ODIGIE-OYEGUN’S SCORECARD AND THE TASK AHEAD

Tijani Abdullahi Markafi urges reform in party discipline and organisation

As the national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) meets in Abuja October 30-31, 2017, top on the agenda will be the need for urgent reforms in the area of party discipline, finance and organisation. Also, the party will need to agree on effective reward system for party stakeholders on account of being members of the party in government.

During the 2015 elections, Nigerians – young and old – who voted en masse for APC were certain that President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership would save the country from the throes of the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In fairness to the new administration, it addressed itself to the onerous task of rebuilding the country and delivering on election promises which were largely hinged on curbing corruption, restoring the economy and security of the nation.

However, there are different perspectives on the extent to which it has successfully tackled these challenges. While spokespersons for the government are beating their chest how successfully interventions have positively affected the situation, opposing elements are unimpressed. As in this kind of situation, the truth lies between the two extremes. But what is not in doubt is that, in addition to plugging government revenue leakages, the administration has made significant progress in repairing the nation’s battered image through its fight against corruption and insurgency. It has also scored high on rehabilita- tion and reconstruction of the insurgency-ravaged North East.

In addition, the environment for free speech has remained unfettered, an area in which the Buhari administration has not been given enough credit.

Despite clinching the presidential and 24 governorship elections, while maintaining majority in the National Assembly, APC, led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has not thrown its weight around in the manner of Third World dictatorships. It has relished defections in the last two and half years from geo-political zones, such as the South South and South East where the APC was not strong in the past.

While there have been tensions in the party, it must be conceded that APC was formed by a collection of vibrant opposition parties who bought into the objective of upstaging an entrenched political party (PDP) which boasted to rule for the next 60 years. It would be naïve to expect such tendencies to disappear overnight and drop their respective interests. For isn’t politics the struggle for relevance, power and interests, however disguised?

PDP has never claimed to be the cohesive assemblage of politician. However, this did not prevent it from holding on to power for all of 16 years! Even in the most sophisticated democratic system, you will always find in-fighting, unwillingness of some powerful interests in the party to toe party lines on even the most delicate issues. There will always be persons who are unwilling to subjugate their individual political ambitions to party preferences. Top party chieftains will always complain – personally and through proxies – of being sidelined in party affairs. As show of frustration, top party chieftains, aggrieved over party positions/decisions, will always sulk or withdraw from party activities.

Thus, the coup in the National Assembly elections; the protest votes in the Osun West Senatorial by-election; the staying away from party activities by powerful members from some parts of the country; and withdrawal of financial support to the running of the party at the national level are to be expected.

So are the persistent calls by disgruntled members of the party who have lost out in the internal politics of the party for the ouster of the national APC leadership. However, as its leaders converge on Abuja the national caucus and NEC meetings, they need to reflect on whether the removal of say the national chairman will necessarily end the upheaval. Won’t amendments to the party’s constitution to do with discipline and finance offer better prospects for harmony in the party in the end?

In any case, has the APC-led government given the APC National Chairman due courtesy in governance? Indeed, party leaders need to engage the government on the following issues: Greater inputs of the APC national leadership into appointments into political positions in government and distribution of political patronage to strengthen party loyalty and motivation of party faithful; the need for increase in the pace at which persons whose political loyalty is not to APC are removed from political offices to create room for APC members. There is need for an urgent review of all appointments made by the immediate past administration, with a view to making sure that all appointees understand and work in line with the APC’s change agenda.

These are more likely to lead to better functioning of the party’s national leadership and ultimately rob off on the lower chapters than divisive personnel changes. Even in the face of mudslinging, blackmail and baseless allegations directed at him, the APC national chairman’s goal of providing leadership and ensuring a focused, united, strong APC is unwavering. Chief Odigie-Oyegun has successfully balanced the interests of the powerful blocs within the APC.

Perhaps if the PDP had such cool-headed leadership, it would not have been brought to its present knees.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) under his leadership embarked on very successful consultative meetings with APC governors and the party’s National Assembly caucus. The consultations have resulted in very positive outcomes, amongst which the resolution of the legislative-executive impasse that led to the passage of the 2017 national budget. There is now a monthly meeting between the party’s NWC, governors and the leadership of the National Assembly. Resolutions from these meetings resulted in the inauguration of the party’s committee on restructuring, addressed some financial issues within the party and aided ongoing reconciliation efforts in the party. Markafi, an APC Chieftain, wrote from Abuja