Matters Arising: Party Supremacy vs Individual Ambition & The Collective Good.

Since the APC emerged as the ruling party riding on the ‪#‎Change‬ mantra it has been one week, one controversy. The election of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives was the final straw that seems to divide the chord that once held all the players in one accord.

As if the emergence of Saraki and Dogara against the wishes and aspirations of the party leaders was not enough, the election of Principal officers in both chambers of the NASS was another needless controversy.

In the Senate, three of such positions has been filled remaining one more to go from the South West. Bukola Saraki had his way as he got his preferred candidates for the post of Majority Leader and Majority Whip. He claimed his hands were tied as the reason why he cannot accept the list of the party's preferred candidates for these positions.

In the Green chamber, Dogara was not as swift as Saraki in naming the Principal Officers. His attempts were rebuffed and the fracas degenerated into a show of parliamentary shame as decorum was thrown at the dogs and the hallowed Green chamber was turned into a boxing arena.

This fracas led to the adjournment of both chambers of the NASS for one month to allow fray nerves calm down.

The major talking point of today's NEC/NWC meeting shall be the impasse in the NASS. Saraki has one more slot for Principal office to be filled while Dogara has four.

The election of both Saraki and Dogara is a done deal. Likewise the nomination of the three Principal officers announced by Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

A good gambler knows when to hold on and when to walk away. This is calling on Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara to climb down from Mt. Olympus and pay heed to party’s supremacy. They cannot continue to hold everyone to ransom.

Dogara should learn from Hon. Aminu Tambuwal who allowed the wish of the party to prevail by accepting to work with Hon. Mulikat Akande as Majority Leader after he was elected as Speaker against the wish of the PDP NWC in the 7th Republic. Leadership is all about service to the people, and anyone can be called upon to serve the people. They must not insist on having it their own way! They must make personal and collective sacrifice at this auspicious moment in our chequered democratic history. The alternative is a recipe for chaos and disaster!

I no gree, I no gree, as the Warri man will say, naim dey tear trouser. They must agree to disagree and disagree to agree. At the end of the day everyone will emerge as a winner.

The NWC of the APC must come out stronger from the coven and begin to chart a new course for Nigeria in line with the #Change mantra.

If they fail to do this today, they shall have themselves to blame as the long suffering and traumatised people of this potentially great country have developed a short fuse for leadership ineptitude and cluelessness! 2019 is just round the corner and there is no time as they might want to presume. They should put their acts together and go back to work for the Nigerian people!

Leadership is all about serving the people and making them happy! As Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum succinctly puts it in his book Flashes of Thought:

“ Does running water stop when it reaches a rock? Of course not. It turns either left or right, and continues its way. Likewise, a positive person is confident that no challenge will stand in the way of achieving his or her goal."

A word is enough for the wise........

Asta La Vista!

Hasta La Victoria Siempre!!!

S.A, © 2015 writes from the sideline.

Nicely said my brother.