Politicians Warned against Sowing Seeds of One-party System

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu

Political actors have been warned against sowing seeds that could germinate and blossom as well as transform Nigeria into a one-party democratic governance.

A former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, sounded the note of warning in a chat with journalists in Enugu at the weekend.

He alleged that the political actors, including former Vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, who are now behind the opposition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), had in the past promoted one-party system when they belonged to a ruling party.

According to him, the people at the helm of affairs in ADC had encouraged a drift to one party state when they were in the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), thereby sowing the seeds that is now germinating to their own discomfort.

The ADC and other opposition parties have continued to express apprehension over the apparent hegemonic status of the ruling APC which has swallowed all the 36 states with only four states still under the control of the opposition parties.

But Okechukwu pushed back at the opposition, saying that their fear over the alleged drift into one-party state was unfounded, adding that ADC, and not APC, is the party fostering one-party system.

He insisted that ADC sould be held responsible for sowing the seeds of one-party state and entrenching it today through their past and present actions inimical to the Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.

The former VON DG, who is a founding member of APC, explained that the alleged drift towards a one-party state could be traced to the 2022 presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He recalled that the zoning convention was violently breached at the PDP presidential primary, thereby causing the sustained hemorrhage of the former ruling party.

The APC chieftain stated that the zoning principle was a foundational element of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, carefully designed by both military and civilian statesmen to promote unity, equity, inclusion, and national cohesion.

He noted that adherence to zoning principle has historically ensured a sense of belonging across Nigeria’s diverse regions, adding that this evidential political reality cannot be discountenanced by the opposition.

The APC chieftain said: “One is at a loss that respected eggheads in the ADC, like Dele Momodu, regrettably is not only stoking hatred by degrading the zoning convention as falsehood, but erroneously fanning the embers of disunity between the North and the South.

Momodu, who is a staunch supporter of Atiku, was quoted to have said: “Let us stop promoting this falsehood (about zoning). There has never been a time when the North did eight years and the South automatically had to do eight years. The constitution does not stop anyone from contesting.”

But Okechukwu countered that “one doesn’t begrudge Dele for rabidly supporting His Excellency Atiku Abubakar”, reminding Momodu that “inclusion is the bedrock of harmonious existence of our dear country, which is of paramount importance.”

He mocked ADC and asked the party to look northwards “where there is crisis and dissatisfaction (as it appears) that is where their opportunity lies.”

The APC stalwart listed several historical precedents to justify the premium of 4th Republic zoning convention inter alia:

“The personal sacrifices made by prominent politicians like flamboyant Abubakar Rimi, Adamu Ciroma, Umaru Shinkafi, Dr Sola Saraki, et al, without which Dele’s darling couldn’t had been vice president.

“Secondly, we must not forget how Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, one of our foremost patriots, denied his friend. Dr Peter Odili, his support and insisted in adherence to the zoning convention that the president must come from the North.

“Thirdly, Dele should please recall how Atiku bolted away in 2014 PDP’s presidential primary, shouting on top of his voice that President Jonathan had usurped the turn of the North.

“Lastly is the truism that in the 2018 PDP’s presidential primary which Atiku won, hosted by Nyesom Wike, then governor of Rivers State in Port Harcourt, that no southern presidential aspirants contested in obedience to the zoning convention, which is also expressly stated in Section 7 of PDP’s Constitution,” he said.

Okechukwu insisted that “equity, justice and embodiment of sense of belonging are the metaphor of zoning convention; which remains the foundation for the unity, peace and prosperity of our dear country.”

He said that there was cause for hope and joy as APC, PDP and Labour Party are all committed to zoning convention in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election, with only ADC still soliloquising and prevaricating on zoning formula.

The APC chieftain lashed out at ADC and its promoters, saying that “it is a pity that sheer opportunism is propelling (the party) to ignore Albert Einstein’s ageless admonition on foolish thinking.

According to Okechukwu, ADC was primed to “repeat the error of 2023 presidential election, banking on northern electorate, one of the most sophisticated that rejected their red herrings by voting for President Tinubu in 2023, and Insha Allah will do so again.”