{"id":7889,"date":"2013-08-07T07:39:55","date_gmt":"2013-08-07T07:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/now-that-apc-is-registered\/"},"modified":"2013-08-07T07:39:55","modified_gmt":"2013-08-07T07:39:55","slug":"now-that-apc-is-registered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/now-that-apc-is-registered\/","title":{"rendered":"Now that APC is registered"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many political observers have called it a triumph of reason over expediency. This is coming fast on the heels of those who had hoped that the All Progressive Congress (APC) will not be registered as a political party, even as they are now going to town with all manner of conspiracy theories as to why the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) took that bold step. Before then, not many had given the commission a chance that it would act independently, especially in our compromised political climate where every official and national institution is seen as a government running dog and lackey.<\/p>\n

But in deciding to redeem the image of the electoral body, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has not only sent a strong message but also given the country every reason to believe that his team is out to clean the nation\u2019s Augean stables. With this, the country will now be witnessing intense politicking in the days ahead, as many politicians are wont to align their interests with the present realities. In times past, the vast majority of them have come to see politics as a bread and butter issue, with only interest in joining the ruling party\u2019s gravy train to reap the bumper harvest that comes with contracts and patronage. Not that the registration of APC will herald any dramatic change from the way politics is played here, but some analysts believe it would bring some element of sanity and curb the Janus-faced attitude of itinerant politicians whose footloose disposition of jumping from one party to another in search of personal glory has become legendary.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, the registration of APC may not even bring a new consciousness in the business of politics as some of those now celebrating will eventually discover. This is because those in the vanguard of its renaissance are still wedded to the past and have been unable to project themselves as national leaders. Therein, lies the party\u2019s \u2018Achilles\u2019 heel\u2019, which the leaders will redress if they are desirous of getting a critical mass of followers that can make any electoral difference in the forthcoming general elections. When the present registration euphoria must have subsided, it would become otiose on Nigerians to meticulously scan the party\u2019s modus-operandi, and even its manifesto to see whether they are representative of their political interests and voting intentions.<\/p>\n

Curiously, the way the party leaders have been going about their registration victory, betrays the impression that their only ambition is to dethrone the ruling Peoples\u2019 Democratic Party (PDP) and take over power for its sake. What they intend doing if ever they come to power has been largely missing. One would have expected them to let Nigerians know how they will restore efficient and uninterrupted power supply that has become a luxury in the past 30 years. What they intend doing about the nation\u2019s dilapidated roads, rails, schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructures and how long it would take to bring them back to reckoning? Nigerians expected that while waiting for registration, the party leaders would have mapped out a blue print to put the millions of jobless and hapless youths back to work and so curb the astronomical rate of crimes and break down of social order.<\/p>\n

For now, all the drums and noise are drowned in the frenzy of unrestrained celebrations of registration. The time to hit the ground and start running is now. Probably, they are waiting to produce their presidential flag bearer for the next elections, as that could be the deciding factor in the tricky permutation of occupying Aso Rock. For long, the country has been caught in the vice of monumental disillusionment brought about by years of clueless military rule and lackadaisical civilian administrations that found it difficult to put themselves through rigourous discipline that comes with leadership.<\/p>\n

Without equivocation, the ways of our present leaders are no better than their predecessors, as they are vain and lacking in any commendation. This is because the country\u2019s politics is not underpinned by any veritable political ideology. What we see as national politicians are a pot-pourri of warlords in quest of self glorification. And unless those trying to replace President Goodluck Jonathan can be convincing enough to dispel all doubts, the present fancy footwork would amount to nothing but dancing on the same spot. Those now hailing Jega\u2019s master stroke, claim that the coming of APC would install a two-party system guided by ideologies and not personalities.<\/p>\n

If history is any guide, it is still early days to hazard that this will eventually turn true. It is one thing to hurriedly put together a contraption for the purpose of fighting an imminent election and another to nurture it to a national institution capable of surviving short term political ambition and inevitable mortality. While it is a welcome development, is also serves as a notice on the PDP to stop taking Nigerians for a ride. Now, it will be a herculean task for the party to convince Nigerians on why it should retain power in 2015. But the onus of bringing the PDP to the fighting corner is dependent on the APC as the opposition. If not, it would have discovered that even corteges always dance to the beat of drums and trumpets to the cemetery<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: National Mirror Newspaper<\/p>\n

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