Okenyi Kenechi
I finally had the opportunity to interview a bigwig of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the weekend. My quest for this glorious interview was to ascertain and transmit to the readers, issues underlining the struggle in the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress. During the course of that interview, I asked him a burning question that has been on the lips of many political observers within and outside the state. The question was propelled by the rancour within the party and fights between gladiators to take hold of the party.
Who is the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, I had asked? His demeanour shows that he had expected it and would almost be surprised if I did not ask for clarification on the leadership tussle that has almost torn the party to shreds since the May congresses of the party.
“Honestly, I don’t know” was all he replied. I was surprised that he was not taking sides but understood that time has made certain things pertinent, one of which is honesty in this regard.
The Rivers APC Crisis in recent months has not only dragged for too long a time when other parties are putting their eggs in one basket but is at the verge of also killing the chances of the party to mount its much promised surprise in its quest to overrun the occupants of Brick House just as the rest of the country undertake the political journey towards another general election.
If there is anything, there has been no attempt by the dramatis personae in the show of political strength at negotiating to ensure that issues pertaining to the factionalization of the party are settled for good and on time. They are fiddling while Rome burns. The quest for personal interest has superseded that of common interest and therein lies the problem.
The Rivers APC cannot wiggle its way out of the present conundrum it has entangled itself in without the application of principles of compromise. Some things must give, especially interests as regards who becomes the Chairman of the party and who flies the party’s gubernatorial flag in the 2019 general elections.
Attempts by groups of connected politicians to highjack the party’s apparatchik and make unilateral decisions for it has culminated in the lengthy legal battle that has kept the party down and ensured that the state’s delegates did not partake in the just concluded National Convention in June.
Apparently, the National leadership of the party understood the issues at stake, especially as concerns the legal angle which might in effect, contaminate the whole convention and spark off another lengthy legal battle while other parties focused on the prize.
There will be more damage done if the party fails to sit up and put out their best foot forward. How the party plans to challenge the incumbent Governor with his well-positioned grassroots support while harbouring this level of disaffection will make for an academic exercise.
The National leadership of the party should make concerted efforts to settle the issues at hand amicably while the warring factions are advised to sheath their swords. Failure to effect such a pristine settlement of the issues that have led to the agitations will have devastating consequences on the party.
The truth is that some of the gladiators in the current scheme of things will be forced to decamp and swell the ranks of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and further reduce the chances of the party at retaining some of the covetous positions it had won during the many reruns through the help of the courts.
A party that had to rely on the courts and several reruns to claim its mandates years ago, should understand that there are some decisions that it should take with utmost caution.
No other person but the member representing Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives had stated the fact that some of the APC chieftains will have to make do with the PDP when he called on his constituents to support Governor Wike unless the APC does the right thing by fielding an Ogoni candidate as governor.
This clearly shows that there is a direction and there is a second choice if the issues in contention are not settled and retired. The Prince Peter Odike’s faction of the party should sit with the Ojukaye Flag-Amachree’s faction and iron issues out so as to make progress. The issues in court should also be withdrawn after a level of compromise has been reached.
There is need for a healthy politicking come 2019. The people should be given options to choose from. The party that fares better will come out victorious as the case may be. In the absence of such, it might be fair to say that the APC is handing over its chances to the PDP through the back door, a position that has in the time past, been espoused by some political conspiracy theorists.
The APC will do itself good if it follows the right democratic principles in the events that follow, not only for the good of the party but for deepening democracy in the state. All forms of anyhowness should be expunged. The youths are observing and are learning as events unfold.
It will be in the interest of the party to compromise in the face of this mountain challenge and face its political future with one voice than face its political future with several discordant tunes.
