By Deji Olarewaju-Aduroja
The recent insinuation of the Zonal Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in South West, Chief Karounwi Oladapo about the newly constituted Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State was an incongruous reasoning meant to bring sentiments into important issues, letting his emotions and whatever tenuous affinity supersedes his objective view point.
Karounwi needs to know that as an organized and well structured party, it lies within the prerogative of the National Executive leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to select the members of the Caretaker Committee as well as its Chairman and Secretary.
And since the Caretaker Committee is an interim body, having non-indegenes of Ekiti as its Chairman and Secretary does not negate the Constitution of the Party. It was a strategic and well thought and designed arrangement to sustain the operational tenacity of the Party’s activities in the State pending when all issues and challenges at hand would be resolved.
Ambivalence is better than a negative perception, and would do in a pinch. For Karounwi or any member of APC to attribute such scheme as a weakness or lack of confidence in the leadership of the State’s chapter, is to reflect a sentiment and seek solace with the bits that his Party can comfort itself with.
It is worthy of note and commendable that PDP has taken the bold steps at inaugurating its Wards executives and the State’s Congress notwithstanding whether there are resolvable issues pending before the Federal High Court.
How does one describe the situation of a Political Party which deliberately made nonsense the progressive ethos of internal democracy? Such that instead of conducting equitable primary elections that would produce the popular and astute candidates for the last general elections,
APC has chosen the inglorious backdoor that gave birth to the travesty of Automatic Tickets, Unity Lists and consensus candidates. And those were exactly what played out at all levels- Wards leadership, Councillors, Local Government Chairmen, States Assembly and NASS.
Too funny that any APC leader could come out to raise an eyebrow about the conduct of a better organized Party like PDP. Imagine a ruling Party that has become too complacent with the situations that it finds itself, such that, as the situation worsens, it seeks newer comfort levels to adjust to. Its persistence in continually finding a comfort zone has made the ruling party numb to the things it’s supposed to fight to change. It is that numbness that has given its leaders the mojo to take the members for a ride in all facet of Party activities.
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Hence the fidelity of the so called ruling Party to development and progressive ideas have mostly been dependent on the whims and caprices of only the leaders who blunder their way through their ranks. From the ineffectual LG chairmen to the state governor, while the State’s legislative arm has shown no inspiration to chart a progressive course for their polity.
Never in our recent political history has there been such a disconnect between the ruling party and the realities of the Local, State and national life.
One cannot but pity the APC spokesman, Mr Karounwi, who has continued to be caught up in the drama of the mundane, exhausting his vituperations and anger on PDP because of his inability to secure a seat in the House of Representatives having lost in 2007 General Elections and went further to lose in the Elections Petition Tribunal.
He has since remained stuck in the fugue of his hatred for the People’s Democratic Party and has consistently being used by his hatchet leaders to create tensions in PDP, some of which led to the crisis and inconclusive process in the last PDP’s congress that resulted to seeking remediation in Court.
Karounwi seems to have recently engaged in a cross campaign for membership with the unenviable mission of creating smoke where there is no fire, as he has been peddling lies and empty allegations that cannot be sustained with truth. Rather, the wind that is supposed to fan his Party’s fire into conflagrations that would sweep the PDP away is fast and intermittently blowing APC’s smoke away. With that clarity comes the sad realization that APC has nothing to offer Ekiti except the promise of inclusion in divvying up whatever is left in the saddle.
While Karounwi and some of the minions are basking in the euphoria of inglorious expectations of new membership, those with foresight and hindsight have started deserting the sinking ship of APC with their life boats before it capsizes and witnesses a final wreckage. And quietly, we are seeing nocturnal decampees while the sand is shifting rapidly under APC feet in Ekiti.
Aduroja is a former Councilor writes from Ikole-Ekiti
