images Yes, this is the big question for the leadership of the All Progressive Congress, especially its presidential campaign organization.
In its typically hypocritical posturing, the APC, this time through its campaign organization, just came up with another one of its many delusions that they have always designed to try to fool Nigerians. They think that by repeatedly making wild and hysterical assertions, they can very easily deflect attention from their very many transgressions.
The APC presidential campaign spokesman said in their latest press statement that the PDP is ‘disinterested in Nigeria’s unity’. We are forced to wonder what this is all about because, unless Mr. Garba Shehu and his gang have reconstructed the meaning of the phrase, it is hard to find any allegation that is laden with greater contradiction in practice.
For starters, we will like Nigerians to ask the APC which is the political party that has shown a greater level of ‘disinterest’, that has demonstrated the greatest lack of interest in Nigeria’s unity? Which is the political party that has, by its own identity, symbolized the very essence of provincialism and parochialism? Which political party has, by its origin and evolution, conduct and proclamations, manifested all the symptoms of centrifugal nationalism and a tendency towards its own clannish creed and its exclusive fraternity?
Which is the party whose only realistic chance of being competitive in this election is to seek political alliances based solely on regional, ethnic cleavages? Which is the political party whose core objective is to weaken the center and make the federating units believe we do not need each other? Which political party whose flimsiest utterances are designed to antagonize and sow mutual suspicion among the component units of the Nigerian nation?
The same political party that operates by blackmail and threats of parallel governments and self-determination turns around to accuse the ruling party of ‘disinterest in the unity of Nigeria’. The same party that habitually denigrates and disparages sacred national institutions like the army, like the supreme constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, now wants to give a lecture on national unity and national cohesion. The same party that cannot make the elementary distinction between the exalted office of the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and their animosity towards its occupant, now think they know something about national symbols of sovereignty and corporate existence.
If the APC claim they know anything about national unity and corporate existence, much less subscribe to its tenets, how about starting with apologizing to Nigerians for the reckless insinuations they have made since their formation and since the beginning of this campaign about the nature of the insurgency and the disposition of national institutions towards fighting the insurgency. Can the APC find the courage to apologize for the fact that they have worked harder than any group in the country to politicize the insurgency and the fight against this menace?
If members of APC do not recognize the gravity of their posturing, their attitude and their utterances through the course of the current campaign, then it might be necessary for them to go take a serious lesson in patriotism and political responsibility in order to be able to convince anybody that they are serious about governance at any level in the country. If, however, they recognize the basic tenets of nationalism and responsible political agency, but chose to simply play to the gallery for political gains, then it is a very sad commentary on the role of the opposition towards nation-building and the progress of our democracy.
From their conduct and the consistency of their tactlessness in addressing critical national issues, it is clear that they are neither mindful about the progress of our democracy nor committed to the sanctity of the Nigerian project. However, the least that Nigerians expect from any political organization that is even minimally committed to this process is to show good faith, even when its members are legitimately entitled to the freedom disagree and to aspire to political governance of the country.
For the APC, this would simply mean that they first remove the log from their own eyes before they try to look for the spec that is not even present in the eyes of those they accuse.