TUNDE BAKARE: BEWARE OF A NAKED MAN WHO PROMISES YOU A SHIRT

I believe in one principle that no destructive means can bring about a constructive end. The issue is, if the thrust of the APC merger is just to wrest power from the PDP there is no reason for Nigerians to laugh and to rejoice, because we might end up getting rid of one set of treasury looters to be replaced by another set.

Remember that some of those people emerging are good and some are bad. I can vouch for the integrity of Maj Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, based on how he conducted himself while in public offices and that was one of the motivating factors for me to accept his invitation to run with him as the vice presidential candidate during the 2011 presidential election. I don’t have anything against the merger arrangement, otherwise, I would have spoken out loud and clear long ago and don’t forget that CPC is part of the arrangement.

The important thing is to bring out to the public what is the motive. Is it just to wrest PDP to the ground and take over power, or we have a better package in terms of welfare, in terms of development, infrastructure and others for the nation? If they claim to have other plans apart from the desire to oust PDP, then we can begin to judge a man by his deeds or by his words.

For instance, a proverb says, ‘beware of a naked man who promises you a shirt’. Lets go back to the states these people who are promising to perform wonders under a merger arrangement are running. What is their total receivable and what development have come into the states and councils under their control? It is then we can judge that there is a bright future for Nigeria under their arrangement. 

For now, we are waiting to see what would be the constitution of the new party, to see whether we are going to have true democracy or we are going to have- pardon my language, na me born am, na me give am bele. I can appoint anybody I like, this is my party I’m the one running it.

It was loud and clear on television during the birthday of former governor of Lagos, Bola Tinubu, when Governor Babatunde Fashola stood up and said to Tinubu, ‘I was sent by other members of the ACN to tell you to try and make ACN more democratic than it is’. Tinubu retorted:  ‘If I have done that, you Fashola wouldn’t have become a governor, you cannot bend a dry fish; if I didn’t use my goodwill to impose you on the people of Lagos State you cannot be where you are today.’

Is that what we are going to continue to have under APC? If that is it, then we are most likely to find ourselves in a worse situation than we are now in the country. Merger would have been a good thing for us because it will deepen our democracy if the constitution and the manifesto of the new party are geared towards public service and not personal interest.

There is no mystery in anything. I have said earlier that a destructive means cannot bring about a constructive means. If people come together for a common purpose and for the interest of the nation and the people, merger will work, but a situation where every man has hidden agenda behind an agenda and when they couldn’t get what they want they destroy the arrangement is the problem of our politicians.

I have nothing against the arrangement. Remember that the merger committees were formed by the parties involved to engage one another, to fine-tune and finalize the future and every other thing relating to the merger; so why should I be holding another press interview? It is true many people felt I have been very quiet over the arrangement but Buhari himself has not been talking much on the issue since we have a committee in place already. I am not part of the committee.

But the South West zone of CPC is complaining, that it was sidelined by the party leadership in the selection of the committees, which is already factionalising the party?

I don’t know and I wouldn’t think so. But if there is such a thing, I feel it is an internal arrangement that must have been resolved by now. Such a strategic and important committee that will engage other intellectuals from other parties cannot be a free for all. The party sat down and worked within the purview of its constitution to decide who and who should be a member of the committee.