By Ebere Uzoukwa
When the All Progressives Congress, APC, which my former boss and
incumbent governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, outstandingly
played significant roles to consummate was legally recognized as a
political party by the Independent Electoral Commission( INEC), many
Nigerians including Ndigbo rekindled their optimism for a new Nigeria
hoping to witness the transformation championed by the new party. Many
political watchers upheld a certain conclusion that APC would ultimately
translate to a credible platform with vast opportunities that would among
other things end the political domination of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP.
Okorocha’s participation was seemingly driven by his concern and appetite
to secure a better political platform for Ndigbo outside the PDP. The
governor has consistently attributed the dwindling political fortune of
the south east zone and relegation of Ndigbo to the background to what he
described as anti-Igbo posture of the PDP.
Probably for this reason, the governor has not hidden his disdain for PDP
for denying Ndigbo five exalted positions in the leadership hierarchy of
the country. The five positions listed by Okorocha are President, Vice
President, Senate President, Speaker of Federal House of Representatives
and Chairman of the party. The truth, however, remains that none of these
positions is presently occupied by an Igboman.
This seemingly lopsidedness and marginalization allegedly meted out to
Ndigbo by the PDP-led federal government however formed a strong political
propaganda and leverage Okorocha needed to mobilize Ndigbo for APC . While
dismissing with a wave of hand the possibility of actualizing Igbo
presidency under the PDP, the rescue mission governor who promised to do
only one term and continue his presidential race in 2015, argues that the
age-long project must be realized under the newly formed APC. Okorocha
later modified his 2015 presidential forecast for Ndigbo by promulgating a
permutation that awarded either the president or vice to Ndigbo and a
consolation of senate president or speaker of Federal House of
Representatives. The fact remains that Okorocha’s motive for Ndigbo
vis-a-vis his APC sojourn are well-intended and unquestionable.
However, recent developments and happenings in APC are gradually pitching
the governor against Ndigbo. Okorocha seems to be on his own as the former
governor of Lagos state, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his political ally and
former military head of state, Gen. Muhammad Buhari have risen to prove to
Nigerians that APC belongs to them. These self-appointed national leaders
of APC have clandestinely initiated selfishly-driven moves to promote and
actualize their personal political ambition at the detriment Okorocha,
Ndigbo and Christians. Okorocha’s 2015 projections and aspirations for
Ndigbo under APC have started hitting the rock.
The Muhammadu Buhari/Bola Tinubu ticket for 2015 reportedly mull by APC
and the ongoing intrigues to return either return the interim national
chairman, Chief Bisi Akande or national vice chairman south south, Chief
Tom Ikimi, as the national chairman will completely make nonsense of
Okorocha and his crusade for a better political placement for Ndigbo under
APC. Again, the proposed muslim/muslim presidential ticket will on the
other hand give credence to the allegation that APC was consummated a
Muslim party and structured to actualize the political agenda of the north
and south west at the detriment of the south east and south south.
Promoters of Muhammadu Buhari/Bola Tinubu ticket strongly believe that APC
will win the presidency by consolidating on its areas of strength-the
north and south west. They probably do not see anyone commanding votes in
the south of Nigeria like Tinubu. They believe that the likes of Rotimi
Amaechi and Rochas Okorocha with the loud noise so far made for APC
cannot deliver electoral dividends that will garner substantial votes for
the party. They prefer not to dissipate much energy and resources in south
east and south south on conclusion that the zones are predominately PDP
stronghold. The decision to field both men is also fueled by the massive
votes, which the pairing of duo could garner for the party during the
election from north and south west.
APC is reportedly â€banking on an estimated 44,848,911 registered voters
(in the north west, north east and southwest) who accounted for 61 per
cent of total registered voters of 73,528,040 in the 2011 election.
“This is in contrast to the 27,735,678 registered voters in the
north-central, south east and south south zone combined, who accounted for
39 per cent of total registered voters in the 2011 election. APC’s
strategists are also confident that with Tinubu as Buhari’s running
mate, the pair will be able to secure the bulk of the 2,941,214 votes cast
for Jonathan in the South-west and Edo State in 2011. With Buhari and
Tinubu as presidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively, the
party aims at securing the core north and south west, which are the most
populous sections of the country which can guarantee at least 50 per cent
of the total votes in the country during the presidential election’.â€
Further investigation also revealed that APC believes that muslim/muslim
ticket will largely address the insurgency in the north-east as well as
earn them the support of the deadly boko haram. The tendency of giving
credence to the accusations by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
that APC is a Muslim party and sponsors of boko haram does not count so
far as promoters of the ticket are concerned.
The recent alarm raised by loud-mouthed Femi Fani-Kayode confirms that
Buhari and Tinubu had muted this idea long time before now. He said: “I
have said it privately in countless political meetings and I will say it
publicly today; please mark it, the biggest mistake that my party, the
APC, can make is to field a muslim/muslim ticket in the 2015 Presidential
election.
“If we do that we will not only offend the Christian community but we
will also lose the election woefully. This is not 1993 and whether we
like it or not we must accept the fact that religion plays a major role in
our politics today. Our party must have both a Christian and a Muslim on
the ticket if we want to be taken seriously in the presidential election.
I implore those that think otherwise to sit down and think this through
properly. We must not present a Christian/Christian ticket as this would
be insensitive to the feelings of Muslims and we must not present a
Muslim/Muslim ticket as this would be insensitive to the feelings of
Christians. Let us be mindful of our actions, deeds and words, no matter
how well-intentioned they may be, and let us ensure that we do not confirm
the terrible stereotyping that those that are against us are trying to
label us with.â€
On the other hand, his friend and former minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, a die-hard supporter of Buhari and Islamic
fundamentalist, believes the choice of a presidential candidate and vice
should not be influenced by religion.
He said: “APC will present an integrity-competence ticket not religion.
Politics and governance are not to be mixed or dictated to by any
religion. How these persons worship the Almighty God is private to them
and does not matter to discerning Nigerians particularly young people that
suffer most from bad governance, unemployment and the Jonathanian culture
of impunity…. The PDP that has no record to show other than escalation
in corruption, grand larceny, trillions missing, private jets and deaths
of innocent people. The PDP’s only “winning strategy†is built
around promoting and financing regional and religious division, and using
the proceeds of corruption to buy the military, police and INEC officials
to rig the next elections. They will be defeated no matter what they
think because Nigerians are wiser and will not be taken for a ride any
longer.â€
The disagreement between FFK and El- Rufai underscores a looming crisis in
the ranks of the party over the plum ticket. Tinubu and Buhari who prides
themselves national leaders of the party have started proving that Ndigbo
do not have stake in APC probably relying upon the permutation that the
party could win the presidency without votes from south east and south
south.
Further implications of this north and south west conspiracy in APC
include the culpability of spelling doom for Okorocha’s political future.
Apart from betraying the Okorocha who has laboured to sell APC in the
south east, Buhari and Tinubu ploy to deny Ndigbo the chairmanship
position of APC and its presidential and vice presidential tickets will
reduce the governor to a political ‘orphan’ as his followers in south east
will desert him and his party en mass. Candidates seeking elective offices
in south east under the platform of APC including Okorocha who has made a
sudden u- turn to contest for second term as governor of Imo state will
fail woefully following protest votes that may greet the party in the
zone. That will certainly increase the chances of PDP and APGA in the
forthcoming 2015 general elections in south east.