An x-ray into CPC’s avoidable blunders
Nigerians, especially CPC supporters, don’t need the reminder by Mike Ahamba to know that the party lacks internal democracy. In fact, General Buhari’s indecisiveness and his inability to free himself from manipulation by CPC board of trustee members such as Alhaji Sule Hamma and Buba Galadima are largely responsible for the interminable crises facing the […]
Nigerians, especially CPC supporters, don’t need the reminder by Mike Ahamba to know that the party lacks internal democracy. In fact, General Buhari’s indecisiveness and his inability to free himself from manipulation by CPC board of trustee members such as Alhaji Sule Hamma and Buba Galadima are largely responsible for the interminable crises facing the party. These two men seem to be holding General Buhari hostage and turning him into a marionette, bending him in whatever direction they want to suit their purpose. It is curious why General Buhari cannot assert himself in the larger interest of the CPC.
General Buhari’s integrity is not enough if he lacks the ability to resist any attempt by any powerful individuals on the board of trustees to impose their preferred candidates at the expense of those freely chosen by the people. Suppressing the will of the people is the gravest threat to democracy. General Buhari should have the courage to support anyone who emerged the winner in any freely conducted election. A leader that truly loves the progress of the CPC should not involve himself in the suppression of the will of the people. Once elections are freely and fairly contested, anyone that emerge the winner must be declared without situation. In a democracy, the interest of a few should not and cannot supersede the will of the people.
Unfortunately, that seems to be at the root of the internal crises facing the CPC. Lack of internal democracy and respect for the will of the people was largely the reason that compelled General Buhari to leave the ANPP and form the CPC. It is strange, therefore, why lack of internal democracy should manifest itself in a political party associated with General Buhari. In fact, it is not enough for General Buhari to be preaching to Nigerians to defend their votes, when he is allowing some powerful individuals within the CPC to suppress the will of the people. Can General Buhari take the moral high ground to preach transparency to the rogue party called the PDP when his own party has no respect for the choice of the people?
Are the wishes of the CPC board of trustee members superior to the will of the people? If that is the case, the party leadership should not conduct elections for any office; instead, they should impose their chosen candidates. If the CPC leadership believes in democracy, then it has no choice but to respect the wishes of the voters. General Buhari should realize that leadership is not only about personal integrity but also about standing behind the truth. Can his integrity be enough if he lacks the courage to stand up to Alhaji Sule Hamma and Buba Galadima and say, “Hey men, you either respect the will of the people or ship out.”
The former Minister of Environment, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura had recently told the BBC (Hausa Service) that Alhaji Sule Hamma and Buba Galadima are the biggest albatross around Buhari’s neck. He accused them of manipulating General Buhari for their own private advantage at the expense of the General. Nigerians should commend the courage of Sani Zangon Daura for telling General Buhari the home truth. Once the CPC leaders operate within the democratic system, they must respect the choice of voters or risk crises, thereby weakening the support base of the party.
Currently, there is tension and anxiety because of the refusal by the CPC leadership to release the results of the gubernatorial primaries of the party held in Kano State on January 12th 2011. There are well-founded suspicions that the results are delayed because the outcome didn’t favour a contestant in the good books of certain board of trustee members. If this board of trustee members didn’t like the democratic process of letting the will of the people to determine a winner, why did they allow the gubernatorial election to hold in the first place? There is a time limit you can delay the announcement of results whether they favour the board of trustee members or not.
It is public knowledge that the boards of trustee members who are plotting to suppress the will of the people have no record of wining any election in their own right. As a party for the people, the CPC should not be run like the Chinese Communist party where the choice of the voters is of secondary importance. The CPC cannot afford to take the will of the people for granted or else, it will face revolt. General Buhari’s indecisiveness and lack of self-assertiveness to resist any attempt by anybody to suppress the will of the people is mainly responsible for the internal crises facing the party. Leaders without popular support are like a general without troops! Can General Buhari afford to allow those without political base to frustrate those with massive backing? Already the General is being perceived as too weak due to his inability to check the excesses of the leaders of the Buhari Organization who contributed to his previous political debacles. Can General Buhari continue to allow himself to be misled by these powerful leaders of the Buhari Organization who approach politics academically and thereby repeatedly making it impossible for the General to realize his presidential ambition?
Bilyaminu wrote from 38, General Hassan Usman Katsina Road, Funtua. Email: [email protected]