When the Governor of Ekiti State and Chair of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi said what should be regarded as a Warning Notice to the governing party, APC, early this year, not a few saw it in a bad light or at worst a needless alarm to achieve a premeditated end. A rude new year rant from someone they love to hate. But like a visionary Fayemi has proved to be on many fronts, from activism to governance, development expertise to strategic thinking, the recent culmination of the crisis in the party leading to the eventual dissolution of the party hierarchy has again added another feather to the many caps of the gap toothed egghead, as a prophet who spoke in time.
Fayemi during an interview with Daily Trust, which instantly went viral and got dispersed, depending on where the wind led it to, wayside, among thorn, on hard rock and good soil, had warned that ‘ if we are not careful, (referring to his party, APC) if we do not institutionalise processes and procedures in the party and make sure it is more inclusive than it is, we will not have a party when President Muhammadu Buhari leaves government. This is because he is the unifying force of our party’. Governor Fayemi had called for a party that was ‘organic’ and not just a vehicle for election purposes. A party that can outlive the present administration thereby having the span of life to deliver on its long term manifestos and impact a long lasting progressive, democratic values that will take the country out of the musical chair of perennial stagnation. But politics took its toll on that timely warning as the hawks feasted on it with each having a chunk to deal with the way they wanted.
But between then and now the party had gone through bitter intra party squabbles and mud slinging only reminiscent of the dying days of PDP when the then ruling party was in power and became it’s own opposition. The ensued irreconciliablility among bickering members led to its disintegration and eventual loss of power, leading to the demise of a party that once prided itself the largest in Africa, with self prophecy to rule for 60 years.
APC was on the same route until last week when President Buhari weighed in and reined in his feuding party men. But not until some members had stormed out of the party and the foremost organ of the party, NWC, dissolved. A caretaker committee is now in place and saddled with the task of a revamp. Since the President’s eleventh hour intervention frayed nerves appeared to have been soothed, bickering suspended or did it end? The many court cases from different members against one another and the party at various levels being joined are being withdrawn. Reconciliation emissary is already traversing the country visiting stakeholders to bring the party from the brink. All because the President spoke. Isn’t that Fayemi’s Homily at the Daily Trust? Who could have brought a halt to a repeat in APC, the PDP’s self immolation of 2014, if not the President? What state would APC have been today if it carried on for another week or month without the President’s intervention? Why is there calm in the party with automatic alacrity after the President rang the bell to still the raging storm? The answer Governor Fayemi provided long before now, that is, because the president ‘is the unifying force of the party’.
Meanwhile, it’s not yet uhuru for the governing party as it is until the party goes back to Fayemi’s offering, that is, ‘institutionalise processes and procedures in the party’, ‘make it more inclusive’, make the party become organic and not just an election single purpose vehicle. For how long can the party continue to rely on President Buhari’s larger than life image in the party to function as a purposeful political party? What time has APC left with President Buhari in the saddle to continue to intervene at critical and challenging times, which before the next election may become more often? What time has APC left to take advantage of President Buhari’s superintendence to do what Fayemi prompted it to do?
President Buhari’s recent intervention is first step or the starting point of a great task before APC today, the critical task at hand is the process of making APC a party and not an agglomeration of strange bedfellows who rally round a beloved common hero. This is what Fayemi called for and the party may have cause to thank the Ekiti thinker not too long a time if it listens to the timely call for self consolidation. Only loyal, genuine and concerned stakeholders reflect and raise alarm while others engage in revelry in the face of certain disaster. Until the APC and its many gladiators who ride on the prestigious horse of a ‘governing’ party today see beyond politics, blackmail, hate-branding and stereotypes, they may be disembarking from the horse so soon, abruptly and roughly too as the prophet has said. Enough said!
