By Obi Ojage

Continue reading from part one “Governor Ben Ayade Mustn’t Suffer The Fate Of Former GOV. Donald Duke”

Those who had nursed the ambition of running for the Governorship position on the platform of the APC in Cross River State right from inception when they joined the party few years back and a few who came recently with no exception, still insist on running the race which has been their original intentions before the recent decampment of the incumbent Governor, Professor Ben Ayade from the PDP into the fold of the APC.

This they have vowed to do whether or not the party’s present structures on ground are solely the Governor’s in exclusivity against which favoritism abound.

Or the aptness of the chances and likelihood of losing to the opposition PDP by the party in the face of such mindless scramble for succession as they all seems to carelessly. And that’s the indubitable truth.

And in my opinion, this is attributive largely to the initial approach of the Governor on the twilight of his defection where many things were taken for granted against which many scalawags craftily and mesmerizingly took advantage of the situation to grossly misinform him.

And even with such doubtless scenarios, the men on the saddle are doing everything humanly possible behind the scene, engaging with their footsoldiers, confidants and financiers to see to that realisation. To ignore this calibre of persons who are highly determined with an importunate stands without the incumbent governor of the state adequately addressing their grievances would be quite injurious to the All Progressive Congress at this time.

Whomsoever the cap fits, let him wear it. That should be the slogan thenceforth, regardless of who that son of man maybe, provided he has what it takes to rumble.

This is not something that the newly inaugurated state executive committee of the party will be able to handle diligently in my humble opinion. However, they claim they would, as majority of them are from the opposition PDP who barely and only crossed over recently with the Governor into a party in which their accommodation is still being viewed with suspicion and skepticism.

A lot of members still question their sincerity and do tolerate them as strange bed fellows regardless of the various high party positions they now occupy in the state APC and considering the method and circumstances through which they emerged and their composition thereto. The stakeholders or those involved would be naturally adversed to their judgement but for the Governor.

They lack the reach, political clout and structural balance even as they are not well equipped with the right information concerning the individual persons who have held forth in the party to adequately carry out such huge task of selecting one in case of a consensus arrangement at this juncture and against the calibre of persons involved in the contest, who are fully entrenched in their indulgences without a misjudgment that would elicit and compound an already dicey situation, rather than to heal the wounds, it will inflamed the hatchetary in a situation where the entire matter has become that of a do or die. Hear them: “Whether you like it or not, we’re in charge”.

The various aspirants may out worthily accept the vernal decisions of the newly inaugurated state executive members who are being empowered to function thus as enshrined in the party’s rules.

That is expected and the contestants must abide by their verdict. And who themselves in the course of the events would usually make verbal pronouncements and expect to placate the aspirants to comply as they pursue their huge dreams of presiding over the affairs of the state on whose platform the successor of the current governor would emerge.

Conversely, the various contestants, especially the losers, may claim that the committee members were partial and biased and had come in with a fixated mind in favour of their paymaster and not based on who won the primary election or the rightful person capable of winning the major election against the opponent, the opposing party.

Such a situation may further compound an already incomprehensible analogue arrangement which is prevalent within the party in the state and similar to that which rages on at the National level of the party in Abuja where persons of note and those thought to be honourable and credible unfortunately are seen holding the party to ransom by projecting their individual positions without letting go or allowing for compromises as it should. It is indeed, a worrisome scenario for a ruling party that we are.

It seems to be getting to a near miserable situation at Abuja presently in which the only option open to the party, favourably, is to throw its hope on the current President whom everyone at the party hierarchy is expecting would have to be the one to graciously give directives on who to fly the party’s flag.

It has climaxed into that ridiculous state to so imagine that we as the ruling party that should show example for others to follow would now be dancing in the sun.

One, therefore, wonders what it would look like when the incumbent President, General Mohammadu Buhari exits at the end of his glorious tenure in a little over a year’s time?

Chances are that there might be an implosion capable of ripping the party apart if things are not well managed now across board while there is still a General Buhari who is often being scapegoated as a coverup for the inordinate actions of a few outlaws.

The next thing you may find in such a scenario is either members would deploy the use of anti-party activities to vent their anger or outright decamping from the party by those aggrieved with their followers intact to other political parties where they can realize their ambitions without let or hindrance.

Alternatively, except the party would decide as in our case here in Cross River to throw open the contest for direct primaries as the final solution to select the candidate where both old and new members would file behind the aspirant of their choice amongst those contesting to choose one as a candidate to fly the party’s flag in the case of governorship where consensus fails.

The reasons why I had chosen not to dabble into the issue of zoning within the state in view of its merits or demerits, are legion. For me, on a personal note, it is a moral issue that requires the application of conscience, introspection, circumspection and not that of force or the insistence of a particular tribe, section of the society, state, governor or the party to decide.

That, to me, would make no difference as it may end up forcing the aggrieved or the unfavoured members to go underground or decide to be engaged in anti-party activities, particularly given that we are in a democracy where what determines the overall decision to prevail in a given contest are the people. Whether it is during voting or through legislation which also would be coming from the representatives of the same people, the final arbiter of power in any democracy are the people.

Otherwise, the other factor open to conjecture could be that of expediency of the particular issue in contention, which maybe tilted towards an exceptional case reasoned out and thrown up by those in authority to direct, such as an incumbent Governor in a party as APC would want to do in our case in Cross River, an agreeably so; to ennoble progress, enhanced by certain legitimacy flaunted and incubated within those agitations in which its strength and suitability are based on the merits which are inherent in the character involved and not purely on whose turn and section it is to produce a leader in such circumstance.

A benefit of doubt in such situation could be given to a Governor; like in our case in Cross River whom, it will now behoove in the diceyness of the situation to chose amongst those hankering to succeed him on their individual merits, one who is capable of winning the election proper in the case of a contest against the opposition regardless of the popular opinion within the party by members based on certain sentiments or on their alienable rights as it were.

This is particularly so because the presidency or in our particular case the Governor, has no powers or may not in anyway or section in democracy be allowed to exercise the powers to stop those who would have the money, feel qualified and are determined to run for such office from buying the party forms or giving them legitimacy to do so. That would amount to a dictatorship in a democracy and that is an unacceptable aberration that is quite unthinkable the world over. And if there are dissenting voices, the party painfully loses the election due to internal conflicts and panic of succession.

So, the issue now boils down to that of personal conscience, morality and expediency and would require the unabashed understanding of the critical stakeholders, especially those who are still bent on taking part in the election against the zoning preferences of the party.

Whether or not they would be voted for by the people under such circumstances is invariably dependent on those saddled with the sole responsibility of choosing the candidate they prefer. And, this remains a cardinal principle of democracy over which no one man has the monopoly.

This brings us to the reasons why there is the need for us to tread softly and take time to handle these issues, especially in the state APC such that everybody would be seen to have condescended to the verdicts, decisions and pronouncements of the Governor, which are obviously in line with the prevailing zoning arrangement hitherto been observed in the state going by its tradition which he has insisted must be upheld thenceforth in the APC family.

This is expedient, especially in this particular case where the old members who have nursed such ambitions for which they have made gargantuan sacrifices to keep the party afloat on whose platform they’d hoped to realize their dreams which are convolved considering their individual expenditures, are those to pacify.

They’re supposed to be persuaded insistently by the Governor to renege or drop their earlier decision and join hands with who maybe chosen eventually to enable the party make progress.

It is important so as to see to the success of the party in the upcoming elections. I have no doubt that the party’s success should be a unifying factor for all of us at this evidently critical period of our political inclusiveness.

Besides, the new state executives of the party do not yet have the right information concerning those canvassing to be governor on its platform amongst the old members who are widely accepted by a higher percentage of party members in view of their past individual commitments to the party over time and their overall acceptability by party members across the length and breadth of the state since both the state chairman and Secretary are barely few months old in the party and may not have all these facts to aggregate them for a better judgement based on equity and fair play and to ascertain whether or not, the mandate being given in the case of consensus is rightly merited by whom it is given.

All of that becomes imperative as it is from the commitment of the party membership and endorsement of a particular candidate from the primary elections that would determine ultimately how the public would perceive or eventually vote for such a candidate. I do hope I am making sense here?Otherwise, I seek advice or whosoever is concern should graciously send their concerns on this matter directly to the Governor in alternative.

This is in line with the obvious consideration that the peace and eventual success of our great party during the forth coming election or to retain power beyond now is our joint responsibility as members of the APC to strive for.

Incumbency shouldn’t be a liability to us but an advantage that can be exploited for the overall good of the party and its teeming members and supporters alike.

INTERREGNUM

PLEASE, do not forget to speak to any of the blocs you’re close to or that to which you belong within the party hierarchy in Abuja, by urging them to graciously consider me as the best man for the office of the National Publicity Secretary of our great party on merit from the South-South zone, in the forthcoming National Convention of the party slated, hopefully, for the 26th of this month, the Lord willing. I have nobody to talk on my behalf up there but you. Yes, you! I am speaking to you sir/ma. Take a chance on me.

I am a tested and trusted product with many years of experience in political engineering, propaganda and partisan politics as well as its intrigues.

Presently, I have something to showcase and this includes my thankless contributions in the areas where I have comparative advantage as I have ably publicized our activities in stout defence of the leader of our great party as well as President Mohammadu Buhari. If the party truly rewards loyalty and ferventness.

The party does not need a concealed lunatic usually who functions as a barking dog or whatever to be solely engaged in attacking everything in sight true to its nature. That era is gone in our body polity and there is no room for it nowadays.

I am referring to the type of attitude usually exhibited by the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode or anybody in that mould, as spokesperson where insolence is often considered as part of politics when in reality, it is a direct product of those who are suffering from mental myopia and insanity coinciding with the dark age politics played then by the PDP where anything goes. It is beastliness which is being encouraged only in a Shithole society by an immoralist.

That era should have been gone for good. A kettle cannot be seen calling a pot black except something is wrong somewhere or the truth is being concealed.

I would do much more in the positive as the party’s spokesperson if I am given the opportunity to man such office and my integrity will remain undiminished. I sincerely count on your trust.

“End Time Message!

GOD WITH US……

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