“You cannot devalue yourself to prosperity” is one of the famous sayings of Bill Clinton, the former US President. “Ęni bá tá ara ilé ę lópó ko le rirá lówón” is another popular saying of the Yorubas from the Western part of Nigeria. The Yoruba saying aptly give credence to the quoted sayings of former President Bill Clinton of the US. If you keep ridiculing a member of your family, your neighbors will never respect you and the person being ridiculed. Even friends and enemies will not respect you and the family member that is being ridiculed.
How do we describe the infightings in the ruling APC government whereby there are different groups within the party all jostling to outdo one another? A case of we versus them and playing a zero sum game of winners take all. Some are aggrieved because they feel having invested their time, energy and resources into the formation and eventual emergence of this government; they are disappointed and now live in penury. Their initial belief was that appointments would compensate for all of their efforts and loyalties but they are constantly reminded by the popular hit song of the Omo Baba Muko Muko , the masked singer, Lagbaja that “Nothing for you”.
The emergence of the ruling party is a conglomeration of some legacy parties that became formidable to oust the former ruling party out of power. This was achieved but without a clear cut agenda as to who does what and who occupies what. The socio-economic problems facing the country could have been managed if only the APC had marshaled their strategies but they basked in the euphoria of winning an election which they were not sure they would win.
In fairness to the APC as a party, they inherited an economy full of challenges, but what did they do? They went partying knowing fully well that there is a huge burden of expectation. At the balling, lots of intrigues arose and different individual and sectional agendas were brought to the open. Ministers took forever to be appointed, they were eventually unmasked as same of the same from the old and known blocs. Nigerians began to wonder why it took so long before they were unveiled.
If you are faced with a problem and the solution seems obscured, try and look at obscured places for solution. When it is a human induced problem, try and check within before you suspect without, especially the one that seems obscured. The “death from the outside cannot come in except it is aided by the one inside”.
Close to two years now, APC as a party is yet to find its footing in governance. Despite its majority outward appearance even in both chambers of the national legislative houses. Why is it finding it difficult to reach resolutions that will usher in peace and progress, using good laws and policies? Things that should be a no-brainer’s in passing will meet ultimate doom as soon as they get to that quarter, thereby frustrating the ruling party and Nigeria.
There is a trending WhatsApp chat laying credence to the infighting going on in the ruling party. It goes thus “Presidency (DSS) fighting Presidency (EFCC), Customs (Ali) fighting Senate, Senate fighting Customs, EFCC fighting Senate, Senate fighting EFCC, Sahara Reporters fighting Dino Melaye, Dino Melaye fighting Sahara Reporters, Aisha Buhari fighting Presidency Cabal, Presidency Cabal fighting Aisha Buhari, El-Rufai Cabal fighting Presidency Cabal, Presidency Cabal fighting El-Rufai. And the fighting and counter fighting go on… But who is fighting HUNGER and SUFFERING that is fighting Nigerians?
A case where there is no metal facing will all of a sudden be requiring grease to lubricate. Policies and programs that requires no debate eventually takes submission and re-submissions and social media wars to dangerously compliment. Why? Where is APC not looking? Nigeria’s economic restructuring will not work until these two faced entities are located and restructured first.
Even PDP too is not left behind. It is internally so destabilized that it has left opposition roles to a few ruling party members to do on their behalf because it is opposing itself and busy accusing the ruling party. Are we agreeing that they are happy all these are going on? To me it seems, the members are neither here nor there, just selfishly for themselves. What a twist of fate!
Perhaps, APC as a party should re-think their strategies. Look within it to see if their interests are patriotically accounted for and watch their backs. Peradventure, the same sets of members can be the oppositions to both the Ruling and Opposition parties at the detriments of the parties and the people of Nigeria via retrogressive moves calculated against leaderships of the party for present and future purposes.
Is it not breath-taking and confusing to find the ruling party not finding its footings at their roles? While they suspect one another, some people are too comfortably careless? Something is wrong somewhere, perhaps there are sets who are not in the party by collective interest but belong there for clandestine moves to actualize their personal ambitions without the party knowing it’s being used.
Why do we experience each time appointments, policies and programs that will benefit Nigerians are always quickly squashed by the Senate? How do they get the quorum? Can we say the Senate is made up of the opposition party?
A word is enough for the wise. APC should watch their backs! There is a mole within. The comfort of a tree is the comfort of a bird. Electioneering is over at least before 2018, we expect you to perform developmental initiatives that will show major improvements in the real sectors.
Not being opposed within yourselves by yourselves.
– Ogunnubi is an Abuja-based public affairs consultant