Governor Amosun behaved badly, he should face the music

There’s something politically wrong about a State Governor who is a card carrying member of a political party, soliciting votes for another member of a political party because he wants this other member of another political party to succeed him.

We know our politicians are a shameless lot but there should be some honour among …..

Na you talk am o!

Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, all have one thing in common: they want their handpicked candidates to succeed them.

When these handpicked candidates didn’t make it past their party primaries, they shoved them into other political parties, funneled monies and materials to these political parties and began campaigning for their anointed candidates, while ditching the candidates of their own political party.

If this sounds silly, that’s because it really is.

2019 Elections: Massive crowd welcome Okorocha as he flags-off campaign 2 (Sun) Pulse Nigeria

Governor Okorocha wanted his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him from the APC platform. When it became clear that wasn’t going to pan out quite like he wanted, Okorocha shoved Nwosu to the Action Alliance (AA) and rejected Hope Uzodinma who emerged the APC governorship flagbearer for that state.

Amosun has openly declared support for Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) even though Dapo Abiodun is the APC governorship flagbearer for Ogun State. Amosun rejected the direct primary election that produced Abiodun, engaged in a war of words with APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and fired up his base to switch support to the governorship flagbearer of another political party.

Whatever anyone thinks of Oshiomhole, you have to hand him credit for making it clear that these governors were not going to be allowed to impose their stooges on the party if their decisions went against those of the majority.

L-R: APM's Ogun governosrship candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, President Muhammadu Buhari, and Governor Ibikunle Amosun @BashirAhmaad Pulse Nigeria

I am just as disappointed in President Muhammadu Buhari who is as guilty of anti-party activity as the governors cited above. What in God’s name was the president thinking when he asked party faithful to “vote for whoever they like” in Ogun and Imo states?

Why did Buhari invite Akinlade and Amosun to his office last year and raised the hand of the APM governorship candidate in what was a symbolic endorsement gesture? For political expediency sake maybe?

By his actions and utterances and by reluctantly endorsing Uzodinma and Abiodun, Buhari left Oshiomhole, the APC and chieftains of the party in a quandary. His mixed signals on who he would rather endorse or not endorse in Imo and Ogun has raised questions bordering on party supremacy and loyalty.

Amosun’s tantrums and Buhari’s inability to put his foot down as party leader, would lead to the heckling, booing, jeering and stoning of Buhari, Oshiomhole and transport minister Rotimi Amaechi in Abeokuta on Monday, February 11, 2019.

Amosun’s pleas to the unruly crowd not to disgrace him as projectiles were launched and boos rang, was akin to bolting the stable door long after the horse has bolted. His stubborn streak is well documented and his actions led to the embarrassment APC chieftains were handed on the day. He could have prevented it all by not being so selfish and set in his own ways.

President Muhammadu Buhari (right) endorses Dapo Abiodun (centre) as the APC's Ogun governorship candidate, despite the public objection of Governor Ibikunle Amosun (left) [Ayodeji Ogunro] Pulse Nigeria

No political party candidate who is still running for office on his party’s platform (Amosun is running for senate on the platform of the APC) should be openly canvassing for votes for the candidate of another political party. It defies logic and commonsense, but it also points to an ideology deficit in our nation’s politics.

The APC now has a duty to suspend the trio of Okorocha, Amosun and Yari for their actions bordering on disloyalty to the party, anti-party activity and inciting violence, if only to send a deterrence message.

On his part, Buhari should be told in clear terms that party supremacy trumps his political pragmatism endgame.

Political parties must begin to send a clear message of discipline within their ranks. And it begins with suspending recalcitrant state governors who erroneously think it’s their way or the highway.

Internal democracy in political parties is just as germane to our democracy as due process and separation of powers.