet the expectations of all Nigerians. “Our party has the best governors ever produced in the history of this country- from Sokoto, Adamawa, Kebbi, Lagos, Imo, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kogi and others. “When you visit those states, you will know that Nigerians have not made mistake electing us to lead their states aff airs. We have resolved to fi x the economy and it is already being fi xed,” he said. Th e governor explained that they were working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to put resources together to stamp out hunger in the country. “We are united and Nigeria will always remain an indivisible nation. We don’t know who is Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo, our determination is only to stamp out hunger and bring democratic dividend to our citizens.
Hate statements should not be taken serious or regarded from anyone,” he said. Commends Kebbi farmers Okorocha commended Kebbi farmers for saving the country a lot of foreign exchange through their agricultural activities, especially rice production. Earlier, the host Governor, Atiku Bagudu, assured that the APC governors would continue to work diligently in line with the party manifesto. “Th e enthusiasm and patriotism of President Muhammadu Buhari and Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, demonstrate that Nigeria is getting its footsteps right. All that helps Nigeria to develop is now brought to debate and discussion table, and we should always cherish what we discuss signifi cantly in order to enhance our development,”
