MUIZ BANIRE: APC HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A SHRINE OF PERSONALITY CULT

Today, our own party has been reduced to a shrine of personality cult where party members do not see themselves as democrats; where aspirants do not see any reason to patronise their constituencies in winning party tickets. All roads lead to one leader or the other.

 These personalities plenipotentiary posses the almighty fiat to determine who is the next councillor in every ward, who is the next chairman of each and every Local Government, who secures the ticket of the party to go to the House of Assembly, House of representatives or the Senate; who is the next governor of the State by whatever machinations possible.

 Alas! How can democracy be secure in the hands of a few who dispense political kun fa ya kun as they please? There are no further developmental projects in most Local Government Areas as the Chairmen have no sense of accountability to the masses but rather to their appointor, in the same manner that there is no accountability at virtually other levels to the people again other than the political masters.

 These are factors that many resent in our party and at times would rather work for the opponent. This was the scenario that played out in 2011 during the Local Government election in Lagos in which many of our people, out of protests, went and supported the candidate of the opposition. What followed thereafter is a story for another day.

 In many cases we present the most unpopular candidate who probably even lost during primaries at the expense of a grassroots politician who is preferred by huge majority of the members of the party. A continuation of this illicit practice can never guarantee the future for democracy and I see it as a challenge in the on-coming 2015 election.

 What Osun 2014 has taught us is to present popular and best candidates for elections through democratic and transparent primaries. It simplifies our work even when the opponents are most devilish with all forces of tyranny at their disposal.

I recently observed in one of my recent papers and I have found same apposite here that it is imperative for a people to constantly engage in critical examination of their welfare and existence.
The reason for this is for us not to fall into the pit of a strong man who rarely knows the limit of his strength but to rather be like a wise man who always tries to ascertain the limits of his wisdom. It is the popularity of Ogbeni that won the election for us. Take it or leave it.