It is another acid test for the ruling All Progressives Congress and President, Muhammadu Buhari to get it right or mar again. The season of producing the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives is, once again, taking the centre stage in the unfolding political drama, a major characteristics of the Buhari administration in Nigeria. But let us go down the memory lane for a while
In the year 2014, the most prominent, and no doubt, the leading opposition Parties in Nigeria came together to form a strong and formidable opposition to the ruling People’s Democratic Party in a popular “merger” that brought about the ACPN, ANPP, CPC and a segment of APGA together to form the APC. The ruling PDP saw the movement as a joke at first and allowed it to grow.
As it grew, it became so difficult to scuttle. The new Party was an instant darling to many governors in authority and very prominent and formidable politicians gave the new merger their blessings and joined.
That was not all. The worst blow the APC gave the ruling PDP was carting away a very good chunk of its strategic members who called themselves the nPDP as they fell out with the ruling Party. They were the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
It was not a surprise, therefore, that the new alliance routed the ruling party at the polls the following year. The new Party won the Presidency, majority of governorship positions in the country and of course, majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. But then, it is one thing to succeed and another to manage the success.
The trouble of the party began at the procedure of producing the leadership in the National Assembly. The Party leadership was working it out for the law makers on one hand, while the law makers were working it out for themselves on the other.
In ordinary Nigerian political culture, the party was to carry the day. In certain instances, the law makers dared not contemplate opposing the party decisions.
But that is only when the Presidency is in tandem with the party arrangement. The President was, instead, not interested in this case, hence it became a battle of wits between the Party leadership and the wise guys in the new National Assembly who knew how.
When the battle was fought, the wise guys in the National Assembly cashed in on the nonchalant attitude of the President to win on the floor of the House and the Senate, sending the old Party dog backing out with its tail between its legs.
But then, it was a gargantuan error on the part of the President who defiantly turned his face away as a demonstration of his promise to be an excellent democrat who will allow everyone to enjoy one’s constitutional freedom of choice.
The leadership of the two arms of the chamber proved to be a costly disaster to the Executive function of the President throughout the four year term ending next May.
This is because the leadership slipped out from the catch of the merger into the hands of the nPDP, who in effect, are PDP. They proved that very well when they eventually dumped the APC at the verge of elections for their original Party.
Yes, they became a great disaster for the executive function of the President as they, instead of being supportive of the President, became an opposition within.
They frustrated every attempt by the President to lawfully function, including gaggling the administration of the right to finance projects by not passing of budgets upwards to a half of the fiscal year. The Presidency had it rough and of course, bare.
Hence, this time around, the Presidency seems to be in support of the Party at producing the right candidates for the leadership of the Party. But the approach, this time around, might be the Party’s major undoing.
Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the APC, was all over pronouncing the new leadership of the Party even before they convene. He took all the elected members of the National Assembly to the President for a dinner last week and told everyone there that so and so persons are the new leaders of the two arms of the Chambers.
That, to my understanding, is political childishness. In spite of the fact that the Party has a majority in the National Assembly, it will be a big time goof to ignore any slight ambition indicated by any member, much less the person in question is a five time Senator!
His supporters, who are being coerced, can join hands with the opposition to repeat the 2015 blow to the Party and big upset for the Presidency. In such situation, the leadership of the Chamber will neither be loyal to the Party, nor to the President, but to the opposition who are mow their base.
Indeed, what the Party needs to do at this moment is to embrace dialogue as a measure and as a true virtue of internal democracy.
It is not foolishness to stumble upon a stone in your path, but it certainly is, to stumble the same stone more than once.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
