From nPDP To rAPC: What Does Galadima et al Want?

The news wave was recently awash with the news of the emergence of what has been named the reformed All Progressives Congress rAPC by its proponents. This splinter group which is chaired by a onetime die hard loyalist of President Muhammed Buhari Alhaji Buba Galadima said it was coming out with the splinter group because the present administration has failed to address their grievances which  they said they have persistently highlighted in their parley with the government and party representatives.

As I continue to ponder on the decision of the former nPDP members to attempt to create division in the party which has been made stronger by the emergence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as  Chairman, I continue to wonder what the promoters of the rAPC really want. Is it an altruistic stand or are they trying to blackmail or arm-twist the party to do their bidding which clearly is not to the interest of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari's second term bid.

The resort to blackmailing the  high performing administration of President Buhari was made more laughable with the statement made by the chairman of the rAPC Mr. Buba Galadima and I quote ‘’Nigeria faces an existential threat arising from three years of near destruction of this country and the exacerbation of our ethnic, religious and divisive cleavages. We will in concert with others offer real change to Nigeria. Not fake change''. As I reflect on this statement of Mr. Galadima, I am forced to ask if they were carried along the way they had expected would they have made such scathing statement of the present administration? The truth of the matter is that Mr. Galadima and his fellow rebels are self centred people who do not want the progress of the country but the progress of their pockets.

If there is any group within the ruling party that has benefitted from the success of the APC in government today, the nPDP or the transmuted rAPC has benefitted very well. They have the Senate President, Speaker of the House Reps, many Governors, Senators and Ministers on their fold. With these positions what do they really want?

It is important at this juncture to state that the Buba Galdima led rAPC is a deceit that will not last. The fact that they succeeded in the past under the Goodluck administration which was clearly a failure does not mean they will succeed this time around because the political atmosphere today has changed. Nigerians are happy with the President especially considering that he has delivered in most of his promises the fight against corruption being one of such. Employing an atavistic method that worked before surely will not see the light of the day because Nigerians are wiser.

Nigerians are aware that the fight against corruption by the Buhari administration is the motivating factor for the emergence of the so called reformed APC. The Senate president Bukola Saraki who is facing corruption trials at the Code of Conduct Tribunal should face his trial quietly and stop mobilising people to politicise the trial because it will not fly as far as we Nigerians are concerned. The fact that any of them is having issues with the government should not be a basis for blackmailing the government or arm-twisting the government to drop such cases since anti corruption is a major plank that brought the present administration to power and the administration is not willing to compromise on that.

As they continue to expose themselves through their macabre dance, my advice to the 

Mr. President is that he remains steadfast in his promise to rid Nigeria of corrupt political office holders. The so called rAPC does not have the power or appeal it once boasted of. Its rank is depleted and the worse they will do is to continue to rant.

The South East geopolitical zone recently hosted a pro Buhari rally and if the crowd that thronged the venue is put into consideration vis a vis 2014, we can be rest assured that Nigerians are satisfied with the performance of the Muhammadu Buhari administration and there is nothing the disgruntled Galadima led rAPC will do to change the narrative.

With the emergence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole I was of the view that they would have waited to see what he does to address the grievances which they have stated but the speed with which they have applied in announcing a faction from the party shows that they had already made up their minds to tow the path of mischief. This fact was buttressed by a critic of the party Sen. Shehu Sani who said Comrade Oshiomhole's emergence will not change anything because they have made up their minds to leave.

Leaving the party is not an issue because people are daily thronging into the party but my angst against Galadima and co is that they should leave quietly and stop polarising a party that is getting stronger by the day due to the quality and selfless leadership at the party and the Executive. Nigeria is destined for greatness with President Buhari and no amount of blackmail will change it.