Reformed-APC: Opening a Floodgate of Defections

By Tom FredFish

On Wednesday, July 4th, Alhaji Buba Galadima, a founding member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), led some disgruntled delegates and members of the APC to form an "authentic" group within the APC known as REFORMED-APC (R-APC).

Addressing a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, Alhaji Galadima stated that some political parties merged in 2015 with the intention to put Nigeria on the path of development but more than three years of APC governance, the hopes and expectations of Nigerians have been betrayed and completely dashed by a rudderless, inept and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people.

He noted that the APC have rather imposed dictatorship, impunity, abuse of power, complete abdication of constitutional and statutory responsibilities, infidelity to the rule of law and constitutionalism which placed untold hardship on Nigerians in all spheres.

Apart from the political maladministration of the APC led federal government cited by the RAPC, they further expressed disappointment at the manner the recently held party congresses was handled which is at total variance with the letters of the party constitution, making the need for reforms that will give Nigerians qualitative governance in 2019 imperative.

Notwithstanding the reasons given for the creation of the reformed group which sought to split the ruling party, it is believed that the division is a well mapped out strategy by some prominent members of the APC to create a pathway for their onward defection from the tattered APC to the People's Democratic Party, (PDP).

This well thought out strategy is because the Nigerian laws frowns at defections especially members of the National Assembly.

Sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided that: “a member of the Senate or House of Representatives or State House of Assembly shall not vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if being a person whose election into the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which the House was elected.

Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member of a merger of two or more political parties by one of which he was previously sponsored.”

With the current division in the ruling party, thousands of members of the APC are no longer obliged to be loyal to the APC due to internal wrangling and power tussle paving way for the mother of all defections in the history of Nigeria's Politics.

Reminisce that a fortnight, story trended on social media and elsewhere that there are plans on ground by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who is having a Cold War with the leadership of the APC and about fifty others were concluding arrangement to leave the APC.

Given that their defection would have been controversial if the ruling party were intact, the leaders strategized to split the party to pave way for their defection.

Nigerians have however applauded the courage of the RAPC led by Alhaji Galadima to reform the party in line with its founding fathers to institute real change and rebuild the nation more firmly on genuine democratic principles to enshrine good governance and restore the faith of Nigerians in the possibility of the existence of a prosperous, secure and peaceful nation.

Observers dissects that with the sacking of the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led executive of the party and the appointment of new officers in all the wards, 774 local governments, and the 36 states of the federation including the FCT, the floodgate of defections has just been opened. Only time will tell what will be left of the APC in few weeks from now says Aniedi Osom, a youth activist and political commentator.

Tom FredFish is a public affairs analyst

FTC

Exactly

Recycled Politicians. Same politicians at different political parties no pride at all.