30 September 2010By Saka Raji Audu
At last, the intrigues and
political power play about the All Nigeria
People's Party (ANPP) national
convention, which had lingered for months, eventually
took place on 18th and 19th
September 2010 with the election of new executive
members of the party under the consensus leadership of
a one time governor of
Abia State, Dr. Onu Ogbonnoya as
the party national chairman. Going by the outcome of
the party convention, it indicates that members of
this largest
opposition party are now ready to
sheath sword and confront the monster called PDP that
has been enslaving our country for the past 11 years
with impunity.
Hitherto, there had been some
internal bickering in ANPP that warranted several
postponement of its national convention. The crisis
was mainly due to the disagreement between the former
executive council under the then chairmanship of Chief
Edwin Ume Ezeoke and those allegedly believed are the
loyalists of the party presidential aspirant, Malam
(Dr)
Ibrahim Shekarau, Sardaunan Kano.
As a matter of fact, concerned members of the party
were not comfortable with the way and manner the
former Chairman and his executives had run the affairs
of the party, which they considered as a disaster. Ume
Ezeoke used his four years sojourn as ANPP chairman to
flirt with the ruling national party whose son is a
Special Adviser to President Jonathan. It was believed
that if the way and manner Ezeoke was mesmerizing with
PDP was not checked, he was willing to repackage the
party and sell it to PDP as he had done in the past
when he handed over ANPP to PDP under the guise of
Government of National Unity,
which paved way for the appointment of his son as
Special Adviser to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Dissatisfied by Ezeoke's
misconduct and the unsatisfactory manner of his
tenure, the concerned members of the party allegedly
loyal to Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau found it
expedient to put a check on Ezeoke's excesses. This
became glaring when the plan to conduct the party
national convention were postponed consistently.
Later, some people allegedly loyal to the former
Chairman and under the influence of PDP lucked up the
venue of the ANPP national convention. This gave the
impression that Chief Edwin Ume Ezeoke was not willing
to relinquish power peacefully since his tenure had
almost ended because it was all glaring that he was
ready to do PDP's bidding. Irked by this manipulative
instinct, some large number of ANPP members allegedly
for Shekarau had meeting and passed vote of no
confidence of Chief Ume Ezeoke led National Executive
Council. They were instantly sacked and a care taker
committee constituted to oversee the party affairs. On
2nd September 2010, the former Chairman and
its fellow travelers also went ahead to conduct
another separate meeting where they also set aside the
care taker committee and its earlier decision.
But one thing was very unique in
the decision taken by the two factions of the party.
They both fixed 17th and 18th
September 2010 for the party national convention.
Technically, it showed that the two factions were
working for a common cause. While this internal
political hullabaloo was taking place, the enemy of
the party was hoping that the crises would lead to
disintegration of the party to enable them take undue
advantage. As a matter of fact, the big brothers in
PDP were busy swallowing heavy saliva that a final
blow was taking toll on its major opposition party in
the country and thus, it would be in position to have
an easy pass in the forthcoming general elections.
This, however, is not so.
On 17th September
2010, ANPP delegates were in Abuja for their long time
expected convention. They took stock of the party's
performance and came out with unanimous decision to
forget their differences and work together as a team
if the party should make any difference in the big
task ahead. It is in the spirit of peace and unity of
the party that many personalities who had indicated
their interest for some executive position in NEC
thought twice and retraced their steps. At the end of
the day, it was also unanimously agreed that consensus
should be adopted on the new party chairman and other
members of the NEC. This was how the former governor
of Abia State, Dr. Onu Ogbonnaya was arrived at as a
man who can unite and bring progress to the party.
One fundamental thing happened. It was clear that
even before the acceptance of Dr. Onu as the party
consensus candidate for party Chairman; he had to
request the endorsement of such consensus by the party
presidential aspirants, Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau,
which the latter graciously approved and all but one
stepped down for Dr. Onu
In spite of the above
development, there is this chairmanship aspirant who
believes that the party constitution has no room for
consensus and therefore would not step down for any
body. This, according to him was particularly so since
they have come to do election, it should be done to
determine the winner. This man is one time Chairman of
the party BOT, Mr. Harry Akande. Of course, in
democracy, every one will always have his wish but
majority will have their way. Election was conducted
and Akande lost to Onu. This is what democracy
entails. Thereafter, Dr. Onu Ogbonnaya pledged to
unite all and take the party out of the doldrums.
This was how Onu emerged the chairman of the All
Nigeria People's Party
during the recent convention of the party held in
Abuja.
But the fifth columnists and
their agents of disunity would not simply give up in
their treacherous instinct and avowed desire to see to
the continuous disunity of ANPP. Having failed to
realize their hatched plan against the party unity,
they want us to believe that Harry Akande was
Shekarau's 'candidate' and since he failed, Shekarau's
camp failed. These agents of doom would not want to
understand what consensus means. They do not want to
understand the fact that with consensus, the notion of
someone sponsoring another was no longer tenable as
every one was on his own. So, it did not surprise any
right thinking people to read the misleading report
injected by some oppositions and their paid partisan
reporters said that Shekarau's 'candidate' did not win
at the party convention. Whatever this insinuation was
meant to achieve, we must learn to be fair, even to
our enemies.
In the first instance, this type
of people are yet to convince us beyond reasonable
doubt other than hearsay who told them that Harry
Akande was Shekarau's candidate. The same thing
happened in 2006 when Buhari's lawyer, Chief Ahamba
could not win the ANPP chairmanship. The gossips
alluded that it was Shekarau who caused his failure.
If Akande had won at the convention, the story would
have been that Shekarau used money to rig for Akande.
Whatever way the pendulum swings, the opposition must
have some thing to say. So, why should we bother by
what they say and write knowing full well that such is
being done just to luck horns. In spite of all this
brouhaha, we are happy that ANPP resolved their
differences and made the convention a reality. The
harmonious relationship is urgently required by the
party to be able to tackle the monsters heads on.
As a result of greed, avarice,
desperation, unhealthy competition, capitalistic
despot, injustice, corruption and insincerity of
purpose, which have permeated the air of insecurity in
the country, the Nigerian people have been put in
miasma of hopelessness under the corrupt, indolent and
wicked party called PDP. Ordinarily, the PDP that
should have addressed all these negative traits is not
serious about them. Nigerians have lost confidence in
it. ANPP is therefore the alternative for viable
polity and economic progress. It is a party that
believes in the saying that united we stand, divided
we fall. One is however not unaware about the black
stomachs in the midst of ANPP and even outside its
enclaves. It is normal of a good thing to come. After
all, no political party in the world can achieve total
loyalty from its members.
No matter the injuries, pains and
frustration, we must not forget in hurry that even our
tongues and teeth do crush one another in the course
of eating and chewing to swallow. This is why ANPP led
by Dr. Ogbonnaya must set aside parochial and narrow
minded interest among his party men and women to be
able to achieve the desired objective. Any body that
destroys his house, hoping to repair another man's
house is a joker and will sooner or later regret.
Here, I wish to congratulate all the ANPP members for
not being part of the 'kill and goes' during the just
concluded convention especially in spite of all odds.
They should continue to exhibit such patriotic gesture
because it is the only way in which the party can
realize their goals. As the 2011 elections get close,
I urge all ANPP members to redouble their efforts
towards sheathing their differences and ensuring that
they win most of the elections including
Presidential poll.
As the largest opposition party in the country, it is
in the best position to throw away the PDP ruling
party out of the ring. May God answer this prayer and
many more of others, amen.
Saka Raji Audu writes from
Kano and can be reached on his email:
sakaraj@yahoo.com
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