Political parties and the rule of law
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- Category: Comments
- Written by Bala Garba Yusuf
- Hits: 2046
The Electoral Act is very explicit about the stages we have to go through before the emergence of candidates. One of these stages is that aspirants must go through the process of election and that anyone who scores the highest number of votes cast should be declared the winner. And since the CPC allowed aspirants to go through the rigours of primaries, it must respect the wishes of the people. If the CPC leaders could romance with former FCT Minster, Adamu Aliero who is rich beyond his wildest dream of avarice and despite the petition hanging on his neck over his tenure as a former Governor of Kebbi State, one simply cannot understand why the national leadership of the party should be fighting Mohammed Abacha, who is the party’s biggest political asset in Kano State.
Integrity has nothing to do with the manner Senator Aliero hijacked the CPC from its original founders in Kebbi State. Instead, he used sheer naira power to put the party in his pocket. Yet, General Buhari publicly celebrated him and presented him as one of the party’s candidates in the forthcoming elections. To the surprise of many, however, General Buhari has allowed himself to be misled by CPC national leaders who have their own agendas to impose their chosen candidates even if they did not win the primaries. Is Senator Aliero a saint? Aminu Masari and Yusuf Tuggar are not angels either. Then why is the CPC leadership discriminating against Mohammed Abacha because he has no godfather in the party’s national leadership? Are godfathers superior to the will of the people in a democracy? If that is the case, why did the CPC leadership organize primaries when they would have no courage to support the outcome regardless of who won?
Despite comprehensively defeating Lawal Ja’afar Isa and re-asserting his mandate at the court, General Buhari has still refused to recognize Mohammed Abacha as the officially accepted gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kano by INEC. A Federal High Court in Abuja made it very clear that the whims and caprices of CPC leaders cannot supersede the Electoral Act and the constitution of Nigeria to protect the rights of aggrieved party members when such rights are infringed upon. In fact, the CPC lawyers could not present any arguments before the court to convince it to reverse the will of the voters. The so-called party prerogative, the court argued, cannot and should not take away the rights of members to seek the intervention of the courts in line with the fundamental rights of Nigerians as duly protected by the constitution.
How can Ja’afaru Isa who won only 78,000 votes displace Mohammed Abacha with 144,000 votes at the primaries? Whatever anybody may say against Mohammed Abacha now is an afterthought. The party leaders underrated the popularity of Mohammed Abacha and over-confidently overrated Ja’afaru Isa’s. During General Babangida’s transition, a fruit seller defeated a Master’s degree holder in the contest for the House of Assembly election! But that is democracy at work. The allegation that Mohammed Abacha used money to bribe delegates is diversionary. Delegates who voted for Senator Adamu Aliero in Kebbi State didn’t do so because the former FCT Minister is the brightest moral star ever produced in the state. The only reason behind the delegates’ decision to vote for him is money and nothing else.
In a curious advertorial, the National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Rotimi Fashakin publicly disowned Mohammed Abacha’s candidature, despite winning convincingly at the primaries and the court. INEC has also re-affirmed Mohammed Abacha as the party’s candidate in Kano State. If the CPC leadership didn’t like the verdict of the primaries, because it didn’t favour their chosen candidate, why didn’t they also sue the voters to the court for defeating their chosen candidates?
The persecution of Mohammed Abacha is ridiculing the party leadership in the eyes of Nigerians because of the double standard it portrays. Let the CPC leadership organize integrity exams for those it is supporting such as Senator Adamu Aliero and Aminu Masari and then we shall know who is a saint and who is not. General Buhari’s refusal to embrace Mohammed Abacha is based on a wrong advice, which may ultimately harm the party. Professor Jega cannot be intimidated by CPC leadership to bend the rules. And the open bias against Muhammed Abacha is already making him ever more popular. The CPC National Publicity Secretary also accused Mohammed Abacha of using thugs but he didn’t present any evidence of anyone killed or wounded during the primaries that produced him as the party’s gubernatorial candidate. It is high time the CPC national leadership swallowed its pride by respecting the verdict of the voters that gave Mohammed Abacha their mandate. If not, this obstinate posture of resisting the will of the people may harm the chances of the party in the coming elections. If ordinary Nigerians could support Buhari out of natural love and the belief that he is a man of integrity, the CPC presidential candidate must assert himself over the affairs of the party leadership by allowing the voters to choose candidates they want freely. Substitution and imposition of candidates by CPC leadership is itself a prelude to rigging. Giving any candidate victory by fraud or manipulation by the party leadership is itself a moral challenge to the reputation of the party’s leaders. It is not enough to preach the message of defending our votes when our own leaders don’t respect our rights to choose candidates freely. Does the party leadership have any moral basis to accuse the PDP of rigging or manipulation when it is disrespecting the verdict of CPC voters at the primaries?
Yusuf writes in from Block 29, Old Karu, Abuja.Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Articles
Political parties and the rule of law
Category: Comments Written by Bala Garba Yusuf Hits: 2046
Internal democracy appears to be one of the biggest challenges facing Nigeria’s political parties. The ruling PDP used to be regarded as the most notorious in this regard through the policy of substitution and imposition. As a result, aggrieved PDP members defected to other parties – mainly the CPC, which is regarded as the temple of justice because of General Buhari’s integrity. Even in the CPC, however, these hopes have been dashed. The party is no longer different from the PDP or ACN in terms of disrespect for internal democracy. Despite its impressive showing, the CPC is currently torn apart by internal crises due to the party’s unjust and indefensible policy of substitution and imposition. Despite losing court cases over this issue so far, the party leadership is still obstinate in its determination to substitute the will of the people to gratify the whims and caprices of the CPC leaders, who have their own private agendas to impose their favoured candidate. In a democracy, even if you think you are an angel, you cannot rule the people without their support. The revered American political icon, Abraham Lincoln, said “no man is good enough to rule another man without his consent.” Regimentation has no place in democracy and if the CPC leadership ignores wise counsel, the party faces the risk of losing in the coming elections.The Electoral Act is very explicit about the stages we have to go through before the emergence of candidates. One of these stages is that aspirants must go through the process of election and that anyone who scores the highest number of votes cast should be declared the winner. And since the CPC allowed aspirants to go through the rigours of primaries, it must respect the wishes of the people. If the CPC leaders could romance with former FCT Minster, Adamu Aliero who is rich beyond his wildest dream of avarice and despite the petition hanging on his neck over his tenure as a former Governor of Kebbi State, one simply cannot understand why the national leadership of the party should be fighting Mohammed Abacha, who is the party’s biggest political asset in Kano State.
Integrity has nothing to do with the manner Senator Aliero hijacked the CPC from its original founders in Kebbi State. Instead, he used sheer naira power to put the party in his pocket. Yet, General Buhari publicly celebrated him and presented him as one of the party’s candidates in the forthcoming elections. To the surprise of many, however, General Buhari has allowed himself to be misled by CPC national leaders who have their own agendas to impose their chosen candidates even if they did not win the primaries. Is Senator Aliero a saint? Aminu Masari and Yusuf Tuggar are not angels either. Then why is the CPC leadership discriminating against Mohammed Abacha because he has no godfather in the party’s national leadership? Are godfathers superior to the will of the people in a democracy? If that is the case, why did the CPC leadership organize primaries when they would have no courage to support the outcome regardless of who won?
Despite comprehensively defeating Lawal Ja’afar Isa and re-asserting his mandate at the court, General Buhari has still refused to recognize Mohammed Abacha as the officially accepted gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kano by INEC. A Federal High Court in Abuja made it very clear that the whims and caprices of CPC leaders cannot supersede the Electoral Act and the constitution of Nigeria to protect the rights of aggrieved party members when such rights are infringed upon. In fact, the CPC lawyers could not present any arguments before the court to convince it to reverse the will of the voters. The so-called party prerogative, the court argued, cannot and should not take away the rights of members to seek the intervention of the courts in line with the fundamental rights of Nigerians as duly protected by the constitution.
How can Ja’afaru Isa who won only 78,000 votes displace Mohammed Abacha with 144,000 votes at the primaries? Whatever anybody may say against Mohammed Abacha now is an afterthought. The party leaders underrated the popularity of Mohammed Abacha and over-confidently overrated Ja’afaru Isa’s. During General Babangida’s transition, a fruit seller defeated a Master’s degree holder in the contest for the House of Assembly election! But that is democracy at work. The allegation that Mohammed Abacha used money to bribe delegates is diversionary. Delegates who voted for Senator Adamu Aliero in Kebbi State didn’t do so because the former FCT Minister is the brightest moral star ever produced in the state. The only reason behind the delegates’ decision to vote for him is money and nothing else.
In a curious advertorial, the National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Rotimi Fashakin publicly disowned Mohammed Abacha’s candidature, despite winning convincingly at the primaries and the court. INEC has also re-affirmed Mohammed Abacha as the party’s candidate in Kano State. If the CPC leadership didn’t like the verdict of the primaries, because it didn’t favour their chosen candidate, why didn’t they also sue the voters to the court for defeating their chosen candidates?
The persecution of Mohammed Abacha is ridiculing the party leadership in the eyes of Nigerians because of the double standard it portrays. Let the CPC leadership organize integrity exams for those it is supporting such as Senator Adamu Aliero and Aminu Masari and then we shall know who is a saint and who is not. General Buhari’s refusal to embrace Mohammed Abacha is based on a wrong advice, which may ultimately harm the party. Professor Jega cannot be intimidated by CPC leadership to bend the rules. And the open bias against Muhammed Abacha is already making him ever more popular. The CPC National Publicity Secretary also accused Mohammed Abacha of using thugs but he didn’t present any evidence of anyone killed or wounded during the primaries that produced him as the party’s gubernatorial candidate. It is high time the CPC national leadership swallowed its pride by respecting the verdict of the voters that gave Mohammed Abacha their mandate. If not, this obstinate posture of resisting the will of the people may harm the chances of the party in the coming elections. If ordinary Nigerians could support Buhari out of natural love and the belief that he is a man of integrity, the CPC presidential candidate must assert himself over the affairs of the party leadership by allowing the voters to choose candidates they want freely. Substitution and imposition of candidates by CPC leadership is itself a prelude to rigging. Giving any candidate victory by fraud or manipulation by the party leadership is itself a moral challenge to the reputation of the party’s leaders. It is not enough to preach the message of defending our votes when our own leaders don’t respect our rights to choose candidates freely. Does the party leadership have any moral basis to accuse the PDP of rigging or manipulation when it is disrespecting the verdict of CPC voters at the primaries?
Yusuf writes in from Block 29, Old Karu, Abuja.Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.