THE DULLSVILLE ACCORD

Two weeks have flown by since Buhari's inauguration as President and it's been an eventful couple of weeks. What is one to make of the past fortnight? The answer(s) depend(s) on who one asks. 

From the perspective of the deposed PDP government, it couldn't have gone any better. From the viewpoint of the new party in government, it couldn't have been more chaotic. An average and apolitical Nigerian wouldn't hesitate to say the omens for the change they voted for are not looking too great. 

The events of the past week in the Senate and the House of Representatives have set a narrative for the running of the 8th Assembly, and the PDP are laughing all the way and sticking up the middle finger at Nigerians. Whichever way one looks at it, the PDP will define the Buhari administration if extreme care is not taken. The heart and soul of the Legislature is now firmly in the grip of the PDP. The amateurish way in which the APC conducted itself in the run-up to the elections of Principal Officers in both Houses has robbed it of a large portion of the goodwill of Nigerians. Their honeymoon period is even much shorter now, and rightly so. The blame is three-fold. 

Firstly, Buhari displayed a distinct lack of leadership and foresight in responding too late to the brewing unrest among the APC ranks in both Houses. While it may be commendable not to dabble in the affairs of the Legislature, the way and manner of his aloofness was ill-conceived. How it could escape his judgement that the APC was elected into office to deliver the promises made to Nigerians, and that a Senate and a House of Representatives leadership that would help to deliver the change that we overwhelmingly voted for would be desirable, is beyond reason. His intervention needn't have been along the lines of handpicking the officers, but Party discipline should have been the preeminent consideration. I mentioned it in my video blog a day before Buhari's inauguration that party discipline is a strong indicator of government discipline. A party in government that lacks discipline lacks the wherewithal to be effective and the capacity to deliver on their campaign promises. It isn't far off the mark to suspect that Buhari was very deliberate in the tardiness of his attempt to intervene when he called a meeting of all APC Senators and Reps away from the national Assembly, while simultaneously giving the nod for the leadership contests to go ahead. He didn't even show up at the meeting he called!! This was shoddy, to say the least, and collusive in nature. Since nothing of note has happened on the Executive front itself, it isn't unimaginative to term the shenanigans of the past week 'The Dullsville Accord' between a mutinous section of the APC and a slow-off-the-mark President. Such Presidential errors of judgement and lack of decisiveness should be cut out. Buhari has to step up to the plate and justify why Nigerians went through hell to get him into office. While he's at it (it is a tad shameful that he should still be confusing 2015 with the '80s) he should bring himself up-to-date. There's no such thing as West Germany any more, and Chancellor Merkel is certainly not President Michelle!! Just in case he didn't know, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi are all deceased!

Secondly, Bola Tinubu's overbearing influence on the affairs of the APC has to be seriously curtailed. Tinubu should stop acting as if he were the only decision maker in the party and he should realize that a truly democratic governing party is essential for a successful government and a hopeful nation. Tinubu's interests should not take precedence over those of the party; the age of godfatherism in politics is dying out fast. He should curb his ego and stop destabilizing the party with his insistence on always having the last say. He should be a party man and not a party god. Internal party democracy is invaluable.

Thirdly, Saraki's personal ambition blinded him to reason. Like I indicated in my previous post, he needn't have dined with the devil to get his wish. He still would have won even if all the APC Senators were present. Had he won in that fashion, he would have been blameless because he had a right to aspire to office just like anyone else. What he did was to actually let in the PDP through the back door and made a nonsense of the whole thing. How could you have an APC Senate President and a PDP Senate Deputy President and a PDP Senate Leader? Saraki has caused damage to party discipline and cast doubt in the minds of the vast majority of his colleagues in the Senate and the party at large as to his loyalty to the cause. He has behaved very badly indeed, and the sooner he apologizes the better for party cohesion.

Nigerians are watching and waiting for the manifestation of the change programme we voted for. 

No more room for errors.          

  

BACK IN THE DOLDRUMS

Nigeria has swiftly descended from the euphoria of a hard-fought victory to the basement of the horror of the recent past. A couple of questions spring to mind: Is Nigeria truly accursed? Have we unwittingly pinned our hopes on the carcass of the PDP?

Before Buhari even spends a night in Aso Rock, his would-be government is already in tatters. Whatever change we believed we voted for has been cast aside by one evil masterstroke. In whose interest is Bukola Saraki serving? While it is unwise and uncharitable to knock him for being ambitious, it is relevant to question the real motivation behind his implacable desire to be Senate President. Should Party unity be discountenanced in the pursuit of such personal ambition?

This political gambit by Bukola Saraki has seriously imperiled this long-anticipated programme of change, and dented the confidence in this new government before it even begins the most arduous task of rebuilding our nation. It is disheartening beyond belief. The way and manner the whole election for the principal offices of the Senate was conducted amounted to nothing but a coup; a coup against Nigerians. The ramifications that would emanate from this seemingly innocuous act of betrayal would be dire and painful for the running of a progressive government we all thought we voted for.

Like I said earlier, I personally don't see anything wrong in any person to be aspirational, but when it negatively impacts upon the cohesion of the party in government, it smacks of nothing but betrayal. The unity of the APC is now in serious jeopardy and the PDP can't believe their luck! To rub it in, we now have a PDP Deputy Senate President in Ekweremadu and a PDP Senate Leader in David Mark. Can anyone imagine the absurdity? How Buhari can now effortlessly push important bills through the Legislature remains to be seen. Bukola Saraki and his old party have effectively castrated the APC government before our very eyes. Is it beyond the realms of possibility that Bukola Saraki goes back to his old party? To 'de-decamp'? How wrong we were to think the PDP has been humbled!

Then again, I don't expect this to be the end of the matter. The pity is intrigues will now dominate the agenda of the Senate at a time when Nigeria simply cannot afford it, what with all the challenges we face? No matter how hard Buhari now tries to move things forward, he'll be handicapped by political machinations in the Senate and frustrate his efforts on many fronts. There is no doubt about that. He'll be stymied at every opportunity to the detriment of Nigerians who have suffered long and hard under the strain of corruption and impunity for 16 years. 

Is there any hope for a resolution to this impasse? The APC was caught napping by the masters of politicking and trickery. Shouldn't alarm bells have been ringing when Saraki refused to attend a meeting called by the Vice-President yesterday, even though denials of him calling the VP an ordinary Commissioner were swiftly issued? The APC needs to learn, and fast. The balance of power has now decisively shifted in favour of the PDP, there can be no doubt that. Saraki is, for all intents and purposes, back in their camp. He can no longer be trusted, it's as simple as that. Any resolution that may be found would only be temporary and distrust will continue to widen the crack. The APC must surely learn from this political faux pas and fast-forward the programme of change before more unwelcome developments arise. Nigerians will not stand for excuses. Any undue influence that may have been at play in this whole sordid affair that resulted in their capitulation in the Senate must be nullified without delay. True democracy must reign in the party if it is to succeed in government. Saraki and the PDP have just taught the APC a lesson, another lesson could be fatal. Sort it out.

We'll see how Buhari will play his hand, but Nigerians can only hope that this rude awakening is put in the right context and his agenda for change is pursued with vigour and decisiveness. We refuse to be back in the doldrums.We expect.