The All Progressive Congress (APC) is a great party that fought the strongest political battle in the history of Nigeria and Africa as a whole, won and occupying the highest positions in Nigeria today. History has it that, APC came at a time Nigeria and Nigerians needed change, occasioned by PDP’s misrule.
Although leadership is a seemingly simply but highly competitive and challenging task especially, in a country like ours where corruption, insecurity, ethnicity, greed and other social and political vices have taken the day.
Today, the major opposition APC as a party has is APC members and the political appointees who have vowed to attend the burial of this great party. APC was a party everybody desired to join but today, the situation is different and brings me back to a question in igbo language “owu’ na ‘okpu’ ‘isi’ ‘amagi’ ‘akpu’, ka’ ‘owu’ ‘aguwa’ ‘adigi’ ‘nko’? (Is it that the barber does not know how to barb or is it that his clipper is blunt) because what I saw and supported APC with everything in me is not what am seeing today. The party is going down by the day. Supporters are almost hiding their faces at a time other vibrant political parties are emerging. At a time Nigerians are getting interested in politics and political happenings. At a time songs of disintegration, hunger, unemployment, poverty and political campaigns are seriously knocking on doors of many Nigerians.
Where are those leaders in APC that were celebrated? Where are those APC leaders that were seen as role models to people like us? Why must APC be having this kind of problems while in power? Why must we allow sentiments, greed to destroy what we have built all these years? Why, Why? When I see actions of some APC Governors, Senators and other APC leaders that are bringing ridicule to the party, I shed tears because this is not the kind of party Senator Bola Tinubu had in mind, this is not the party President Buhari foresaw, it is not the party Dr Ogbonnaya Onu laboured for amidst criticisms and denials both from the state and federal level. It is not the party other patriotic leaders and supporters had in mind. Where is our much-loved APC? What is going on in our young vibrant party? Who has bewitched our party that it has become an object of mockery? Why have they decided to put Mr. President under intense pressure and he is keeping quiet? Do they want to end this party now?
May I remind you that we have Nigerians and other political parties to battle with? May I also remind you that the situation is different now? Things are no longer like they use to be. This is time for sober reflection if we mean business.
THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF APC
The major problem of our party The APC is that of a ship with many captains; where the followers are equally loyal to their individual captains who directs them based on the way he or she is being treated in the ship. This means, individual interest is taking the lead while the party is bearing the ugly consequences.
Political appointees especially some of them saddled with matters affecting Mr. President directly are not serious and have been taking everything for granted. We have witnessed many dramas from this people while Mr. President takes the blame and the attendant ridicule.
Leaders from this great party are just acting as if we fought to rule for one term instead of helping Mr. president to achieve his aim of rebuilding Nigeria.
Greed, Marginalization, Sentiment and Ethnicity have taken over the mind of our members that should work together in peace and harmony to achieve one big goal of bringing back the lost glory of this nation.
Mr. President is overlooking a lot of vital issues that can ruin the party and as such making the party vulnerable.
WHATS THE WAY FORWARD.
Mr. President needs to make serious adjustment both in his cabinet and his body language; as not only party members vote during election.
Mr. President should recognize all factions and stakeholders call them to a round table to ascertain their grievances and identify a path to a sustainable way forward for the growth of the party and his planned aim of taking Nigeria to the Promised Land.
Each member of APC should surrenders his or her loyalty to this one party as the only party they belong to or resign his or her membership to make way for easy re-organization of the party.
Members of the party should stop talking and acting carelessly as if to destroy party A and rejoin Party B. They should know that; changing parties does not make a good politician rather it takes you faster to a path to political irrelevance.
Mr. president should be proactive in his dealings and always listen to the complaints of the masses, members and none other non party supporters; act fast accordingly, bearing in mind that this party must not fail under his watch.
Finally, All these drama should stop. All APC member whether you hold a position or not, wake up from your slumber let us rebuild and sustain our great party to enable us achieve the single purpose of rebuilding and bringing back the greatness of this country. All Governors, President, Senators, House of Representative member, Ministers, other political appointees, supporters and members should learn to walk towards making this administration a success instead of being an opposition to the party.
Written by James Iroha, a public affairs analyst.
