By Adenrele Adelowo Koleoso
Nigerians voted against a party that was considered to be corruption incarnate. It was generally believed that if the ousted Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, remains in power, there cannot be an end to corruption, which has pervaded every sphere of our life and enveloped the entire country. There was no institution under that ruling party that was corruption-free. Every sector of the economy was corruption endemic and the social malaise was adopted as a way of life. Other countries see Nigeria and her citizens as corrupt people, hence the need to jointly salvage the image of the country by pushing out the most corrupt party in the history of our nation.
As we were celebrating and heaving a big sigh of relief at the electoral defeat of PDP at the poll, many Nigerians were sceptical about corruption not fighting back through whatever means including intrigue, deceit and self-delusion as demonstrated on the floor of the National Assembly on June 9, 2015. What happened was the demonstration of corruption at its peak. It was fraudulent, political egocentrism, betrayal of trust of the highest order, disservice to the party and collective thinking of the members of the ruling party and Nigeria as a whole. The action was distrustful, unfortunate and irresponsible. How can the leadership of the party that represents our common interest decide on issue and a handful of individuals would disagree? It is indiscipline and arrogance of the century. They must be punished for the betrayal.
For 16 years, the entire nation was brain-washed, deceived and taken for granted. Some of the leaders of that party were so engrossed and power drunk and slammed it on our face that the party will continue to rule the nation even when the majority were groaning under their misrule, maladministration and incompetence of its leadership. They looted our treasury brazenly with impunity. No regard for the rule of law as they were doing whatever they wanted.
As a proverb says, ‘Every day for the thief and one day is for the owner[s]. The die was cast and the pen robbers were sent packing from power.
Nigerians were yearning for a change which we got through our collective resolution to vote credible, corrupt-free and untainted politicians with moral pedigree into power. We thank God that our joint resolution to send packing the most corrupts party and its inept leadership from the office yielded desired result. As the nation is settling down awaiting the constitution of new cabinet, another democratic ‘coup’ struck and shook the nation’s democracy to its root.
It was the manifestation of the penchant of individuals’ deep-seated interest above the collective interest of the party that brought them to office and how such people should not be trusted with any higher political office in future. As it is today, the lesson can still repeat itself in future if these ‘democratic rebels’ can trade the interest of the larger majority for their personal interest to prevail. It is too bad, too selfish and too self-centred. It is disastrous for our nascent democracy.
What happened on the floor of National Assembly at the two chambers was not politicking and it should be condemn in its entirety. People who hijacked power through the back door should not be allowed to stay in power or allowed to determine our common goals.
Those who have been celebrating the emergence of the self-styled individuals will regret, be ashamed and embarrassed soon when their pay masters confront the law. They are crisscrossing the nation to seek endorsement and look for people that can help to perpetuate them in power. Whatever efforts they are making cannot save them from the impending doom and the national embarrassment they will cause themselves soonest. I hope those who are celebrating them will also be at hand to sympathise with them when they are disgraced out of the office.
Before the ‘coup’ was staged, no one was apprehensive of anything ‘ungodly’ from the fold of the ‘progressives’. With the emergence of APC we believed the nation has routed political arrogance, self-delusion and irresponsible individualism out of power not knowing that they are still lurking around the corridor of our democratic setting, damning party supremacy, ignoring collective undertakings and the national resolve to pave the way for a corruption-free society.
In advanced democracies no individual can assume to be greater than the party, the majority supporters of the party and advance their individualism above the rest of the electorate. In Nigeria, the reverse is the case. The party that brought them to power has been betrayed and the Constitution has been raped. The party called for a meeting of all APC lawmakers as mandated by President Muhammadu Buhari and because of their dastard interests, they rubbished the President and the leadership of the party.
How responsible and loyal could such arrogant and disloyal lawmakers be when they disrespect the body they professed to be part of?
APC must put its house in order before it degenerates into what befell the ousted PDP. It is a moral burden on those we thought were responsible but displayed flagrant irresponsibility. This is a food for thought that requires deeper thought. Our collective resolve to fight corruption would be put in jeopardy if this set of irresponsible leaders at the National Assembly is allowed to preside over the affairs of the sacred law making institution, the legislature. The signal will not be palatable both to the image of this nation and our democratic practice. There must be discipline, integrity and credibility in the body politic.
Koleoso wrote from Airport Road, Abuja.