By: Tony Okocha
Before the meeting of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Progressive Governors yesterday, the President has been reported to have abundantly made clear his decision not to meddle in Political processes whether intra or inter.
This is largely so believed when in many Elections and bye-elections in Nigeria, Mr President been applauded by many and chided by some, for being disinterested in the processes.
This is commendable as it is germane and proper that Mr President epitomises excellence in this regard.
But reading the full text of President Buhari’s speech yesterday in the meeting with Progressive Governors, one is worried as the written and ferociously read speech, is pregnant with meanings.
I had the patience and read with rapt attention, All the twelve paragraphs speech. I discerned Red flag as i took a combined reading of
paragraphs 5, 6, 7, 9,10 and 11, emphatically.
It was clear to me that the President has reneged from his hitherto stance, of not meddling/interfering in the Political processes. The President in that speech, audibly announced his interest in choosing a Presidential Candidate for the APC.
Hear Mr President in Paragraph 5. ” As I begin the final year of my second term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the Party, I recognize the COMPELLING need for me to provide STRONGER LEADERSHIP to the Party under this transition process….”
He continued in 6 ” Such Leadership is required so that the Party remains strong and United…”.
These two paragraphs as lifted verbatim and paraphrased are precursors to Paragraph 7 where Mr President whipped up sympathy through clear blackmail of the Governors and attendees.
Read Mr President in 7 ” In pursuit of the foregoing objectives, the Party has successfully established internal policies that promote continuity and smooth succession plans even at the State and Local Government levels. For example, first term Governors who have served credibly well, have been encouraged to stand for re-election. Similarly, second term Governors have been accorded the privilege of promoting successors that are capable of DRIVING their VISIONS as well as the IDEALS of the party”.
The President leaves no one in doubts extrapolating the motive in Paragraph 7, that he reserves the right to annoint his successor, same way as the First term Governors have re~presented themselves for Election and the exiting Governors have put up their prefered candidates without his (President), interference or meddling in the processes.
Paragraph 9B, Mr President after the subtle blackmail of the Governors, tried to create a sense of collective. He carefully noted ” Our (not my) Objective must be the victory of our Party and our choice of candidate must be someone who would give the Nigerian masses a sense of victory and confidence even before the elections.”
Then comes the killer punch in paragraph 10.
” In keeping with the established internal policies of the party and as we approach the convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to Solicit the RECIPROCITY and SUPPORT of the Governors and other Stakeholders in PICKING MY SUCCESSOR, who will fly the flag of our Party for Election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of NIGERIA in 2023.”.
Simply put, Mr President said. Having allowed you (Governors) free hand by not interfering in the decisions of succession in your States, I demand that you reciprocate same gesture, by allowing me equally choice or annoint one who will succeed me and continue with my vision, strides and ideals. Mr President gave this charge to Governors in full knowledge that it is the Governors that have the delegates of their respective State, hence the need to court them.
Is this still ambiguous?.
Paragraph 11 as I noted, saw the President assuring the Governors of his capacity to rein in all interests and manage all tendencies, to agree with what he has decided to do as captured in Paragraph 10, without rancours and acrimonies and/or anyother negative backlash.
” I wish to assure you that the consultation process shall continue to ensure that all aspirants and stakeholders would be brought on board right through to the convention. This would also ensure that any anxiety occasioned by different factors, are effectively brought under control and that our Party emerges stronger.
Further take away from this penultimate paragraph of Mr President’s written speech, is that he cajoled the Governors to the firm believe that it is only by his providing of Leadership in the Party, by hand-picking a successor from among the already screened Presidential aspirants of the APC and placating the others either through the Carrot or Stick, would the Party not splinter or decimate, decapitate with many porting to other parties and posing colossal threats to the expected victories of the Governors and their choices.
So, their support must be a sine-qua-non.
My critical views.
1) The President’s argument appears logical but not sound. APC is a Party founded ab-initio on the planks of Justice, Equity and Change. Does the President’s intention which he has made public, (a clear volte face) suggestive of respect for the ideological underpinnings of the APC?.
President Buhari ought to epitomize or seen as symbol of the Party and her change mantra.
When has Selection and Power to Anoint a Successor which he now craves, become a tenet of democracy?.
It is true that Mr President knew that what he noted and accused the Governors of having done in Paragraph 7, was utterly wrong but latently supported it by decor or subterfuge of display of laisser~faire, to justify his now canvassed decision couched in form of plea.
2) It’s obvious that Mr President’s decision, didn’t factor in the interest of Nigerians.
Put differently, Mr President has already announced the result of an election to be held in 2023, in 2022.
He noted “…Pick my Successor” who would fly the flag of our party and continue with his vision. Couldn’t he have said “allow me pick “a Presidential Candidate who would fly the flag of our Party, in the Presidential Election in 2023”.?. (Even though it is undemocratic).
In otherwords, whoever Mr President chooses, becomes his successor in the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This is rather, more than curious.
3) I recall that in 2014, despite the fact that APC was at it’s nascent stage in Nigeria Political landscape, having just been birthed via a conglomerate or amalgam of 4 hitherto existing Political Parties, to pitch in a contest with a deeply and tap~rooted incumbent PDP, the founding fathers still saw need for a free, fair, transparent and credible Presidential Primary Election, which took place in Lagos, in Public glare. It was the transparency of that process that forced all the aspirants then and their teeming Supporters, to fall in line.
In 2019, even when the President had the unwritten right of first refusal, he deepened the process by opting for direct Primaries process, which could either re~elect him as Candidate of the APC, or otherwise.
What has changed in 2022?.
Why does the President decide for choosing a Successor when he hasn’t much at stake anymore?.
4) What are those visions of Government on-going or in draft, that the President hammers on, to be vigorously pursued by his preferred successor?. Couldn’t same vision if consistent with the manifestos of the APC, be pursued by any Candidate that will legitimately emerge from the primary and eventually wins the Presidential Election in 2023?.
Conclusion:
Does the President truly reserve the right or is it within the purview of Mr President to choose a President for NIGERIA and Nigerians for 2023.?.
My answer is in the capital negative “NO”.
Plenty things don’t add up. The dots are much engulfed and difficult to connect.
I seem now to agree with the casual offering of someone that I read, few days past, that the reason why plenty aspirants emerged for Presidential slot of the APC, isn’t because they believe that they can persuade party members to vote for them to emerge through a not skewed, unbiased, premeditated Party Primaries, but because they believe that they may be annointed from and by superior powers.
No wonder the surge of aspirants from the Federal Cabinet of Mr President.?.
One can rightly input now, reading Mr President’s speech, that his body language was read correctly.
I can no longer agree less.
Nigeria and Nigerians are not robots. Mr President shouldn’t be easily predicted in the manner in issue. He should be told that many had already gone to Town with the boast that they are Mr President’s annointed one, long before the President’s speech during his meeting with the Progressive Governors yesterday.
He should know that after the meeting and the release of the his address, Parties have been hosted by some aspirants who see the President’s speech, as “dream come through”.
Our Democracy should evolve in exponential positive proportion rather than suffer a fatal relapse.
In saner climes which Nigeria by embracing the Change mantra of APC as replacement for the hitherto ” Anything goes”, typical of the PDP in Nigeria, the President is not estopped from lending support to any but not in the crude manner of ” I must choose my Successor”.
Democracy is about choices.
Nigerians should not be limited or condemned to negative fait accompli by any Power whatsoever.
President Mohammed Buhari is a hard~core Democrat.
APC Presidential Primary is a litmus test. It will largely unveil the tendencies that will play out in 2023 General Elections.
I verily believe that Mr President will beat a retreat and not fall for the undemocratic machinations and antics of the Cabal.
Allow a free, fair, transparent and credible Primary Election. Let the APC family and Nigerian voters be carried along without fetters.
For, I feel the hand of Esau but hear the voice of Jacob.
Tony C. Okocha Ksc Jp.
Port Harcourt, Rivers.
