Lack of internal democracy crippling Kaduna APC

Th e need for internal democracy to be sustained in our nascent democracy was reiterated last week when two senators from zone 1&11 in Kaduna State were among many who disagreed with the method the APC in the state handled the issue of delegates. What is disturbing to APC supporters in the state is how Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi emerged among those kicking against the decision of the government to appoint the delegates instead of electing them from the local government levels.

If Senator Hunkuyi is not on the side of the government then the perceived foes of the government are getting too many for the government to contend with. Hunkuyi though a relatively unpopular senator was able to secure his position through President Muhammadu Buhari’s waiver. Pundits believe he is old in political terrains and it was through his political structure that Governor Nasir El-Rufai was able to maneuver the APC primaries to his advantage. Moreover, he was the chairman of the campaign committee that saw El-Rufai to the Government House. A further division within division is what is quite disheartening to us.

Th e ‘enemies’ are getting too many, the storm is getting murkier and our mandate is becoming more vulnerable. Th e governor should act urgently to save us the disgrace and the embarrassment of APC losing the next election in which I can sense the possibility of the great chance of the opposition to send the APC out from Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.

Senator Shehu Sani and his core men have every right to be part of party activities in the state but the governor’s inability to carry all the people that matter along has generated huge problem that may result in losing our mandate. When a governor compromised the guidelines for congress and connived with his minions and just write the names of his loyalists, while election is required to select the delegates, you should expect resistance from people. Whatever happened during the press briefi ng at NUJ Kaduna was caused by the governor.

If he had played by the rules, the sad incidence would have been avoided. It’s either he adheres to the election guidelines and maintain peace and democracy or violate it and prepare for disgrace, embarrassment and resistance from democrats. My major concern on the APC saga in the state are: It is good that all the political gladiators in Kaduna APC are obviously ambitious.

Th ey are El-Rufai, Hunkuyi, Sani, Kajuru, Hakim, and Ashiru. Th ey are aspiring for the coveted seat of the state. Hunkuyi has tried it three to four times, Kajuru twice, Ashiru once and Hakim once as a senator, as afterthought, after obviously losing. It is good to be ambitious but our prayer is that their personal ambition should not override the collective will of the people of Kaduna State. Th ey should not appear desperate by resorting to violence. Violence consumes the innocent and ends up as a dog trailing its perpetrators. Th e governor is creating more enemies to his throne and the supporters of APC as a party and I don’t think it will plant a useful result. Jamilu Bello Dogarawa, Zaria [email protected]

Leave a Reply