The bed rock of All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto is JUSTICE,PEACE,AND UNITY as its motto and settle for “change” as its slogan. Taken this as its hallmark of progress in Nigerian constitution. National security (including conflict resolution,National unity, social harmony), job creation and the economy, Agriculture and food security, industrialization, infrastructure, oil and Gas industry, Education, Health care, Senior Citizens, women empowerment, Environment and Foreign policy.
The adoption of the Party Logo is no doubt a party founded in the basis of Unity in all ramifications. The bounded broom signifies that a single strand of broom cannot stand,do anything substantial on it own unless when much of it is tie together can achieve a common goal(s) (sweep). Like the common African adage that says a single broom cannot sweep a compound,so it is with the ideology of the ruling party, were it is commonly said ”the more,the merrier” and better for progress.
Taking Adamawa state as a case study, since the inception of the party in the State,it has being from one political squabbles within the party system to another. In recent times the Party patriarch in the state cannot resolve to have a consensus or a well seen rancour free primaries candidates at the gubernatorial and other elective positions of the Party all because the unity of the party is in a illusionary existence.
Party Stalwarts like Murtala Nyako,Former SGF David Babachir Lawal,Marcus Gundiri,Nuhu Ribadu,Halilu Modi (Younger Brother to Mrs Buhari), Buba Marwa, Sen Moallayidi Aliyu and Sen Abdulaziz Nyako( Before his defection to ADC) were all fighting arrows to the sitting Governor of the state, Sen Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindo,they were neck bend to force him out of office and never to contest the coming 2019 elections all because of what many are seeing as ”sheer selfish interest ”
The State became a political fighting hot zone of the country with the believe that the first Lady is working toes and nails to replace Jibrilla with her younger brother, Modi who vehemently contested against Bindo at the last gubernatorial primaries of the party.
Concern and poignant questions are always arising up to why should the party derailed from its fundamental manifesto, the public declaration has convinced millions of people in the country to support a party whose salvation mandate is to wipe the tears of the people against disturbing issues like the Boko Haram insurgents and the fallen economy status of the country.
In the party’s manifesto where it is enshrined the establishment of a Conflict Resolution Commission to help prevent, mitigate and resolve civil conflicts within the polity in all the States the party flag up its mantle of leadership. But this can be seen far fetch reality of the statement of the fact,it is not measuring up to the standard of uniting its members when there is differences of political views.
The party also position itself as a peace and unifying agent in the its manifesto by bringing permanent peace and solution to the Niger Delta and other conflict prone areas such as plateau,Taraba,Bauchi,Adamawa,Borno and Abia in order to engender national unity and social harmony. APC manifesto further stated that it will initiate policies to ensure that Nigerians are free to live and work in any part of the country by removing state of origin ,tribe ,ethnic and religious affiliations. Confuse as I’m, the truth still remains the truth not much of such is taken place.
Good as the stated manifesto can be but the three and half-year of the party’s existence as the ruling party in the country will seems to have a manifesto with the sound of illusive reality.
Same party, same political ideology and believe are fighting the Gov of the state who is world known working hard in doing what the party promised Nigerians at the state level. Sen Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindo has always being focused to tell Adamawa people who APC is the only Party that can fulfill promises made.
The mirage unity of the party is much glaring upon the recent appointment and pronouncement of Nuhu Ribadu as the Director of Field Operation of Presidential Campaign Council of Buhari/Osibanjo, said Buhari would get double of what he got in 2015 in Adamawa.
In his words Ribadu said:”Adamawa is 100 per cent for Buhari; we will make sure Buhari is re-elected, because he deserved it. “Let’s help Buhari so that he can continue to work for Nigeria,”
“If Buhari won Adamawa by over 600,000 votes in 2015, by the grace of God we are going to give him over one million votes in 2019.”
He listed series of Federal government projects completed and ongoing in Adamawa, adding that the only way to reciprocate that was to vote Buhari again, massively.
“Under Buhari abled leadership, this country’s foreign reserves has risen to about 45 billion dollars.”
Analysing the Ribadu’s strong views to affirmed his total commitment in making sure President Muhammadu Buhari is massively vote in few months to come elections,is suggesting that all APC Governors are left at the mercy of the masses to win the election not in the unity of the party to bring all candidate on board. In Adamawa party disunity at state level is prevailing as Gov Bindo is not in the agenda of those canvassing support for Buhari.
Evidently the “Sak” mantra of change is dead,if party patriarch are no longer working in tendons with aliases of other candidates to bring larger successes of the party. Ribadu while addressing journalists in Yola hinted that his political campaign structure will only work for Buhari not Bindo.
If the same party begin to have aggressive parallel campaign for Presidential and Governorship in the same state like Adamawa,question will begin to emerge,asking wether Bindow’s campaign directorate under the leadership of Chief Felix Tangwami are not part of the APC family. And will Ribadu structure going to support his reelection bid as it is spelled out in the APC constitution? Do the Former EFCC czar is having the political muzzles to Deliver Buhari as he claimed considering Atiku Abubakar,an indigenes of the state, a strong contender candidate of the PDP,the strongest opposition party from Adamawa state?
Concern question of Who are holding the party to ransom that can not sit down to figure out this lapses? Is the Almighty Adam Oshiomole who brag of controlling the party to an enviable stage is no longer leading well? Why are things fallen apart for the ruling party without anybody chiding and correcting the ills taken place in the party? Is APC leadership under a cage? Or is it under a spell? Who is doing this to this great party?
Common! concern APC loyalists,lets speak out before this party of promising future be destroyed because is lacking internal democracy. If we keep mute, I tell you APC is most likely going to fail at the presidential polls if the Ribadu structure of campaign for Buhari is not fuse with the Bindo led campaign directorates that’s having the grass-roots connections. Take it or leave it Bindo is having the 99% chances of winning the elections in Adamawa than Buhari under the Ribadu’s structure presidential campaign.
Knowing the political campaign for Bindo right from inception, he warned every of supporters and loyalists to work for APC from top to bottom, in order way he redefined the mantra of “sak” as APC for continuity. But then the national level of the Party cannot see wisdom in working together as a team to support all candidates of their respected Party to win the elections?
I can see the broom is losing strength, the broom is not united, the once sweeping broom is indeed breaking up it might not sweep well again,if it cannot unite at this point that bells of elections are ringing by the corner for leaders to emerge the president is not spared of losing in Adamawa state. To get the scores he got in the last 2015 elections is a hard probability to solve or gamble that cannot be considered for a winning.
What I’m saying in strong believe without Bindo campaign structure, Buhari is losing in Adamawa state,and without Buhari campaign structure,Bindo is winning the gubernatorial seat of Adamawa state.
The opted advice is that let the Party go back to the basis of why it’s formed, a visit to the originality of the party’s manifesto,adhering to its creeds and ethics will make the Party strong and more united. As a matter of urgency the Nuhu Ribadu campaign structure for Buhari should form a coercion or collapse into the Bindo’s campaign directorates for the two candidates to have a triumphant success in the 2019 elections.
Winning or if else…. Then Buhari will lose in Adamawa state while Bindo will be sworn in for the second term as a Governor.
Tom Garba
Opinion writer
From Adamawa state
