The national leadership of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is reportedly launching another effort to reconcile aggrieved members with the party. However, this latest effort, like others before it, is doomed to fail largely because of the insincerity and arrogance of the clique that built a fortress around General Muhammadu Buhai so as to shut him away from valuable advice that can ultimately save the CPC from extinction. Leaders who are the major part of the problem don’t have the credibility to successfully undertake any reconciliation effort. The national leaders of the party, especially the clique that is holding General Buhari hostage for their own advantages, cannot mobilize members of the party for any genuine reconciliation. Justice is the foundation of peace and reconciliation. This clique is not, however, ready to even admit their own errors of judgement, which led to the mismanagement of the party’s initial enormous good will. Worse still, they are too arrogant to publicly own up and apologize to members for avoidably dragging the CPC into disaster.
Let the bitter truth be told, no matter whose ox is gored. The CPC is a collection of naively idealistic leaders, some kind of ideologues who ridiculously believe that the disenchantment with the PDP’s government is enough to throw the party out of power and lead General Buhari to victory on the roller-coaster of general popular frustrations of Nigerians. They forgot that there is a difference between the world as it is and the world as it should be. Hard work and strategy didn’t matter to these self-righteous ideologues who are blinkered from reality. When you have leaders who are not strategically-minded, it may take a miracle for the CPC to throw the ruling party out of power in the foreseeable future.
What is even more irritating is the posture of superior morality dubiously assumed by this clique merely on the account of being close to General Buhari and not because they share his credibility in their own right. Robert Green, the author of the 48 Laws of Power, argues that a good leader should not allow a clique to build a fortress around him, which could shut him away from valuable friends and advice. Insular mentality is the mindset of the coterie that is manipulating Buhari for their own interests. Which serious political party should embark on the policy of imposition and substitution, which was designed to frustrate the ambitions of candidates or aspirants who have massive political following? The case of Mohammed Abacha, Lado Dan Marke and Dan China in Kano, Katsina and Bauchi States respectively was a good example of how naive the clique around General Buhari could be. Even as INEC was telling them that the policy was unjust and undemocratic, because it violated the voters’ freedom of choice, these self-righteous ideologues arrogantly ignored wise counsel.
During the direct gubernatorial primaries conducted by the CPC national leaders and which was witnessed by INEC, the police and the SSS, Mohammed Abacha won 144,000 votes to defeat his closest rival, Colonel Lawal Ja’afaru Isa (retired), who came a distant second with 78,000 votes. The voters freely and openly expressed their choice. But the national leaders didn’t want the outcome because their preferred candidate, Colonel Isa was decisively defeated. As a result, they officially refused to announce the winner to enable them manipulate the nomination process at the eleventh hour to favour their own candidate. In line with that hidden agenda, they announced Ja’afaru Isa as the official candidate of the party few days to the election, despite the fact that the retired soldier was resoundingly defeated at the gubernatorial primaries.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), however, officially recognized Mohammed Abacha as the validly elected candidate. Mohammed Abacha contested the injustice at the court and the Presiding Judge told the CPC leaders that the so-called party prerogative cannot and should not replace the will of the voters. Instead of being humble enough to respect the wishes of the voters, the party appealed against Abacha’s victory at the court. And few days to the election, another court recognized the so-called party prerogative and endorsed Colonel Isa as the CPC gubernatorial candidate in Kano State. Unfortunately, the CPC leaders ignored the consequences of forcing a candidate on the voters. And for this error of judgement, the CPC lost Kano State to the ruling PDP, with Colonel Ja’afaru Isa coming third after the ANPP candidate. The defeat of Isa was a disaster waiting to happen.
More than 30 House of Assembly candidates of the CPC withdrew from the election in protest and in solidarity with Mohammed Abacha, who was unjustly treated by the party’s national leaders who believe their interest is superior to the will of the people. The party paid dearly in Bauchi and Katsina States for the same naivety. Mohammed was responsible for building the strong CPC structure in Kano State and, therefore, the source of its popular appeal. You cannot detach personality factor from the outcome of the 2011 elections. In the presidential election, the people of Kano State massively voted for General Buhari. But in the gubernatorial election, they voted for PDP because they didn’t like the candidate imposed on them by the CPC national leaders. In Nassarawa State, the people voted for Al-Makura and not the CPC. Currently, the PDP dominates the Nassawara State House of Assembly with 24 members while the CPC has only four sitting members.
It is, therefore, impossible to achieve any genuine reconciliation within the CPC as long as those responsible for the electoral disaster are still holding office in Abuja. They are held in contempt by the larger membership. Their moral authority had collapsed with the woeful performance of the 2011 elections. If these leaders know the meaning of conscience and honour, they should resign from office immediately to allow genuine reconciliation to take place. No serious reconciliation and the re-building of the CPC could be achieved when those responsible for the electoral disaster are allowed to remain in office. In Europe and America, we always see how leaders take responsibility for the failures of their parties. Former British Labour Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown, resigned honourably when he was perceived as the main cause of the party’s loss to the Conservative Party. The most disturbing thing, however, is General Buhari’s supine posture in the face of the challenges besetting the CPC. He appears too powerless to even politely advise the clique around him to take the path of honour and resign in order to save the party from further divisions, bitterness and disaffection.
Durbunde wrote from 126, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna. Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The national leadership of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is reportedly launching another effort to reconcile aggrieved members with the party. However, this latest effort, like others before it, is doomed to fail largely because of the insincerity and arrogance of the clique that built a fortress around General Muhammadu Buhai so as to shut him away from valuable advice that can ultimately save the CPC from extinction. Leaders who are the major part of the problem don’t have the credibility to successfully undertake any reconciliation effort. The national leaders of the party, especially the clique that is holding General Buhari hostage for their own advantages, cannot mobilize members of the party for any genuine reconciliation. Justice is the foundation of peace and reconciliation. This clique is not, however, ready to even admit their own errors of judgement, which led to the mismanagement of the party’s initial enormous good will. Worse still, they are too arrogant to publicly own up and apologize to members for avoidably dragging the CPC into disaster.
Let the bitter truth be told, no matter whose ox is gored. The CPC is a collection of naively idealistic leaders, some kind of ideologues who ridiculously believe that the disenchantment with the PDP’s government is enough to throw the party out of power and lead General Buhari to victory on the roller-coaster of general popular frustrations of Nigerians. They forgot that there is a difference between the world as it is and the world as it should be. Hard work and strategy didn’t matter to these self-righteous ideologues who are blinkered from reality. When you have leaders who are not strategically-minded, it may take a miracle for the CPC to throw the ruling party out of power in the foreseeable future.
What is even more irritating is the posture of superior morality dubiously assumed by this clique merely on the account of being close to General Buhari and not because they share his credibility in their own right. Robert Green, the author of the 48 Laws of Power, argues that a good leader should not allow a clique to build a fortress around him, which could shut him away from valuable friends and advice. Insular mentality is the mindset of the coterie that is manipulating Buhari for their own interests. Which serious political party should embark on the policy of imposition and substitution, which was designed to frustrate the ambitions of candidates or aspirants who have massive political following? The case of Mohammed Abacha, Lado Dan Marke and Dan China in Kano, Katsina and Bauchi States respectively was a good example of how naive the clique around General Buhari could be. Even as INEC was telling them that the policy was unjust and undemocratic, because it violated the voters’ freedom of choice, these self-righteous ideologues arrogantly ignored wise counsel.
During the direct gubernatorial primaries conducted by the CPC national leaders and which was witnessed by INEC, the police and the SSS, Mohammed Abacha won 144,000 votes to defeat his closest rival, Colonel Lawal Ja’afaru Isa (retired), who came a distant second with 78,000 votes. The voters freely and openly expressed their choice. But the national leaders didn’t want the outcome because their preferred candidate, Colonel Isa was decisively defeated. As a result, they officially refused to announce the winner to enable them manipulate the nomination process at the eleventh hour to favour their own candidate. In line with that hidden agenda, they announced Ja’afaru Isa as the official candidate of the party few days to the election, despite the fact that the retired soldier was resoundingly defeated at the gubernatorial primaries.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), however, officially recognized Mohammed Abacha as the validly elected candidate. Mohammed Abacha contested the injustice at the court and the Presiding Judge told the CPC leaders that the so-called party prerogative cannot and should not replace the will of the voters. Instead of being humble enough to respect the wishes of the voters, the party appealed against Abacha’s victory at the court. And few days to the election, another court recognized the so-called party prerogative and endorsed Colonel Isa as the CPC gubernatorial candidate in Kano State. Unfortunately, the CPC leaders ignored the consequences of forcing a candidate on the voters. And for this error of judgement, the CPC lost Kano State to the ruling PDP, with Colonel Ja’afaru Isa coming third after the ANPP candidate. The defeat of Isa was a disaster waiting to happen.
More than 30 House of Assembly candidates of the CPC withdrew from the election in protest and in solidarity with Mohammed Abacha, who was unjustly treated by the party’s national leaders who believe their interest is superior to the will of the people. The party paid dearly in Bauchi and Katsina States for the same naivety. Mohammed was responsible for building the strong CPC structure in Kano State and, therefore, the source of its popular appeal. You cannot detach personality factor from the outcome of the 2011 elections. In the presidential election, the people of Kano State massively voted for General Buhari. But in the gubernatorial election, they voted for PDP because they didn’t like the candidate imposed on them by the CPC national leaders. In Nassarawa State, the people voted for Al-Makura and not the CPC. Currently, the PDP dominates the Nassawara State House of Assembly with 24 members while the CPC has only four sitting members.
It is, therefore, impossible to achieve any genuine reconciliation within the CPC as long as those responsible for the electoral disaster are still holding office in Abuja. They are held in contempt by the larger membership. Their moral authority had collapsed with the woeful performance of the 2011 elections. If these leaders know the meaning of conscience and honour, they should resign from office immediately to allow genuine reconciliation to take place. No serious reconciliation and the re-building of the CPC could be achieved when those responsible for the electoral disaster are allowed to remain in office. In Europe and America, we always see how leaders take responsibility for the failures of their parties. Former British Labour Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown, resigned honourably when he was perceived as the main cause of the party’s loss to the Conservative Party. The most disturbing thing, however, is General Buhari’s supine posture in the face of the challenges besetting the CPC. He appears too powerless to even politely advise the clique around him to take the path of honour and resign in order to save the party from further divisions, bitterness and disaffection.
Durbunde wrote from 126, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna. Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
