By ‘Deji Adebayo
Wuse, Abuja.
- Let’s leave trivial arguments for a more ideal discourse on the real issue affecting Nigeria political system as touching her transfer window opening in connection to the ruling All Progressives Congress party which recently had its convention and the opposition People’s Democratic Party; and how it affects the entirety of our democracy, polity and sovereignty.
I have always said it that party isn’t the true cause of Nigeria’s socio-political predicaments but the people of Nigeria are the *real* cause of our own misfortunes. Yes, quote me!
I have always advocated that we should focus more on building good characters and sincere personalities more than thinking of building saintly political parties; that will be the greatest deception of the millennium.
I do admonish at any available opportunity that our academic institutions and by extension the entire macroscopic Nigerian society should strive to build the upright, integrity and humane character in our citizens, afterward, our politics and policies shall become saintly and our political parties will have cleaner operations with people-centric policies at all strata of government. If you’re one of those who complain too much about what Nigerian politicians do to cheat us as a people have you sat yourself down to think of what you would have done if you were in their shoes. I am not justifying misdemeanor but what I advocate is let’s build the you before the us.
The electoral process had improved drastically between 1999 and now (2022), kudos to the commission in charge but do we have the same rate of upward improvement in our party systems and standards? The answer obviously is a capital NO.
It remains a baseless argument from mere fibble minds that APC/PDP is the cause of Nigeria’s problem and those who relies on party like it will be the saviour or messiah are day dreamers. We build political parties, parties don’t build us. That our political parties have chosen to interchange and/or transfer active players is nothing but a trivial discussion. APC like other parties too must have being indulged although the magnitude may not be as significant as that of the big shot political parties.
To be frank, there is no registered and recognised party in Nigeria that will indeed not wish for huge influx of political bigwigs from other parties to decamp into theirs in order to give it more strenght if not credibility and assurances of readiness for the game of politics.
I have asked many to tell me where on earth is it a crime to decamp from one party to another for whatever reason the decampee so claim? It is part of the nitty-gritty of politicking and ingredient of democracy around the world. As it is with the game of soccer, so it is with Nigeria political system, at least for now until our democracy keeps growing and gets matured to a first world standard. We’ll get there by God’s grace (amen).
Okocha when he was an active super eagles player may have being nicknamed or abused whenever he fails to net the ball or convert penalty kicks despite his entertaining displays but he remains a player to fear by ANY opposition when on the pitch of play with the Nigeria team.
In a nutshell, I strongly believe that to fix Nigeria or our political system, we have to at first focus on fixing our individual personalities and few other societal menaces that are gradually becoming a norm. APC, PDP, APGA, SDP or what have you, are not our problems please. They are only a tool for mobilization to bring in people to power. Whichever way your car appears, clean or rough, what is important is for it to take you to your desired destination.
Deji Adebayo (DJB), a political analyst writes from Wuse, Abuja Nigeria.