This is an appeal to APC leaders in Cross River State to rise above pettiness as it is currently being exhibited by some members who are creating unnecessary obstacles and would want to impose non-existent conditions for the admission of new members or decampees from the PDP to APC. Article 9.1 of the APC Constitution is clear on membership eligibility.
It is disturbing that whilst in other states, the APC is like a church, launching out for new members, in Cross River State APC, the reverse is the case. In Cross River State, since the matter of new entrants being wooed into the party became public knowledge, some members, out of fear, have become paranoid.
Let it be placed on record that freedom of association of members into any organisation, including joining a political party of one choice is a fundamental human right only subject to the written conditionalities of the association’s constitution. Thus, Article 9.1 of the APC Constitution has set out how one becomes a member; it does not set out a situation of preposterous apologies or the selfish view of waiting until food is eaten by those who set the food before others can be allowed to join in the eating.
Cross Riverians are aware that some big time politicians who worked hard for the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari without necessarily doing so under the platform of the APC platform, want to formalise their membership of the party, and therefore, meanness and pettiness should not be employed to attempt to deny them their legitimate rights to join an association of his/her choice.
The puzzling issue is why would APC leaders from the Southern Senatorial District carry out the propaganda against the entry of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) when they are from the Central Senatorial District which Ndoma-Egba represented? When Ndoma-Egba in good faith led other Cross Riverians to congratulate the president for his victory in the last presidential election, these same set of leaders protested. For the avoidance of doubt, it is the desire of all progressive minded Cross Riverians that APC should grow so as to check the excesses of the ruling PDP. The leadership of the APC should key into the good works of the human rights and anti- corruption crusader, Chief Okoi Obla, a lawyer, who as an individual, has formed credible opposition against the activities of the PDP.
While no one is saying that new joiners to the APC should not follow due process, the unnecessary anxieties created because Senator Ndoma-Egba and others are being wooed to join the state APC is uncalled for.
It is an illiterate and indeed pedestrian logic to call for an apology on account of the actions or in-actions of a party, its candidates or supporters during election and or electioneering campaigns. If that were so, then the political parties involved in the last general elections are guilty and need to tender apology to other Nigerians. But under which law can this be predicated? President Buhari said it before that he is a president for everybody and for no one.
It is sad that at every attempt to create a formidable opposition in Cross River State since the days of AC to ACN has been thwarted by internal squabbles arising from suspicion and fear of competition. Why would party leaders relocate to Abuja to position themselves for political appointment? Does President Buhari give anybody the impression that unless and until one relocates to Abuja, he would not be given a place in his government?
Buhari made it very clear from the onset that appointment of persons to positions would not be limited to APC members, otherwise the Director General of the SSS, the GMD of NNPC, Prof Sagay, appointed to head the anti-corruption committee, and others already given appointments to suit their standing in society were not necessarily members of the APC. This should be noted. The state APC leadership is a victim of infighting inherited from the old AC transferred to the ACN and finally to the APC, otherwise why should a party scantily populated for now, show such sponsored apathy because big names are likely to be admitted into its fold?
If indeed it is true that former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, former governors, Clement Ebri and Donald Duke, former Minister, High Chief Emmanuel Nsan, Chief Sam Bassey, former Cross River State SSG and Head of Service, Chief Wilfred Inah, former Chief of Staff to Duke, Jimy Aniyom, former Rivers State Governor, Gen Anthony Ukpo, Chief Orok Duke, Hon Paul Ada, Ambassador Ekpang, former Secretary of the National Economic Commission (NPC), Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Nela Andem Ewa Rabana (SAN), and a host of other big names are speculated to be wooed by the national party to join the state APC, then common sense requires that Cross River State APC should celebrate in advance.
For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) did not at anytime come to Cross River State to campaign for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Governor Imoke gave the impression that he could do it all alone with his stooges in the PDP. Senator Ndoma-Egba was not at Ikom or anywhere in Cross River State during the presidential election since he was under watch.
The leadership of the APC should be traumatised by the fact that in spite of the heavy finances the national party invested in the state in the last general elections, the APC did not win a single seat to show for it and if an opportunity is about to be created to expand its membership possibly in view of the coming local government election, it should go for it with all sense of truth, commitment and diligence.
It is expected that the APC National Vice Chairman South-South, Mr. Hiliard Eta, has a responsibility to coordinate strictly the activities of the APC in the six states of the zone as laid down in Article 14.1 of the APC Constitution; he should be above board by refusing to domesticate his office or meddling into the state party affairs not reported to him by the state Chairman.
It is important to remind Elder David Okon, said to be the state Caucus member, that he has no locus to talk about Senator Ndoma-Egba, who has never represented him in his senatorial district, and that his argument that without him, the Cross River State APC would not have been as preposterous and traumatising. As an elder of the church, he should learn to stand on the side of truth not exigency or convenience.
I remain positive that the State Chairman, Pastor Usani U. Usani, is anxious to have his party extend its tentacles to get new members and would not be contented with the present smallness or littleness of the APC in Cross River State. Those at the vanguard of refusing to allow others join the APC should be bold enough to show to the national leadership the number of votes they scored in their various polling units and electoral wards if they are to be taken serious, otherwise they should shut-up and allow the party to grow.
If all the leaders of APC states selfishly acted as it is done here in Cross River State, certainly, President Buhari would not have won the presidency. As an alternative therefore, Senator Ndoma-Egba (SAN) should be apologised to by the National Vice Chairman for leaving his job as a South- South Vice Chairman to interrupt in the affairs of the party in the state.
- Eteng, a lawyer and anti-corruption activist, writes from Calabar