Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Oshiomhole party chairman or emperor?

The suspended All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman Adams Oshiomhole acted like an emperor instead of a party leader interested in winning

Sir: The suspended All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman Adams Oshiomhole acted like an emperor instead of a party leader interested in winning members to the party.

This was the same mistake made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which led prominent members to leave the party in the Goodluck Jonathan era. Before the 2019 general elections, he accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman of duplicitous behaviour on national television without proof. That professor was not respected despite his failings and that is the minus of our democracy where intellectuals are not valued. His imperial rant impelled the president to wing his speech became emotional and he blundered on prescribed punishment to election riggers.

Oshiomhole today is at war with Governor Godwin Obaseki, his handpicked successor and queries his certificate from the University of Ibadan (my alma mater). The Rip Van Winkle of Nigeria’s politicians.

For Nigeria to move forward the rich in this country must commit class suicide.

The proper use of national interests should not be for elections only. Every man jack in Nigeria today threatens and causes confusion in the polity and gives an ultimatum.

National interest does not mean the following of Manichean routes of seeking consensus, quashing the opposition and seeking agreement always for selfish reasons but a sense of humanity, vision and purpose.
 
Differences have to be tolerated and not have to be eliminated by violence or else there would not be development in Edo State.  

Our future wouldn’t be complete if projects are abandoned, treasures emptied at the expiration of tours of duty especially when the opposite party wins an election, wars fought only on party basis.

 
The party candle is needed to light Edo State and country without sullying itself.

It saddens to see most of us reduced to beggars in our own country blessed with overflowing quantity of ‘milk and honey.’

Those in the diaspora are also economic refugees all because of insensitive and self-serving people entrusted with managing our collective trust and power.
 
Leaders must never be elected on a platform of ethnicity, tribe and religious affiliation, not even on an unverifiable credential or degrees. We need to be reminded that where excessive emotion takes root, reason takes a flight. A paradigm shift from emotion to reason and reason to wisdom is required to enable us to get it right.

Simon Abah.

 

0 Comments