APC – Waiting on a Messiah, By Muheez Busari

“A citizen is able to decipher, to a large extent, if this is the party to mortgage his future, and possibly that of his off springs.”

I have been away on what I term a spiritual rehab, as I believe that man should at some point in his life have a time when he meets exclusively with his creator, and during this absence a new political ‘mega’ party was ‘officially’ registered in Nigeria.

All Progressives Congress (APC) is now ‘trending’ on social and news media platforms home and abroad. Congratulatory messages abound. Personal identification, endorsements and numerous association with the new ‘political bride’ have ensued from all and sundry; except of course, from members of the ‘largest’ party in Africa (People’s Democratic Party- PDP), and other ‘weightless’ parties who didn’t get an invite to the ‘marriage’.

Words in the wind inform that there have been multiple ‘smaller’ party mergers before this party came to be, hence the qualifying word: mega. Nevertheless I’m waiting to see/hear the next move from the officials of this new mega party in the next couple of weeks, perhaps months. I am very much interested in the nature of the elements that have come together to form this ‘mega’ party, their short and long term visions. Suffice this to say, I am waiting for the party’s almighty manifesto.

For the believers in faith, after the creation of the world, the Supreme Being gave the holy book for the guidance and preservation of man throughout his existence on earth. And from time immemorial, believers refer to these scriptures. The manifesto of any political party should play a not-too-dissimilar role. This manifesto, pardon my French, is the Qur’an/Bible that sheds light and gives the ordinary citizen insights into the essence, aims, objectives, modus operandi and enduring stature/character of the party. All of these inform of the political party’s ability, readiness and commitment to deliver on its goals and vision for itself and the citizens of a nation. This enables potential members and voters find out if the party’s ideological leanings and aspirations align with their wants and needs. A citizen is able to decipher, to a large extent, if this is the party to mortgage his future, and possibly that of his off springs. Would this be the nation’s political ‘air plane’ to the proverbial ‘Canaan’?

On some social platforms, threats and boasts are beginning to criss-cross alluding to how PDP will be buried in the next elections from some quarters. This I think is rather premature. APC is at its teething stage, as I would still like to maintain that I don’t know the officials yet, and such political bragging, veritable reminders of the politics of old which has made Nigeria a ‘nation of Babel’ today, shouldn’t be adopted. Laudable and randomly verifiable statistics on national development and growth, the kind that citizens can attest to with a hearty smile, should be credible points of political accomplishments. APC should beware of this early pitfall, lest it perishes before its teeth grow.

Being an optimist, the new mega party could be a blessing for the country. Enter, two large and strong political parties serving as ‘a check and balance’ in the democratic system, thus giving the nation the opportunity of credible but different ideological points of view, towards charting a positive course for the nation. But this can only manifest if, and only if, there is a genuine political agenda with the launch of this new mega party, which aims to wrestle power from the incumbent party in the country.

I hope to see a manifesto that’s development and growth driven-Patriotic, Transparent and Visionary. This document is key to the stability of a political party and members should be bound to ABIDE by it, in action and in deed. I dare say that the non-implementation of this same instrument of guidance and operation by the incumbent party has continually set ‘cats among its pigeons’. This has doggedly stifled all forms of visionary and progressive leadership. Internal wrangles and shenanigans are the order of the day. The duties of national governance and House debates have been abandoned for personal vendettas and aggrandizement. Now, the polity is ever so corrupt and the country is almost moribund. The people are disenchanted yet lethargic. Never, since the Civil War I believe, has the need been so great and the time so ripe for a fresh class of well-meaning, genuine citizens to seriously aspire to revamp the nation in the real sense of the word.

Beware the ides of our clime!

The nation needs no regional party, myopic characters, mendicants foraging for daily bread, usurpers and vendetta boys brigade, old men parading as youth leaders, intellectually bankrupt messiah, re-cycled politicians and a host of other political highway men.

May I remind you, lest you have forgotten, that the faithful works/walks by faith, and submits to the will of the invisible Being. In the current rift and distrust in the political climate, provide citizens with inches of solid, reasonable manifesto and you will assemble yards of believers. With a well-nurtured party leader/follower relationship, a harvest of political power for ‘true’ national development is not impossible.

A blessed ‘marriage’ is blissful in a united accord, stands the test of time and surely bears fruits, for the good of all.

Muheez Busari is a Postgraduate scholar in Postcolonial Studies. He currently shuttles between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.