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CPC and the challenge of credible leadership
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by Mohammed Balarabe Wudil
- Hits: 726
Though the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is relatively new, it is threatening to overtake the two main political parties in the North – PDP and ANPP. Its popularity is growing rapidly, thanks to the Buhari factor.
In Kano State as elsewhere in the North, the CPC is the first choice of the ordinary people. Unfortunately, however, while we can vouch for General Buhari’s integrity and personal popularity, we cannot say the same thing about some characters now parading themselves as CPC leaders.Has General Buhari learnt any lesson about the consequences of surrounding himself with politicians and opportunists who have no popular support? Members of the Buhari Organization can only flaunt high-sounding titles but they have no place in the hearts of the people. Thousands of people in Kano State have embraced the CPC not because of the personal influence of the leaders of the Buhari Organization. In reality, General Buhari’s personal charm and integrity is primarily responsible for the acceptance of the party. The noisy influence peddlers that surround General Buhari cannot win a single vote in their immediate neighbourhoods because they are socially isolated and selfish.
While General Buhari is in politics to offer honest service, the characters around him are mere opportunists that perceive politics as a passport to overnight prosperity without hard work. Credible leadership is the immediate challenge facing the CPC. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Buhari Organization appear to have hypnotized the General to the extent that it becomes virtually impossible for him to independently assess the political value of the characters now riding his back to enrich themselves.
Self-appointed political leaders without popular support are like a General without troops! How can you deliver a political party when your people are against you? Thousands of CPC leaders in Kano State are still in shock why General Buhari made the mistake of allowing Senator Rufai Sani Hanga to emerge as the national chairman of the CPC. During his tenure as Senator (2003 – 2007), Alhaji Hanga couldn’t have ever dreamt of going to the National Assembly without General Buhari’s backing. The people voted for him out of respect for General Buhari, despite their misgivings about his qualification to be the genuine representative of their interest. There was nothing to show for his stay in the National Assembly either in form of producing a bill that could have promoted the well-being of his people or anything in terms of direct personal intervention to deal with the challenges of survival facing the electorate.
When he attempted to go for second term, he was politely advised to stand aside because he had squandered whatever remained of his popular good will. Sensing public humiliation, he eventually withdrew from his second term senatorial bid. Since 2007, he was in political oblivion until recently when he resurfaced as the national chairman of the CPC. Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of ANPP was once a backer of Alhaji Hanga but when he discovered that his popularity was at the lowest ebb, he stopped backing the wrong horse.
Now he has rushed back to General Buhari out of sheer opportunism and not the love of the CPC. His motives for joining the CPC are now coming to the surface. As the national chairman of the party, one would have expected Hanga to devote energy in consolidating the CPC across the country. Instead, he merely joined the party to advance his ambition. He now wants to become the gubernatorial candidate of the party instead of concentrating on building the party as a formidable national force.
He doesn’t want the position of national chairman any more perhaps because it is not lucrative and, therefore, he now opted to run as a governorship candidate of the CPC. If he is sincerely committed to the CPC, he must recognize that leadership is about sacrifice to make the party grow from strength to strength. The fact that Hanga wants to abandon his position as national chairman of the party and pursue a gubernatorial ambition has exposed his motives for joining the CPC in the first place.
General Buhari should open his eyes to the motives of those joining CPC for personal advancement with his endorsement. In fact, as part of his agenda to give up the position of national chairman to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Hanga has moved closer to Alhaji Sule Hamma, the leader of the Buhari Organization. It is widely believed that General Buhari listens to Sule Hamma without question and Senator Hanga wants to exploit Hamma’s influence on Buhari to get the General’s backing for his desperate gubernatorial ambition. If Hanga is a true democrat, he should allow the party members to identify a popular aspirant and make him the CPC gubernatorial flag-bearer.
This level of greed for power by Hanga is inconsistent with the reputation of a political party moulded in the credible image of General Buhari. If he cannot make sacrifices as national chairman of the CPC, Senator Hanga is at liberty to quit. Attempting to impose himself as the party’s gubernatorial candidate is unacceptable. The CPC will pay dearly if it makes the mistakes of the PDP through the imposition of unpopular candidates.
In fact, the role of Senator Hanga in the recent CPC membership cards scandal is still fresh in our memory. He was alleged to have distributed membership cards to his yes-men who have no popular support with a view to actualizing his agenda to emerge as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kano State. However, following spontaneous and bitter protests, Senator Hanga was forced to retrace his steps and agreed to produce fresh membership cards.
General Buhari has to show deeper interest into the activities of CPC leadership. If the party makes the mistakes of imposing unpopular candidates, the CPC should kiss good bye to winning the 2011 elections at all levels. The biggest problem facing the party is that it is infiltrated by opportunists who believe more in personal advancement than the welfare of the people. This is General Buhari’s biggest opportunity to help Nigerians throw out the PDP. But the opportunists around him don’t command the credibility and popular support to deliver the party. It is high time General Buhari asserted himself on the way the CPC is run. He cannot afford to be indifferent at a time the credibility of the CPC is at stake when opportunists have hijacked the party.
Balarabe wrote from 91, Anguwar Dosa, Kaduna.Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Articles
CPC and the challenge of credible leadership
Category: Philosofaith Written by Mohammed Balarabe Wudil Hits: 726
Though the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is relatively new, it is threatening to overtake the two main political parties in the North – PDP and ANPP. Its popularity is growing rapidly, thanks to the Buhari factor.
In Kano State as elsewhere in the North, the CPC is the first choice of the ordinary people. Unfortunately, however, while we can vouch for General Buhari’s integrity and personal popularity, we cannot say the same thing about some characters now parading themselves as CPC leaders.Has General Buhari learnt any lesson about the consequences of surrounding himself with politicians and opportunists who have no popular support? Members of the Buhari Organization can only flaunt high-sounding titles but they have no place in the hearts of the people. Thousands of people in Kano State have embraced the CPC not because of the personal influence of the leaders of the Buhari Organization. In reality, General Buhari’s personal charm and integrity is primarily responsible for the acceptance of the party. The noisy influence peddlers that surround General Buhari cannot win a single vote in their immediate neighbourhoods because they are socially isolated and selfish.
While General Buhari is in politics to offer honest service, the characters around him are mere opportunists that perceive politics as a passport to overnight prosperity without hard work. Credible leadership is the immediate challenge facing the CPC. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Buhari Organization appear to have hypnotized the General to the extent that it becomes virtually impossible for him to independently assess the political value of the characters now riding his back to enrich themselves.
Self-appointed political leaders without popular support are like a General without troops! How can you deliver a political party when your people are against you? Thousands of CPC leaders in Kano State are still in shock why General Buhari made the mistake of allowing Senator Rufai Sani Hanga to emerge as the national chairman of the CPC. During his tenure as Senator (2003 – 2007), Alhaji Hanga couldn’t have ever dreamt of going to the National Assembly without General Buhari’s backing. The people voted for him out of respect for General Buhari, despite their misgivings about his qualification to be the genuine representative of their interest. There was nothing to show for his stay in the National Assembly either in form of producing a bill that could have promoted the well-being of his people or anything in terms of direct personal intervention to deal with the challenges of survival facing the electorate.
When he attempted to go for second term, he was politely advised to stand aside because he had squandered whatever remained of his popular good will. Sensing public humiliation, he eventually withdrew from his second term senatorial bid. Since 2007, he was in political oblivion until recently when he resurfaced as the national chairman of the CPC. Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of ANPP was once a backer of Alhaji Hanga but when he discovered that his popularity was at the lowest ebb, he stopped backing the wrong horse.
Now he has rushed back to General Buhari out of sheer opportunism and not the love of the CPC. His motives for joining the CPC are now coming to the surface. As the national chairman of the party, one would have expected Hanga to devote energy in consolidating the CPC across the country. Instead, he merely joined the party to advance his ambition. He now wants to become the gubernatorial candidate of the party instead of concentrating on building the party as a formidable national force.
He doesn’t want the position of national chairman any more perhaps because it is not lucrative and, therefore, he now opted to run as a governorship candidate of the CPC. If he is sincerely committed to the CPC, he must recognize that leadership is about sacrifice to make the party grow from strength to strength. The fact that Hanga wants to abandon his position as national chairman of the party and pursue a gubernatorial ambition has exposed his motives for joining the CPC in the first place.
General Buhari should open his eyes to the motives of those joining CPC for personal advancement with his endorsement. In fact, as part of his agenda to give up the position of national chairman to pursue a gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Hanga has moved closer to Alhaji Sule Hamma, the leader of the Buhari Organization. It is widely believed that General Buhari listens to Sule Hamma without question and Senator Hanga wants to exploit Hamma’s influence on Buhari to get the General’s backing for his desperate gubernatorial ambition. If Hanga is a true democrat, he should allow the party members to identify a popular aspirant and make him the CPC gubernatorial flag-bearer.
This level of greed for power by Hanga is inconsistent with the reputation of a political party moulded in the credible image of General Buhari. If he cannot make sacrifices as national chairman of the CPC, Senator Hanga is at liberty to quit. Attempting to impose himself as the party’s gubernatorial candidate is unacceptable. The CPC will pay dearly if it makes the mistakes of the PDP through the imposition of unpopular candidates.
In fact, the role of Senator Hanga in the recent CPC membership cards scandal is still fresh in our memory. He was alleged to have distributed membership cards to his yes-men who have no popular support with a view to actualizing his agenda to emerge as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kano State. However, following spontaneous and bitter protests, Senator Hanga was forced to retrace his steps and agreed to produce fresh membership cards.
General Buhari has to show deeper interest into the activities of CPC leadership. If the party makes the mistakes of imposing unpopular candidates, the CPC should kiss good bye to winning the 2011 elections at all levels. The biggest problem facing the party is that it is infiltrated by opportunists who believe more in personal advancement than the welfare of the people. This is General Buhari’s biggest opportunity to help Nigerians throw out the PDP. But the opportunists around him don’t command the credibility and popular support to deliver the party. It is high time General Buhari asserted himself on the way the CPC is run. He cannot afford to be indifferent at a time the credibility of the CPC is at stake when opportunists have hijacked the party.
Balarabe wrote from 91, Anguwar Dosa, Kaduna.Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.