APC And The Integrity Question

                                                                                    

                                     APC CHIEFTAINS

It is obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is battling with the question of integrity since it opened its doors for the defected members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), a party it has consistently branded of corruption and the destruction of the country. I disagree with this position anyway. The APC members call themselves progressives and that they represent change and want change for the country. One is however disturbed by the admission into the APC of defected members from the PDP; a political party they have denigrated and maligned over the years. First, the APC said the PDP is corrupt.

If the PDP is corrupt as the APC want to have us believe, why did the APC accept into its fold members that defected from the PDP? It beats one’s imagination that the APC that prides itself as a progressive political party could allow supposedly corrupt politicians from the PDP into the APC. One would have expected the saintly APC to have closed its doors against anybody from the PDP since they perceived them as corrupt people. Methinks, the APC should have raised a brand new group of Nigerians that have never been into partisan politics but it turned out not to be so. But is the PDP really corrupt? Is the PDP really destroying the country?

Also, the integrity of the APC became more questionable when its members suddenly turned the residence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to mecca with many visits in 2014. In one of such visits, the APC Presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari said, “I have come with my running mate, who is also your son from Ogun to solicit your support and blessings in our journey. You know this country far better than any other person and we believe that with your wealth of experience and support, APC will do more better than what this government is doing”. So, former President Obasanjo has a wealth of experience yet the APC said the PDP had destroyed the country!

 The National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu added his voice by saying, “You have surmounted a number of crisis. Nigeria is divided more than before. To realise a stable Nigeria, we want to encourage you to continue to speak the truth. We have resolved and determined to rescue Nigeria. We want you to be our navigator”.  Is it not out of place for progressive people as they claim they are in the APC to seek advice from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who led the country for eight years under the same PDP they claimed is corrupt and had destroyed the country? What type of advice did the APC want from former President Obasanjo? Did the APC want Chief Obasanjo to advise them on how to become corrupt since they say the PDP is corrupt? Or, did the APC want Chief Obasanjo to advise them on how to further destroy the country? If these are not the reasons, why would a supposedly progressive political party like the APC that is vilifying the PDP for corruption seek advice from a man who led the country for eight years under the same PDP? The action of the APC defies all sense of reasoning and logic.

 I have not seen this type of politics where members of a particular political party will brand members of another political party as corrupt people but as soon as such people defect to that same political party they become saints and people of integrity over night! The only thing that qualifies any politician in Nigeria today to be a person of integrity is by allying with the APC. This is strange politicking!

It is obvious that the APC lacks integrity that is the reason why it speaks with both sides of its mouth. With one side of its mouth, it would say the PDP is corrupt but with another side of its mouth, it would seek advice from the former President Obasanjo who led the country for eight years under the PDP. This is a character of a political party that lacks integrity. From all indications, the APC is desperate to grab power at all cost. This is the reason why it can in one breath denigrate the PDP and in another breath admits politicians that defected from the PDP. It is however unfathomable that some Nigerians can easily fall for the political gimmick being dangle by the APC. They call it change; what change are they talking about?

Nigeria under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan has witnessed the growth of democracy as he allowed the registration of the All Progressives Congress. This has opened up the political sphere, giving opposition opportunity to thrive in this country. This is commendable and should be sustained. President Jonathan also signed into law the Freedom of Information Bill which has offered Nigerians the right to access information from individuals and organizations without inhibition. For Nigerians to continue to enjoy this robust democratic practise, President Jonathan should therefore be re-elected.   

Immediately the APC was formed, it garnered the supports of some Nigerians who thought the newly formed political party would demonstrate integrity but recent events have shown that the party does not have integrity but merely want power by all means. This is why the APC can degrade the PDP but when members defect from the PDP to the APC, they are eulogized to high heavens by the same APC. Nigerians do not want this type of change.