OPINION
By Magnus Onyibe
Magnus Onyibe, former
Commissioner in Delta State Govornment, Development Strategist, Futurologist
and alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, in this conclusion of a
two-part essay, suggests that APC should let the sleeping dog lie and embrace Dr.
Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker, House of
Representatives respectively.
It is noteworthy that change does
not just manifest only in one form, like from PDP and Goodluck Jonathan to APC
and Muhamadu Buhari which happened on March 28,2015 polls in Nigeria.
Change could also come in
different dimensions like the Aminu Tambuwal/ Emeka Ihedioha parliamentary
'coup' in the House of Representatives , 2011 when against PDP preference for
Mulikat Akande as Speaker, the pair emerged Speaker and deputy respectively.
Any keen political observer that
looks beyond the ordinary could have easily extrapolated and figured out that
since the 2011 defiance in the House ofRepresentatives was allowed to stand, it
was inevitable that there would be high possibility of a re-enactment by Yakubu
Dogara/ Yusuf Lasun in the green chamber in 2015.
So, it does not surprise me that
the rebellion driven by legislators thirst for independence, has now extended
to the Red chamber with Bukola Saraki/Ike Ekweremadu emerging as senate
president and deputy respectively in the 8th senate.
In a nutshell, it is a struggle
between two main ideologies fused into the APC that is the reason for the
existing political firestorm in APC and the NASS proclamation was just the
lightening rod.
APC should wake up to the fact
that it is no longer five small pies being shared by a few homogenised
politicians in different regions but it is now a huge pie which comprised four
to five pies mixed together (not yet blended) that should cater to the palates
of politicians with a variety of appetites and tastes spread across Nigeria.
Even in mature democracies of the
Western Hemisphere, what happened on June 9th in NASS is a rare act of
brinksmanship. So in addition to the rare feat of an incumbent president
accepting defeat without rancor, as Goodluck Jonathan did Nigeria has scored
another first in democracy ethos and culture, so she deserves more accolades
for such lofty accomplishment in her journey.
Just as Jonathan's early
concession of defeat defined his presidency in a lofty manner, it is to
president Buhari's glory that the legislative arm attained more independence
and better still under APC watch.
Most importantly,
parliamentarians should not allow political machismo be taken too far, blithe
the enviable democracy records, which Nigeria is currently basking in as
encomiums continue to be showered on Nigeria globally.
Some of our leaders are oblivious
of the fact that such democracy 'good behaviors' are rewarded by the western
powers. South Africa 'stole' the limelight from Nigeria when the hitherto
apartheid country elected her first black president, late Nelson Mandela in
1994 ahead of Nigeria after the then military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida
failed to keep his promise of returning Nigeria to democratic civilian rule,
following his annulment of June 12,1993 election believed to have been won by
Moshood Abiola.
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