The APC National Convention must not be another Bazaar

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By Adamu Abdullahi

 

A lot have been said about the last PDP convention that it was a dollar rain .

Sadly, this sort of occurrence was one of the excuses used by the Military Government in cancelling the outcome of the NRC and SDP conventions in 1991.

While such an extreme measure will not be possible under a democratic government, it is expedient that the APC convention must be prevented from being another dollar rain.

Peter Obi did quit the PDP under the excuse that the build up to the convention has been seriously monetized, something we have repeatedly condemned on this page.

My very good friend, Pius Anyim, former Senate President could not hide his frustration that the voting did not reflect the current issues germane to the nation.

He must have felt disappointed that even the South East delegates whose leaders have spoken so much about the need for a President of South East extraction did not vote in record number for any of the aspirants from the region.

This is because of the 95 votes from the South East, only 15 votes went to aspirants from the region.

Meanwhile, I am not by any means blaming South East delegates for not been provincial in their political outlook.

The point is that our party, the APC has a higher responsibility not to allow its Presidential Primaries to become a trading platform for the highest bidder.

Reason is that it is the party of the sitting President that a lot is expected from in terms of direction and leadership.

Aside this, the Government still has a lot of leverage and a lot of political enforcement mechanisms beyond money.

More importantly, national interest is what should guide the choice of the APC and some of the urgent national imperative will include:

– Shortlisting a candidate that will heal the wounds of division in the country and finding also a Vice President that will compliment him/her in this national objective.

If such candidate does not exist amongst those who have purchased forms, one should be drafted.

The Political parties as I have argued have until August 25th 2022 to put in their nomination for the 2023 Presidential election. That is the provision of Section 29.1 of Electoral Act 2022. No matter the hue and cry of anyone, that is the law.

In any case, political party primaries have always been held between November and January of every election year, not in May or June since 1999.

I know some will shout blue murder that INEC should not allow this, but under section 222 of the Constitution, INEC has no powers to interfere in when and how parties conduct their internal affairs (Primaries inclusive).

The Constitution allows only party Constitution to regulate their internal affairs not any so called INEC guideline.

Politcal parties are constitutionally recognised institutions and the only area in their affairs where INEC is permitted to interfere in their affairs is seeking to collect their audited accounts through her Auditors and the body is expected to forward same to the National Assemby.

Even the National Assembly and the courts have limited scope for interventions in party affairs .

The Constitution restricts this purely to when there are criminal infractions, this is provided for in Section 223.

That the PDP made a mess of itself by rushing into its Primaries does not mean that the APC and other political parties must do so.

The Party’s Screening Committee must be serious about the exercise of screening. The EFCC must be ready to follow large movement of illicit cash for politics and seize where necessary, laundered funds in circulation and prosecute offenders.

I will like to repeat that the question of nomination of flag bearers are exclusive matters for parties and party priorities and national interest are the highest imperative and nothing else.

In 1979, President Shehu
Shagari was initially a senatorial aspirant who was drafted into the Presidential race and went ahead to win.

On the political turf then, there were many money bags who were nicely told to back off because Nigeria’s Presidency was not for sale.

People usually find it easier to buy nomination for lower offices but it is not so for Presidency.

Our country is neither a commodity to be traded, nor a property to be auctioned and sold to the highest bidder.

Nigeria Presidency has never been for sale, it should not be for sale now.

The PDP has demonstrated that it has learnt nothing, but as a party, the APC cannot follow her inglorious example.

The next President of Nigeria must not be a Mafiaso leader.

Our President must not be a gangster!

Hon. Adamu M. Abdullahi
Director General Nura Manu Digital unit

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