APGA’S CRISIS AND VILE POLITICAL CULTURE

Apolitical party is a vehicle by which politicians access political power. And, globally, we have different types of political party systems, such as one party system, two-party system, multi-party system, and others. A political party may be founded on socialist and welfarist ideologies. For example, in the first republic, the Action Group executed policies for the betterment of the people, which were in consonance with the party’s socialist manifesto. But since the formation of NNDP in 1922, which is Nigeria’s first political party, our political culture as well as party system has been evolving for the worse.

In the first republic, the political parties jostling for power at the center were not truly nationalistic in outlook. Action Group was to the Yoruba what the Northern People’s Congress was to the north. And the NCNC was believed to be an Igbo people’s political party. It is an indisputable fact that forming political parties based on ethnic and religious considerations can undermine national cohesion and unity. The Nigeria-Biafra war, which hindered our national development, was partly caused by the existence of regional cum ethnic-based political parties in the country, then.

In the second republic, the dominant political party, NPN, was truly nationalistic in outlook and orientation, although it was dominated by members of the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy. And UPN, which was a reincarnation of the Action Group, was led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. More so, the Zik of Africa, Nnamdi Azikiwe , contested the 1979 presidential election on the platform of NPP, an Igbo political party. And, we had PRP with its socialist leanings. But the second republic came to an end when the beret-wearing Jackboots and Brass hats sacked Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s civilian government via a military coup. Consequently, Muhammadu Buhari became our military head of state

Some two years later, he was overthrown in a palace coup by General Ibrahim Babangida. It’s Ibrahim Babangida, who introduced two-party system in Nigeria with the creation of SDP and NRC in the third republic, which was still-born. The SDP was leaning to the left; and the NRC to the right. However, Babangida’s unjustified cancellation of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election put paid to MKO Abiola’s dream of becoming the President of Nigeria, caused the end of the third republic, and threw Nigeria into a political cauldron. Thankfully, Nigeria was pulled back from the brink by divine intervention.

Happily, today, Nigeria has been enjoying unbroken democratic governance for 19 years with the PDP chalking up 16 years of our current political experiment. Until APC became the ruling party in Nigeria in 2015, PDP was an exemplification of an egregious variant and manner of politicking. The culture of imposition of leaders on the people, bastardization and commercialization of democratic processes, absence of internal democracy, rigging of election, and others characterized the political party. Then, in Anambra State, it was characteristic of the PDP to have two political candidates contesting for the same elective post in an election. But today its members are working assiduously and tirelessly to shorn and rid it of those excesses and negative attributes.

PDP had been voted out of power. However, the ruling APC has not fared any better. Although, it has been making pretensions to being a progressive party, its conduct of primary elections ahead of the 2019 general election at different levels nationwide has proved otherwise. The fact is that APC is afflicted with the same malaise troubling other political parties in Nigeria. It claims that it is an agent of positive change and governance has been punctured and repudiated by President Buhari’s political maladministration of Nigeria. So, as Nigerians have become disenchanted with it, top members of the party have defected to PDP. So, is APC’s implosion not imminent?

But, now, sadly, APGA, a regional political party, is in the same boat and circumstances as APC. Save for the brief period PDP ruled Anambra State, APGA has been dominating the politics and governance of the state for a long time. It’s the platform from which Mr. Peter Obi ascended to the political throne. And he ruled Anambra for eight years with resounding success and legacies. Based on his exemplary and productive governance of the state, many politicians defected to APGA. Now, a politician’s vying for political office on the platform of APGA is a guarantee of success in an election. That’s why it is the political party to beat in the state.

And Governor Willie Obiano’s brand of politics and laudable achievements in the areas of security and agriculture has made the citizens of the state become enamoured of APGA, too.

Sadly, the party started its descent to chaos and infamy when it is trying to break out of the cocoon of ethnicity and extend its dominance of political space outside Anambra State.

APGA is more than a political party. Like Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, it is a symbol of the Igbo people’s oneness and unity. And it is a tool with which we can negotiate our place in Nigeria’s scheme of things. Chekwas Okorie, the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu , and others who formed the party never envisaged that it would face rupture owing to personality clashes, selfish interests, and lack of internal democracy existing in the political party.

But, things came to a head with the attempted impeachment of speaker Rita Maduagwu. The state legislative assembly, which has two speakers now, became a theatre of war last week owing to the impeachment problem. Why should Anambra State regress to the dark era of its politics?

The things that predisposed APGA to experience internal rumbling are existing in other political parties in Nigeria .But what is happening in the APGA bodes ill for Anambra and Nigeria.

––Chiedu Uche Okoye, Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State.