This ordinarily would have been a time to comprehensively
assess the roles that political parties play in the development process or
otherwise going on in the different federating units of the country. Any
practical assessment of the roles of political parties in the
institutionalization or stifling of good governance all across the country
would have been informed by the fact that no one ever gets elected into
political offices in the federation without riding on the flag of one of the
many registered political parties in compliance with extant provisions in the
constitution of the federal Republic of 1999 (as amended).
But rather than dwell on the aforementioned critical issue,
the ongoing renewed crisis of leadership in one of the few vibrant registered political
parties-All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has attracted the attention of
this columnist.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance emerged from the ashes of
nothingness soon after the emergence of democracy in 1999 to capture the seat
of governor of Anambra State through a judicial pronouncement after the then
holder of the office produced in the 2003 poll Dr. Chris Ngige was dethroned
after a long drawn legal challenge in which Chief Victor Umeh played pivotal
role.
In the 2011 general elections, APGA also defeated the
incumbent Peoples Democratic Party Governor of Imo State Mr. Ohakim when it
featured Chief Rochas Okorocha as its candidate.
From early 2004 up until very recently when another factional
infighting commenced, Chief Victor Umeh was the National Chairman after the
premier National Chairman Chief Chekwas Okorie was removed in what was seen
then by some observers as the handiwork of the Anambra State Governor Mr. Peter
Obi who felt that Chief Chekwas Okorie nearly undermined his judicial victory
against the Peoples Democratic Party.
Chief Chekwas Okorie waged relentless legal challenge up to
the Supreme Court of Nigeria which eventually declared Chief Victor Umeh as the
National Chairman.
Soon after the Supreme Court Victory and the hard won
electoral victory of the party, some members of the party’s hierarchy launched
ferocious factional infighting to unseat Chief Umeh who is rumored to have
fallen out of favour with the Anambra State Governor Mr. Peter Obi who is his
kinsman from Nnewi. Speculation is rife that the reason why Governor Peter Obi allegedly
decided to fund a rebellion against the Chief Umeh’s national leadership of
APGA is the contest for who emerges as the party’s governorship flag bearer in
the 2014 Governorship election in Anambra State.
Supporters of the Victor Umeh’s national leadership accused
Governor Peter Obi of manifesting a dictatorial tendency in trying to foist his
handpicked successor on the party. They also accused Governor Peter Obi of
lacking in democratic credentials for his abysmal failure to conduct local
government elections since eight years that he has presided over as Governor of
Anambra State.
Supporters of Chief Umeh have credited him with achieving so
much for the party within a short period of time. As someone who has covered
APGA as practicing journalist I can attest to the fact that APGA has indeed
achieved revolutionary landmarks from a small party to a political party to
beat in a section of Nigeria. Both Peter Obi and Victor Umeh are credited with
achieving these feats.
According to Chief Umeh’s supporters, “It was during Chief
Victor Umeh’s leadership of the party that Mr. Peter Obi regained his stolen
mandate from Dr. Chris Ngige of the Peoples Democratic Party who was wrongly
sworn-in as governor of Anambra State on 29th May 2003. Peter Obi assumed duty
on 17th March 2006 and was re-elected for a record second term in office in
February 2010. Today, the party’s fortunes have increased to two governors,
eight National Assembly members, over 36 State Houses of Assembly members,
several Local Government chairman and councilors. Three members of the party
were recently appointed Ambassadors by President Goodluck Jonathan, aside of
other Federal and States Public office holders of APGA extraction”.
My concern basically is why the Independent National
Electoral Commission has always kept quiet to watch different contending
factions emerged in APGA even when the constitution recognizes it as the
custodian of the authentic register of leadership of all the political parties
in Nigeria.
In my book titled “Politics and litigation in contemporary
Nigeria” published in 2005, I had similarly questioned INEC’s
conspiratorial silence when leadership infighting starts in political parties.
In that book I had stated in chapter 45 thus; “…INEC is the
single most troubling cause of the crises in the political parties because it
has refused to play its role in stabilizing the parties. Apart from the fact
that it has not defended the funding of the political parties as indicated in
the 1999 constitution, the electoral body has consistently maintained studied
but conspiratorial silence whenever factional infighting commences in the
registered political parties”.
INEC
must speak up now.
* Emmanuel
Onwubiko, Head, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, writes from www.huriwa.blogspot.com.
23/7/2012
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