By Oguwike Nwachuku
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi issued a statement on Monday and painted a picture of a party that is the best thing to happen to Nigerians out of more than 70 political parties in the books of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Abdullahi’s statement was in respect of the APC regime that just clocked three years on Tuesday, May 29.
Year on year since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999, we congratulate ourselves over the momentous occasion of May 29 which is tagged Democracy Day.
For the 16 years the now opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) held sway in office, Democracy Day was one occasion celebrated with such pump and circumstance that the then party leaders looked forward to it if you understand what I mean.
So much money could exchange hands during Democracy Day for the fun of it. Today, regardless of the pretenses, it is the same old story as I shall avail us why shortly.
Congratulating Nigerians for the 2018 Democracy Day, Abdullahi said: “Indeed, our journey as a nation since 1999 when we returned to democratic rule has not been an easy one but our country has soldiered on. We have built on the gains of those early years fractured by military incursion and now 19 years after, our democracy and polity are stronger. We have conducted successive elections and have continually improved on the transparency and credibility of our electoral systems.
“Remarkably, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has continued in the country’s proud tradition of being a bastion of democracy in the sub-region and across the world, as seen in the current administration’s lead intervention in ensuring representative governance and peaceful transition of power in the Gambia.
“On this momentous occasion, we should congratulate ourselves on the strides we have made in our political journey as a country since independence. For one, military rule is now distant memory in Nigeria. We must now work collectively to improve our democracy because regardless of its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of government that can best serve the interest of our people.
“As a Party in government, our commitment to address our current challenges, which find expression in the economy and security, remain unshaken. We urge all Nigerians to continue to pray and support the current administration’s effort to build a peaceful and greater nation.”
Ordinarily, Nigerians are supposed to be rejoicing not only because the party in power today – the APC –promised them change, but because our democracy is getting older.
In the build–up to the 2015 general election, the APC sold what many today believe is propaganda to the inner chambers of Nigerians’ hearts such that the citizens started desiring to have the party come on board as quickly as possible so that they can feel the change the party promised them, having been tired of the PDP government.
Today, May 29, 2018, as Nigerians mark the much talked about Democracy Day, it is doubtful how many of them can, with every amount of certainty and courage, speak glowingly about the invincibility of the APC in terms of character of the members, commitment to common goal, and above all, sincerity of purpose.
Several APC die-hards may not agree with this, but the untold truth remains that the popularity many Nigerians (including yours sincerely) saw trailing the APC prior to the 2015 general election which they thought could have made it the party of the future has ebbed considerably and will continue to ebb.
Many may argue that four years term is not enough for the APC to fulfill its promises to Nigerians and, that three years is even too small for a government to make the desired impact.
But the point must be made that many Nigerians think that they are worse off today than they were three years ago when the change of APC reverberated across the length and breadth of the country. I will explain shortly.
On Monday, May 27, yours sincerely was at the popular Air Force Mechanic village on Agege Motor Road, Lagos to attend to his troubled car. One of the apprentice auto mechanics who simply goes by the name Papa (by the way the young man may still be in his 20s) stunned me when he described all our leaders as criminals who do not deserve his vote again.
Papa, a friendly and smart young man had asked which part of Nigeria I come from when I exchanged pleasantries with another of their customers at the workshop. I decided to engage Papa to know where he too comes from. You, where do you come from, I asked? “Kebbi State,” he said but feigned ignorance of the name of his governor in apparent show of disdain over the attitude of our leaders.
To my greatest surprise, Papa did not betray any sign of one not in tune with political developments in the country in general and his environment in particular.
From the scorecard of the ruling APC after years in power, to the comment made by President Buhari recently castigating Nigerian youths as lazy, the forth coming 2019 election, the flamboyant lifestyle of our politicians (APC members inclusive), the lies that are becoming the stock in trade of the party and other matters you will least expect that Papa could be familiar with, he was simply awesomely knowledgeable despite what he does to earn a living.
“I will not vote for anybody in 2019. They are thieves. They steal everything and they do not care about us. Those in the House, you only hear about them when they fight and how they steal money. Me, I will not vote for anybody. We have never seen the change,” he charged.
When I probed Papa further to know his thinking about Buhari, the man APC members think his reelection will be a walk over his response was more confounding and damning. “Is he not the one who said we are lazy? Ok. Now I am here working to survive but he went outside Nigeria to say I am lazy and came back to apologise. Does Buhari have company to employ me? I do not know of his company. They are all the same. I will not vote again he should go home,” he added.
But how about Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos where you live? Papa sounded more sarcastic. Na Bus stop wey go chop? Bus Stop wey Ambode dey build up and down, people dey work for there? Abeg, all of them na the same. Thieves!
I am sure many Nigerians have stumbled on the video trending on the social media where the Leader of the APC in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila was marking the 50th birthday of his wife and brazenly and audaciously displaying in a childish manner, the gift of a G-Wagon Mercedes Benz he was said to have bought for her. While some say the car costs N75million others put the cost at N100million.
By the way, Gbajabiamila belongs to the genre of APC change flag-bearers who preach anti-corruption, patriotism, hard work and all sorts of garbage just to get at those they thought denied them power for 16 years before the APC ascended three years ago.
In the House, when Gbajabiamila speaks, he does so with the confidence of one who is infallible, one detached from corruption tendencies.
As far as the APC is concerned corruption is a cardinal sin and the leadership has signposted its fight as a major achievement these past three years notwithstanding the selective way the party goes about it, all in an attempt to diminish whatever any one may want to recall as the gain of the past leadership, the PDP in particular.
As Nigerians groan that the promise for a sound economy, secured country and anti-corruption – the three cardinal agenda of the APC-led government – is yet to be felt by them three years down the road, and one year to the end of the life of this administration, the likes of Gbaja, renamed Gbajabiamila for political reasons, are busy displaying a car bought at N100million. What a Democracy Day gift to his beloved wife!
As the House Leader, he should be ashamed that he has given nothing to the masses he superintends over their lives in the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly contrary to his party’s promise.
While Gbajabiamila’s wife is rejoicing over that great gift, the husband and his party have left the people in more misery, poverty and dejection. They have left them unprotected, unwanted, and unloved. They have rendered the people more vulnerable than they thought they were prior to 2015.
They have misled the people with lies, lies and more lies. What Nigerians easily remember today are the mass murder of citizens. Families recall everyday how their wards go to bed without food despite the propaganda that investment in agriculture had halved the poverty and hunger level of Nigerians in ways unprecedented in our political history. Families remember this government more as one that makes it difficult for them to pay their wards’ school fees.
Abdullahi may have praised the APC, but can someone please remind him that it will be difficult to forget characters like Gbajabiamila whose demeanour confirm that corruption under the APC has been rebranded? It wears a different apparel.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, has simply reiterated what is common knowledge among Nigerians, that members of the National Assembly demand bribes to carry out their constitutional duties?
While delivering this year’s Democracy Day lecture at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Monday, Jega said he has “spoken to quite a number of chief executives who complained of high demand for bribes from members of the National Assembly in the name of so-called oversight functions.”
“Some chairmen of committees at the National Assembly are notorious for seeking for bribes,” said Jega.
I am glad that President Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen and other top government personalities were seated as Jega upbraided our “Right Honourable” lawmakers.
Forget that Jega may be speaking from where he appears, or may have been brought to speak ill of the legislature to favour the executive, but what he said on Monday is already in public domain. Corruption did not exit in government circles with the APC sacking of PDP government. It is still the same merry go round scenario.
The significance of Jega’s statement is that President Buhari who thinks he has done so well in the area of fight against corruption may realize soon that his regime could be more corrupt than the ones he has been itching to probe because of the goals he wants to score in this season of politics.
Is it also any surprise that my friend Papa understands our politicians too well hence his resolve not to vote for any of them?
Shouldn’t Papa be the one citing the good things the APC government has done to change his live in the past three years of coming into office rather than President Buhari cataloguing his achievements and Abdullahi labouring to remind us of what they think the APC has done?
Methinks the only reason Nigerians discuss Democracy Day is simply because it provides them the opportunity to stay home and rest, otherwise, let those who think it is a day to take stock of what government had done for the people do a rethink.
It is left to be seen how the APC will survive on the Change mantra next year because as far as many Nigerians are concerned, both APC and non-APC members, it is hurting.