Lessons from the APC Registration And Its Untold Story:
Experience is the best teacher; it is said as every exercise revolving around human being has its ups and down at least for a possible evaluation.
It is against this back drop that the membership drive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria and Rivers State in particular has its experience.
The membership drive of the APC actually kick started on Wednesday 5th through Monday 10th February, 2014 across the nation, though additional two days were given to it, the exercise could not be said to have recorded huge success occasioned on its internal rancor and power tussle.
Geddes and Grosset (2007) defined lesson as “something to be learned or studied”. The many disturbances, spill of blood in certain areas in the guise of APC registration has several lessons for the teaming populace as the drive for membership of APC was not the first in Nigeria and indeed Rivers State.
APC as a political party was registered sometime in 2013 after few political parties such as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), congress for Political Change (CPC) and part of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The major essence of the fussion of these political blocs was to form a formidable political party to fight the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and of course wrestle power away from them.
Many however, wondered how that could be possible because the entirety of those who formed these alliance were together before and have played their best role(s) in winning elections but without success.
To abort any sort of doubt in the peoples mind, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accepted and announced the registration of APC even without a substantial and befitting secretariat at the state and local governments.
Other than settling down to structure its house, the APC resorted to using words against other political parties particularly the PDP.
Like Governor Amaechi of Rivers did said when he formally registered for the APC in his Ubima unit, the PDP had ruined Nigeria and that APC is on a rescue mission to save Nigeria which the PDP has ruined.
If PDP has ruined Nigeria and the rescuer “APC” has come should they emulate the activities of the destroyer?
Throughout history, the PDP had not in her several registrations and continuous mobilization spill blood, breaking of people’s skull, a new group of course the rescuer should not have yielded to the temptations of fighting it fellow members.
When PDP, APGA, LP and others fought it were them and their opponents, yes there is bound to be internal crisis in a political party but not to the spilling of blood.
The APC registration witnessed spill of blood in Phalga, Ikwerre and Akuku Toru Local Governments areas of the state amongst others.
What spark off the crisis in most of the areas were the fight of supremacy over who controls the APC as against the allegation of disruption of its activities by the opposition parties.
It would be recalled that the APC wanted the PDP structure collapsed into it in the formation of its party. If PDP is bad, why should the APC want the same people in her party if not battle over supremacy, selfishness greed and quest for position?
It is suggested that what the APC is practicing is “Old wine in a new bottle”. If the rival opposition, PDP is bad, it suggests that, Governor Amaechi, Alhaji Atiku, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya and others were there, and the proposed new wine is null but just a new bottle that has nothing to do with the wine inside. It is only the label that was “change” as it is its slogan.
The lessons to learn from the registration of the APC are numerous and call for possible action to tackle its outcome in the nearest future.
If the APC clamours for change as its slogan is, it means they must do or propound new ideas devoid of violence to lead the people but during the membership drive, it was war all over and struggle for power within the party. What would the fate of its members if at all there is any be?
Another lesson pointing to Nigerians is that, the APC’s spilling blood at registration (such that reportedly took place at Ikwerre LGA) was never a good omen and what would happen in 2015 is unpredictable if registration is such bad.
It also indicates that the APC, could not be a rally point or the rescuer it posits, since in house fight has marred its registration.
In Andoni LGA, the council boss, Orom Nte Ereforokuma was on a parallel divide against the deputy governor, Tele Ikuru. The chairman’s group were known to be the “I believe” group who claimed the deputy did not defect on time with them, hence cannot be its party leader at the LGA.
While, Tele Ikuru upholds to the decisions reached at the APC caucus of using the PDP exco structure, the Ereforokuma’s faction were opposed to the state decision by floating its exco. The chairman, Ereforokuma was not alone but with the APC state interim chairman amongst others.
It is therefore, an indication that the drive for APC membership could possibly be an eye opener in the events ahead of 2015 general polls.
At this point, issue abattoir suggests that Nigerians and indeed the security agencies should be on alert to check activities of the political parties not only in Rivers State but in Nigeria.
However, the check on Rivers should be intensified from now since activities in Rivers has already spun up 2015 to which governance is grounded in the state.
Meanwhile, the APC or whatever should be conscious, respect the sanctity of human beings as God’s creature which no one tampers with. ###
With James Mgboineme
