Chief Bisi Akande’s remarks suggesting that the APC membership registration and revalidation drive amounted to an aberration has continued to generate tension within the political circles. President Muhammadu Buhari had gone ahead in Daura, his home town, to perform his civic responsibility by registering personally, thus lending credibility to the overall exercise. However, this laudable effort by Mr President may not have gone down well with the likes of Chief Bisi Akande, former national chairman of the party and an insider who subsequently poured cold water on the entire process.
In a statement circulated to the media which appeared to ridicule Mr President, and which came as a rude shock to many political observers, he insinuated that the exercise amounted to a waste of time and money! But rising in defence of Mr President, the Forum of Concerned Citizens against Bad Governance (FCCBG), Abuja Chapter, described Chief Akande’s statement as unfortunate. “How can a senior member who should know and is a member of the same party contradict his boss?” the Forum asked in a statement released to the press.
The statement signed by Chief Sebastin Nwokolo revealed that this same Chief Akande was at the Aso Rock a few weeks ago to air his views on some important issues to the president. “Why did he not make use of the same channel to say this?” he questioned. Chief Sebastian argued that since the president is the leader of the party and has already endorsed the exercise, it was left for high ranking members to follow suit rather than criticize his efforts. “How will members of the public interpret Chief Akande’s statement? Will they not see it as insubordination?” he again asked.
Chief Sebastian then revealed that the action of the former APC national chairman only goes to show that they never appreciate anything outside their circles. “If something does not benefit them directly, then it is useless, that’s the type of politics they are playing”, he said. In another development, the Network for Good Governance & Democracy (NGGD) in their own statement made available to the media and signed by its Secretary-General Christopher Tiopat, they expressed surprise that such a powerful statement disagreeing with high-level party policies was issued by an influential member as Chief Bisi Akande. “There can be no vacuum in a government; if there were any separate views, that ought to have been thrashed out in-house instead of going public”, his association disclosed.
Mr Tiopat frowned at the development which tended to portray the APC as a party suffering from an internal crisis. “Once the president has approved the exercise, it is left for the loyal party members to follow suit and not hold opposite views. “Nevertheless, we know that what we read is the ‘voice’ and not the ‘head’ we cannot see but know”, he stated, calling on party chieftains to drop their personal ambition and rally round the party and the president. Earlier, a member of the House of Reps, Honorable James Faleke had also canvassed for a shift for the same exercise. Both Honorable Faleke and Chief Akande are believed to operate from the same camp.
