By James KANYIP
On 07/05/2018, the former nPDP, the acronym for ‘New PDP’ which was the aggrieved faction of the PDP that joined the APC before the 2015 general elections, wrote a letter to the National Chairman of the APC.
In that letter, the nPDP complained, among other things, of being marginalized, shortchanged and sidelined in the affairs of the APC, especially in the area of appointments despite the efforts and sacrifices its members made to ensure that APC won the 2015 general elections.
In conclusion, they called for an urgent meeting to be held not later than seven (7) days from the date of the receipt of the letter between them and the leadership of the APC. The letter was signed by Abubakar Baraje as the former National Chairman; and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the former National Secretary.
When I first read this public letter, I laughed. Nigerian politicians are a confused bunch of self-centred and self-serving personalities.
It was the same reason of marginalisation, shortchanging and sidelining that they gave for walking out of PDP in 2015. Why then are they giving us the same reason about APC in 2018? This clearly shows that everything is about their selfish and self-serving interests.
In the entire content of the letter, the nPDP did not address any issue of national importance as it affects the common man and the harsh cost of living ordinary Nigerians are currently passing through. The letter did not address the issue of insecurity and incessantly senseless killings going on in the country.
The letter merely focused on their selfish and self-serving political interests and how they have been marginalized, shortchanged and sidelined in the scheme of affairs of the APC. What this means is that they care less about the Nigerian common man.
This is more evident because the reason why they left the PDP in 2015 and formed the nPDP which was later amalgamated to form the APC was never in the interest of the common man, but to satisfy their political ego.
Their letter did not point out how they would have contributed to national development if they had been actively involved and engaged in the scheme of affairs of governance. Or, how, despite the alleged marginalisation, they have contributed or are still contributing to national development by virtue of their membership of the APC as the ruling Party.
I had said it elsewhere that APC is an amalgamation of strange bed fellows coming together to contract a marriage of convinience. The letter written by the nPDP confirmed this.
By writing the letter in their capacity as former members and leaders of the nPDP, they have clearly shown that APC is still a far-cry from becoming a united political bloc. It has also proven that APC is still segmented along the four (4) different political parties that came together to form it.
At this time and tide when all hands must be on deck to salvage this country, it is preposterous, to say the least, that the main concern of some politicians is how they will be politically relevant and not how to contribute to national development.
James KANYIP
26/05/2018.
