The exodus

As the saying goes those that don’t adapt are threatened with extinction. This is the way of nature.After the APC broom swept away the governing PDP from central power during the last presidential election, some decamping PDP members (some may have economic crimes in their résumés) have shown their dexterity and speed in seeking a […]

As the saying goes those that don’t adapt are threatened with extinction. This is the way of nature.
After the APC broom swept away the governing PDP from central power during the last presidential election, some decamping PDP members (some may have economic crimes in their résumés) have shown their dexterity and speed in seeking a safe haven. And where could be safer than being within the fold of their old adversary the APC, and now the ruling political party. Political mercenaries intent on marring the success recorded by the APC are also migrating to it. Vigilance must be the watchword for the APC in containing plans by these fifth columnists to inflict injury on it.
Political defections are in themselves not bad things. The reason behind the move tends to determine how a defector is perceived and labelled. If a politician has that illuminating moment of realisation that their principles are at variance with the party line, then the most honourable action would be shifting lanes to a more ideologically matching party that projects those values being canvassed.
Unfortunately, we have on our hands a situation where the switch tends to be motivated by this morbid fear of the consequences of being in opposition with the attendant risk of exclusion from government largesse and / or the uncanny realisation that losing an election may be a loss for the political party but not necessarily a loss for its members. So if the tree gets hacked down a bird can fly to the next one and build a new nest.
Perhaps the exciting scena-rio that may come to fruition is the complete takeover of the APC by those PDP decampees that have identified how adversity can metamorphose into opportunity if skilfully handled. You have to respect the intelligence of these politicians that think laterally and are not limited by guilt. Is this case of evil genius or political and economic strategy?
This is definitely not an entirely new script. Some Nigerian politicians can be fickle in seemingly rigid matters like party loyalty. Cross carpeting happens all the time and some of them are so adept at it that you could forecast the weather more accurately than you can be certain of which party they belong to on any given day. During this administration, defections have been quiet numerous culminating in the number four citizen dumping the ruling party to pitch his tent with the APC.
 The crux of the matter for Nigerian voters is – have they been short-changed and outsmarted by these somersaulting politicians? Considering that they very clearly and unambiguously voted for change in the last presidential and national assembly elections by voting the PDP out. The correct answer to this particular question depends on how the APC and President elect Muhammadu Buhari respond to the influx of these new change converts.
Buhari and APC have received a people’s mandate and trust. They owe Nigerian’s security, peace, stability and a better life than that experienced under the PDP government.
Our political parties and politicians need to move on from the politics of everything goes to the politics of ideology, principles, policy directions, ethical conduct and accountability. Parties must carve out their verifiable identities that effectively diffe-rentiate them from each other, thereby giving voters a range of choices depending on the big issues they choose to prioritise. Party names, slogans and symbols cannot be the sole criteria for soliciting members and voters. What a party stands for must be effectively and lucidly communicated to Nigerians by its manifesto and detailed plans of action for delivering on campaign promises. We, the Nigerian citizens and voters amongst us, must exercise our civic duty by insisting that the APC remains true to its defining unadulterated true character or it risks losing our blind faith in its redeeming pledges.
If the APC does not define its identity and what it stands for, then Nigerians have a right to insist on having a clear message and roadmap enunciating its plans and programmes early on before this wave of ex PDP stalwarts pollutes and derails its focus on delivering the dividends of democracy. The party, by virtue of having the executive arm of government and a majority in the Federal legislature will not have any excuses for mediocre performance during the next four years. It must therefore protect itself from the overbearing influence of larger than life party godfathers (that are already in the APC and those that led the PDP on the road to electoral defeat). This mistake must be avoided at all cost if the APC is to effectively avoid a similar fate suffered by the PDP come 2019.
Buhari’s incoming govern-ment has the thorny and uncomfortable fiscal crisis festering and waiting in its in tray. The economy is in crisis and national revenues and reserves have drastically reduced. Exchange rates are unfavourable for an import dependent consumer economy. The gap between revenue and expenditure in our national budget calls for plugging leakages and a diversification of the revenue base coupled with a more serious enforcement of income tax laws and more efficient collection. Of course a policy of zero tolerance for public and private sector corruption must be diligently enforced.
 Another option of dealing with our immediate monetary requirement is both novel and innovative. This is where the APC government has to show pragmatism in deploying solutions for the myriad of problems it will inherit from the outgoing government. This option has to do with corrupt government officials seeking redemption and a way out of being brought to justice. Perhaps an opportunity with a win-win outcome has presented itself. These categories of economic saboteurs deserve no pity or concessions if we had an ideal situation on our hands. Personally I detest plea bargaining and sucking up to these renegades that through sheer greed have by their reprehensible actions denied our country its place in the world as a dominant economic force. Unfortunately we do not have the privilege of not being in need of these stolen funds. It probably will be more rewarding for the teeming unemployed youth and disenfranchised members of our society if we were to offer this group the opportunity to repatriate their immense hidden wealth back to Nigeria as investments in various segments of the national economy. Term limits of a minimum of 20 years can be imposed to prevent against termination of these investment before their benefits are actualised.
The other option is to prosecute and tie up these corrupt former big men in court for years giving them the opportunity of controlling such massive amounts of money with which they will definitely undermine the government and delay repatriation of funds desperately needed for national development. Tough choices. But then governance is about hard choices and also about choosing what is more beneficial to the populace even if unpalatable and bitter.
The decision on which option to choose rests with the president-elect after he is sworn into office on May 29th, 2015 and the buck stops on his table.

Ahmed wrote from Abuja <[email protected]>;