THE crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) can be described as a storm in a teacup, a passing phase. The Guardian, in its front- page news-story, used the words ‘Civil War’ – July 2, 2015. Such development is characteristic of every human organisation. There is, invariably, the innate tendency of behaving like men of flesh. So, there cannot be politics, without the admixture of crises.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is a human organisation. It is not peculiar to the APC alone. Pages of history are replete with the same acrimony. In the early 1970s, British Labour Party had it. The United States of America passed through the debacle. Before the Fifth French Republic and after, France experienced the same. In Nigeria, the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) frequently had crises. Senior citizens can attest to it that Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe were often at loggerheads.
Political observers of the 1950s can remember Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe’s incendiary statement to his leader, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe : “I am an Iwe and you are an Iwe, but my own Iwe is stronger than your own Iwe”. In Igbo Iwe means “Anger”. The Action Group was more peaceful, but when the only notable crisis came, it was devastating to the leadership between the late Chiefs Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Ladoke Akintola. The Action Group crisis of 1962 rocked this country to its very foundation. Again, in 1962, the late Chief Tony Enahoro characteristically prophesied on the hallowed floor of the nation’s Parliament: “We are starting a chain of events, the end of which nobody knows”.
In all the aforementioned countries where political parties were ravaged by polemics leading to national turmoil, they (the countries) survived to become stronger; the traumatised parties also endured. With the benefit of hindsight, I am inclined to reason that the intra-party wrangling shall strengthen the APC.
First, the feuding personalities must have learnt their lessons in patriotism as distinct from self-love or self-interest. Rome began to fall with the decline in their patriotism. Our leaders’ interests must be altruistic. The physical demonstration on the floor of the National Assembly is a display of their animal side. Why not copy positive sides of the U.S., if we copy their Constitution?
This country is yet to be a nation; nationhood is attained when leaders are politically mature. Allied with patriotism is the supremacy of the Constitution. It is apposite to inquire if the “warring” blocs in the APC and the “scrimmaging” members of the National Assembly are basing their respective claims on the 1999 Constitution (as amended). In my opinion, respect must be accorded to the Constitution. Is the APC leadership acting constitutionally? Are the elected Honourable Members honourable in their claims by following the Constitution? Can anybody vouch for the prudence in just creating sinecure offices for some members to feed? On any issue, we should ask: “What does the Constitution say?”
Examined critically, there is element of greed discernible in the appointments. I am reliably informed: “Out of the foremost five positions in Nigeria, the South has only one slot, the Vice President. The President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of the Federation, are from the North. Also, of the APC choices in each of the Upper and the Lower Houses, namely, Majority Leader, Chief Whip and their Deputies, three are from the North, only one is from the South”. Is the All Progressives Congress (APC) exclusive to the North? This was the mistake of the party’s leadership. Before now, appointments must be discussed and agreed upon, along with the respective areas of allotments. There must be equitable allocation of offices and portfolios; allocation must not preponderate on one side.
In party politics, a fundamental plank is the loyalty of the members to the political party and its leadership. This principle is yet to be embraced by our politicians; it is one of the difficulties facing democracy in Nigeria. The crises in the NCNC and the Action Group arose from disloyalty to the leadership and the parties. Government is by party. No party could hope to gain power without subscribing to these objectives. Therefore, members must be loyal to their party. The argument that there must not be interference in parliamentary affairs by outsiders is untenable. If the parliamentarians are elected on the platform of a party, they must obey the directives of the political party; otherwise, the Government may default in its policies.
Associated with party supremacy is party discipline, to deter anti-party activities, like the goings on in the APC. Party leadership, collectively, must evolve how to discipline erring members. Wheat must be sorted out from the chaff. This task is incumbent upon the Party Elders. In politics, men are divided into two – the liberals in outlook anxious to effect changes; and the conservatives by nature desiring to preserve continuity. This is why party loyalty comes in to align both elements. However, this is not saying that a party leader must be autocratic and dictatorial.
In the days of the Action Group (AG) and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his associates would deliberate on every issue, taking turns to speak at meetings to permit healthy debates among his associates. Democracy began within the party. Every member’s name is recorded with his suggestions. The leader would be the last to speak, pointing out the merits and demerits in every member’s opinions. He would not force his decisions on the associates for acceptance.
The final decision was the collective responsibility of all. But what do we find today in our party system? Invariably, a party leader is dictatorial and autocratic in utterances and behaviour. Who can claim the ownership of British Conservative, Liberal and Labour parties or the U.S. Republican and Democrats? Once a political party is formed, its ownership is national and universal. I am not advocating that a political leader must be a person with the feminine mien of a pussycat. My standpoint is that there must be democracy tinged with discipline, so as to build political parties that can stand the test of time.
• Oshisada, a veteran journalist, wrote from Ikorodu, Lagos.
