APC And Its Web Of Deceit By Ogunjimi James Taiwo
I always tell people that when you define some terms, always know that for every term that exists, there's a separate Nigerian definition. It's in Nigeria that you fight inflation by producing 5000 notes. It's in Nigeria that you want to reduce child mortality rate and you're not building hospitals. It's in Nigeria that you want to reduce crime on the streets and you're taking people's means of livelihood. It's in Nigeria that you want your schools to be among top schools in the world and you're not funding education.
In the same vein, when people talk about APC and its attempt to revamp Nigeria's democracy, I can only laugh. APC? They want to evolve our democracy? The same people label themselves progressives yet they wine and dine with agents of backwardness. Do they even know what it means? Abegiiii...
You can only call APC progressive if progressive means bringing together strange bedfellows. APC can only be progressive if progressive means accepting every tom, dick and harry all in an attempt to build strength. I say APC can only be progressive if progressive means inviting enemies of the masses to join up and lead them.
If anybody thinks APC is taking us anywhere good, I say dream on. The only place APC will take Nigerians is to push more people down the poverty line. Using LASU as case-study, the only place APC is taking Nigerians is a place where only the rich can afford to send their children to school. Using Lagos state as example, the only place APC is taking Nigerians is a place where you will all be told to go back to your villages and live in the forest if you can't meet up with their pace? Using 2011 Presidential election (where Tinubu betrayed Ribadu and sold South-west to Jonathan) as case study, the only place APC is taking Nigerians is a place where leaders betray their followers when juicy deals come their way. Using Senator Yerima (and the overwhelming support of the defunct CPC senators for child marriage) as case-study, the only place APC is taking us is a place where we marry off our daughters from the cradle. Using Alli Ndume as case-study, the only place APC is taking us is a place where sponsors of terrorist organisations are granted bail even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Other countries may have passed through this stage and now enjoy 'democracy' today, but Nigeria won't. The mistake people who refer to this make is that they forget that those countries differed on policies; their disagreements weren't about who could loot the most, their wranglings weren't about taking in every enemy of the masses in the name of building strength. Their disagreements bordered on policies, their disagreements bordered on agenda and its workability. That is why they scaled through. The only thing Nigerians will be left with after ignorantly experimenting with APC is disappointment and a taste of defeat at having been used to achieve selfish aims.
A party that accepts everybody and brings in people who destroyed their own party, a party that brings in sworn enemies of the masses is a party that has nothing good to offer.
My only prayer for Nigerians is that we will awake on time and free ourselves from the web of deceit that APC has weaved before we mortgage our future and that of our children and before we sacrifice our survival on the altar of power play and greed.
The way forward? We begin to plan towards a people's revolution. We begin to put platforms in place. We begin to educate the masses. We begin a vigorous campaign to rid the ignorant of their ignorance. We begin a reeducation drive aimed at changing the orientation of the masses. A recycling of politicians won't take us anywhere; only a total overturn of the current system of governance can bring a lasting change to Nigeria, reclaim the nation from those who have made it their birthright and give Nigerians back their nation.
Down with failed politicians! Down with parties of deceit! Onward to a people's revolution!
Ogunjimi James Taiwo
December 2013
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