APC’s utterances and Nigeria’s democracy

BY NWOBODO CHIDIEBERE

After my recent intro spection on the inflam­matory comments from some APC leaders, especially Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, I was inspired to embark on a review of the many incendiary remarks of opposition politicians in the country. During the “Salvation rally” organised by the APC in Abuja, Governor Amaechi vowed that: “if the 2015 elec tions are rigged, our party would not seek redress in court but would rather carry out civil disobedience, as well as form a parallel government.”

He also reiterated his position at a function organised in Abuja not long ago, where he accused President Jonathan of “supervis ing a highly corrupt government.” He was quoted as saying:“What is the essence of going to court when the Federal Government doesn’t obey the law. That is why the APC has said we won’t go to the court any longer. If you rig us out, we would rig ourselves in; which means if you can rig us out in 2015, we will form our own government. We have met on that and we have agreed on that. We will install our government and there would be two govern­ments.”

The burning questions rag ing in the minds of Nigerians are: who determines whether an election is rigged or not? Is APC really ready for 2015 elec tions, or is it preparing for war? Is APC prophesying its failure at the polls ahead of time? This condemnable statement is clearly a further evidence of the current penchant for reckless statements in the country. It is pathetic and unimaginable that a man who was, himself, a beneficiary of ju­dicial process would disdain the very ladder that brought him to power.

When did politicians of the APC fold metamorphose into a Supreme Court Justice to pass judgment on the conduct of an election? Where did they derive powers to assume the responsi bility of Nigerian Judiciary? The opposition party is indirectly telling Nigerians that it will insti gate a crisis if it does not win the 2015 presidential election.

To show that Governor Amae chi spoke the mind of the APC leaders, its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in his speech said: “If we do not see any discernible change of at titude on the part of government, then we will move to the next stage on the list of actions that our party intends to take to stop the rot being perpetuated by the PDP-led Federal Government”.

The above statement substanti ates the view that the APC may be a threat to the stability of the country, if it fails to unseat Presi dent Jonathan in 2015 presiden tial election. The APC’s National Chairman should as a matter of urgency elucidate more on what he means by “…the list of actions that our party intends to take…”

Taking into consideration the above statement vis-à-vis the statement issued by the APC’s spokesperson, Lai Mohammed: “Let us remind the Presidency, in case it has forgotten, that elec tion fraud triggered a civil war in Algeria in the early 1990s, which led to the killing of over 1000 people in post-election ri­ots in Kenya in 2007/2008 and fired a near-revolution in Iran in 2009/2010”.

As a die-hard Nigerian whose patriotism cannot be dampened or extinguished by the politi cal grandstanding of opposition politicians, I beg to ask, is this a precursor to the change the op position party has been promis ing Nigerians? Is there a relation ship between the APC besieging of the Headquarters of Nigerian Police Force via its “Salvation rally”, with the recent fracas at the National and the insistence that Hon. Aminu Tambuwal of the APC extraction, should con­tinue presiding over a House dominated by the PDP, thereby violating the universal principle of democratic ideology, where majority rules, but the legiti mate interests of the minority are cared for through the dictates of civil discourse and mutual fair ness?

In the light of the foregoing, vis-à-vis the intent of section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I think Hon. Aminu Tambuwal has lost both the con­stitutional and moral rights to en ter the Green Chamber; let alone preside over it as Speaker.

The APC’s insistence that Hon. Tambuwal remain the Speaker of the lower chamber against the constitution of the land is tanta­mount to anarchy.

The recent impeachment threat against President Jonathan by pro-APC lawmakers and the provocative statements emanat ing from APC leaders attest to the veracity of this article that the APC may truncate Nigeria’s democracy. Nigerians should not fold their hands and watch this happen, because sovereignty be longs to the people.

Nwobodo Chidiebere writes from Abuja.

Chidieberenwobodo@yahoo. Com