The way to restore normalcy in APC is to uphold Party Constitution

By Great Imo Jonathan

“Unlike many of our party faithfuls who go about mouthing party supremacy in a manner to suggest that party supremacy is about the imposition of thoughts and desires of few individuals on the rest of party members, my believe is that the only thing that is supreme in the party is the constitution, and Mr. President has reaffirmed this position.”

I will like to appreciate President Mohammadu Buhari for the interaction he had with the Progressive Governors Forum yesterday and for insisting on following the party constitution in resolving all shades of crisis in the party.

Unlike many of our party faithfuls who go about mouthing party supremacy in a manner to suggest that party supremacy is about the imposition of thoughts and desires of few individuals on the rest of party members, my believe is that the only thing that is supreme in the party is the constitution, and Mr. President has reaffirmed this position.

A constitution is a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.

A political party constitution is an important facet of a political party and created in partnership with affiliated members and empowers the people through democracy to ensure their choice, opinion, view and voices are heard and reflected.

Reading through the All Progressives Congress’ Constitution, it shows that there are provision for a federal structure which also shapes the party system. The federal structure encourages wide dispersion of influence within the party ranks. Because offices and powers at the state and local levels are more accessible and often more important than those in the national. As expected, party organizations in each state and locale grow independent of one another and are largely free from sanctions imposed by any national party organization. This dispersion of party organization is heightened by the mandates or their expected role performances.

That is in addition to the fact that at the national level there are structures and hierarchy according to party constitution that prescribed the flow of power and the order in which roles are performed. In this case we have:
1. The Board of Trustees
2. National Executive Committee; and
3. The National Working Committee

These three are the institutional structures of the party at the national level and they are meant to function taking cognizance of the fact that the ward, local government and the states are were its members exist and the leadership required of them is for the wellbeing, good governance and orderliness of members at the grassroots and not for their subjugation.

As a matter of fact the three institutional structures of the party at the national level are so provided for the purposes of balancing escalating measures for effective leadership.

But unfortunately, the ongoing crisis in APC has exposed a major problem in the party, which is that the National Working Committee of the party has usurped the party constitution and its structures. Thereby undermining the expected roles of party structures in the wards, local governments and states. At the same time, it has taken over the constitutional roles of the National Executive Committee and has obviously put the Board Of Trustees of the party in redundancy by not even attempting to inaugurate it.

What is even more troubling is that the National Working Committee of the party itself has been privatised and the supremacy of the party which is supposed to be the supremacy of the party constitution is being construed as supremacy of few individuals who like slave masters demands obedience from members.

That is the rascality that brought APC to this present condition.

If we must be truthful to ourselves without being hypocritical, Oshiomole’s constant breach of APC constitution and disregard for the structure of the party is what led to this mess. And it is disheartening that some supposed educated party members are without the knowledge of the party constitution supporting him out of their selfish interest and personal desires and they term it party supremacy.

And I am forced to ask: is party supremacy not the supremacy of the party constitution? When did an individual become supreme in the affairs of APC to the extent that he began to promote personal interest as party interest?

Look, Oshiomole has committed a lot of infractions against the constitution of APC. Most glaringly he has subjugated the NWC, usurped the powers of the National Executive Committee and those of states and others below them. If our constitution is to be truthfully interpreted in any court of law in Nigeria in relation to most of the matters before them most of the things Oshiomole has don so far remains null and void.

From the processes of deciding the mode of primaries in Edo state, without recourse to the National Executive Committee to the manner of waiver granted to Ize Iyamu without due process of party constitution Oshiomole trampled on our party constitution. For example for anybody to get a waiver he or she must be a membe of the party to get a waiver from the National Executive Committee, provided he or she is a registered member in a ward and his or her application is made through his or her ward, local government and the state executive to the National Working Committee which will present same to the National Executive Committee for approval. Oshiomole undermined all these processes in his desperation to impose a candidate on APC in Edo State.

Then I wonder why we are shouting party supremacy when the party constitution is roundly violated.

I believe in the supremacy of our party constitution. But when we look at a lot of things that have been done so far our constitution has been severally breached, even by Oshiomole.

If you have read our party constitution, there are expected role performances for all organs of the party including the NEC and the SEC. Being an NWC does not give anybody the power to usurp their fundamental roles.

In fact let me tell you that going by our party constitution Iyamu is not yet a member of APC and his waiver is flawed because the process for application of waiver was not followed and his waiver was not granted by the NEC of the party which is the organ of the party with the power to do so. I want anybody to read our party constitution on that and tell me if I am wrong.

There are countless breaches including the one Oshiomole committed earlier when the National Legal Adviser of the party, Honourable Babatunde Ogala had to reprimand him in letter written that was made public where accused him of usurping the responsibilities of his office.

These are just few examples.

We can’t be talking about party supremacy as if it is the supremacy of one man or few individuals. The supremacy of the party is the supremacy of the party constitution. And whence we are refusing to obey our rules of engagement we can’t blame those who have gone to court to seek the interpretations of an instrument upon which they are associated with party. The attempt at using hypocritical shout of party supremacy without recourse to party constitution is pure blackmail. Or at best witchcraft. You can’t pick and choose to fit your personal interest or self ego as party supremacy.

The party must learn to respect its constitution. Simple.