APC’s season of defections, BY Abdullahi Umar

The most talked about topic trending both on social and mainstream media last week the defections of some APC stalwarts including senators, members of House of Representatives and a serving governor.
The dust had barely settled down when news (whether true or fake) has it that, the Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal had also decamped to the opposition PDP, but, so far, that news had turned out to be false, although, it had widely being reported he had perfected plans to formally decamp to the opposition PDP, this week.
The drama, intrigues, and power play that precipitated the wave of cross carpeting as witnessed on that day reached its climax when Senate President Bukola Saraki had his apartment cordoned off by security personnel ostensibly to prevent him from reaching the NASS complex, and have him report to the police authority to answer to some allegations brought against him.
Beyond that, events of the past month glaringly showed a crack in the edifice (APC structures).
Such gulf which appeared both in national, states, wards, and local governments had left numerous of the members in a bitter acrimony.
From Kano to Imo, Lagos to Delta, the story is the same.
The pervasiveness of the event on the political atmosphere sparked off a national discourse as to the dimension Nigeria’s politics is headed, and to properly scrutinize its model.
To some, Nigerian politics and political actors are devoid of a clear path of ideology, rather, enmeshed in petty politicking to remain relevant at most times, using different political platforms to achieve that.
Cross carpeting or party-switching is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure usually a current public office holder.
Cross-carpeting, to some extent is not peculiar to Nigeria alone.
In fact, in many countries, it takes the form of politicians refusing to support their political parties especially in coalition governments.
But, again, such scenario is common in nations without established political parties.
And in some cases, defectors from an opposition party may choose to support a ruling coalition.
In reality though, what distinguishes the scope and concept of Nigeria’s type of cross carpeting and the rest of the world is the driving principle and ideology behind such actions.
In the United Kingdom, for instance, partyswitches or cross-carpeting often occurs with the formation of new parties where some liberals moved to the Labor Party, especially in the end of the 20th Century.
Also, with the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union, some European countries whose members were aligned to communist parties had to switch to Socialist or Conservatives.
In contrast, these scenarios are quite distinct with what is obtainable, or the type of cross carpeting which has come to be synonymous with Nigeria’s political actors.
Democracy is not simply a question of structures, it is a state of mind occasioned by an activity.
That activity involves forming political parties, setting ideas which represent the vision of the party and the attendant effect on members and the public in general.
This also to a very large extent involves good governance, rule of law and accountability to the party and the nation at large.
APC, as a ruling party in the country today, has had its own share of internal strife and wrangling associated with managing party structure in Nigeria political sphere.
Coming on the heels of the 2015 general elections, three blocs birthed the APC, which include, the defunct ACN, CPC, and ANPP.
Each bloc had a stake in the formative years of the party, and when the merger came to fruition, and by extension, victory at the last polls, each had expected a reward for the sacrifice.
Being successful is one thing, managing success is yet another, and importantly, the inability to manage success had brought to a catastrophic end some successful actors in different spheres.
In politics, and within the Nigerian context, the inability of the APC to successfully manage its electoral success in the 2015 polls has invariably led to its present political imbroglio.
The crack emanated when the party’s leadership failed to put a check and take firm control of happenings at the National Assembly, preceding its inauguration.
Some forces within the NASS elected on the platform of the APC capitalized on the lackadaisical approach adopted by the party’s leadership and effectively took firm control of the NASS leadership to the chagrin of the party hierarchy.
When it realized it misfired and had wanted to retrace its steps, then, it was a little too late.
The crisis rocking the ruling APC can be located in three distinct but inter-related premise.
First, the inability of the ruling party to manage its electoral victory of 2015 by far remains its greatest undoing.
Most, if not all, the party members’ grouse had its roots from this factor like the emergence of the nPDP and later the rAPC, before setting the stage for final defection.
The second factor arose from the fallout of the states and wards congress held last May.
While the exercise was peaceful in some states, it was however marred with controversies in states like Rivers, Delta, Imo and Oyo.
As the results were trickling in, the stage for feud was brewing.
Aggrieved members in some states held parallel congresses as a show of influence.
This led to litigations and court cases, leading to cancellation of some results.
The third level is the Saraki factor.
Saraki, a two-time governor of Kwara state, and one of those who decamped from PDP prior to the 2015 elections defied all odds, and with help of PDP senators emerged president of the Senate to the consternation of party leadership.
A shrewd and cunning politician, he again recently announced the list of defecting senators to the opposition PDP while remained in the APC, probably bidding his time to finally strike.
The presidency had stepped out of its shadows, apparently following criticism for lack of interest around party affairs.
The president assigned the national leader, Asiwaju Tinibu, the task of reconciling aggrieved members and steer the party to the path of glory.
The task had yielded some positive outcome going by the successful conduct of the party’s convention last June which saw a change of leadership at the national level.
Adams Oshiomhole led NWC was faced with the daunting task of reconciling aggrieved members after taking over.
Although, he came at a time when the damage had been done, but regardless, as an experienced labour leader, he can turn things around.
It is however imperative and about time the APC changes gear, shift focus and reignite the trust and hope the common man had for the party pre-2015 elections.
The 2019 general elections is seven months away, the covenant the people had with the party has not expired yet.
More people-oriented programmes and Umar is a PhD/MPhil student at the Department of Administration, Ahmadu Bello Universities, Zaria.
He is currently, Chairman Buhari/ Osinbajo Campaign Organization: 2019 Kano State Chapter