Political Mathematics: APC – (PMB + VPO) = Zero

There is a widespread belief that all Nigerian political appointees should serve two terms; the first in office, and the second in prison! In recent times perhaps the only two people who have so far managed to escape public condemnation for corrupt practices are President Buhari (PMB), and his Vice President Osibanjo (VPO). This isn’t to say that their administration has been a resounding success, far from it. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is a coalition of strange bedfellows in which former prominent members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are leading lights. It has often been remarked that if PMB and VPO are removed, then the APC has no moral substance to differentiate them from PDP.

This has become more relevant because 2018 is almost here, and as a prelude to the 2019 general elections the political atmosphere is already heating up with the registration of new parties and the formation of a National Interventionist Movement. The slogan of “Change Agenda” which APC used in 2015 won’t be appropriate in 2019 where they can only logically campaign on a manifesto of continuity. The problem is that at the present moment in time there is nothing about governance which the average Nigerian would want to continue. 2017 hasn’t been a year of success for the administration, and in all truthfulness the APC has little time left for solid achievements and can only offer continued hope.

However, trust in the APC administration is at an all-time low, especially taking into consideration revelations by NNPC’s MD claiming that PMB’s Chief of Staff asked them to keep N50 Billion away from the Treasury Single Account (TSA). PMB has not said he will contest for re-election but the prospects of him being a statesman and stepping aside don’t look great. This in spite of the fact that the performance of APC Ministers been well below par, and that the administration’s spokespersons increasingly exhibit self-righteous hypocrisy in face if constructive criticism. For reason best known to themselves APC spokespersons feel they have higher standards and more noble beliefs than the rest of us. They exhibit a false appearance of virtue or goodness while concealing their real character or inclinations by engaging in pretence and sham.

During the last election campaign APC Party officials made several promises which the electorate heard and believed. They promised to make the naira equivalent to a dollar, now they celebrate it falling below 400 to 1! They promised to end budget inflation, now it’s called budget padding. They promised to reduce the price of fuel to N45 per litre, now it stands at N145. They also promised to; increase the minimum wage, feed all public primary school children, revive the refineries and build more, create three million jobs per year, increase power generation, crush Boko Harm within three months, as well as name and shame looters. They also made pledges ranging from confronting ethno-religious violence across the nation to strengthening the anti-corruption war, bringing industries to the Niger Delta, and completion of the second Niger bridge. To the chagrin and disappointment of most Nigerians, only few have been fulfilled.

The Party’s acronym APC is now cynically referred to as All Promises Cancelled! Their most notable broken promise was the pledge to end medical tourism and the treatment of public officials overseas. Two years into their administration rather than getting on with providing innovative solutions, fulfilling the promise of change and publicising their achievements, the APC is still apportioning blame to the PDP. Any time government spokespersons resort to blaming the opposition for their failure to deliver on their mandate and responsibilities, it’s a clear sign that they have accepted that they have outlived their usefulness. While in opposition the APC never restrained itself in its condemnation of government, and it is hypocritical for them to now think that their own opponents should exercise restraint.

Despite the change mantra the terms of engagement between the people and their leaders hasn’t changed. One of the great failings of this administration is lack of tolerance for opposition. Persistent questioning, healthy scepticism and active dissent are integral parts of democracy yet APC spokespersons continuously fail to communicate with integrity, clarity, sensitivity, empathy and intelligence. In order to do so they must adopt a more realistic evaluation of their performance. As 2017 draws to a close we still live in a nation in where our talented people are being wasted at home while they are celebrated abroad. A nation where government still spends billions every year to train people overseas, when there is no work for them to return to at home. A nation where government still lies to the electorate. With reference to telling untruths, in 2016 Lt. General Tukur Buratai presented a flag to PMB as proof of Boko Haram’s defeat. Almost a year later there is a move to withdraw close to $1Bn (360 Billion Naira) from the excess crude account to fight the same war and “finally defeat Boko Haram”. It just doesn’t add up and Government spokespersons have said nothing to give anyone any reason to disbelieve opposition leaders who claim that they money is to be used for electioneering in 2018. There are well recognised traits of self-glorifying leaders and only PMB and VPO don’t exhibit these traits.

The remaining APC leaders tend to exaggerate their mandate to govern, turn the public against the media calling them deceitful, hold very few press conferences at which they can be questioned, blame their economic policy failures on others, refer to anyone who exposes their shenanigans as “enemies”, appoint family members and close friends into high positions, keep their personal finances secret, and implement policies from which some select people are exempted. Although the nation must move forwards and a return to the days of PDP misrule would be a disaster, without PMB and VPO there is nothing to look for in APC.