Lagos APC and the politics of selection

As much as we agree that there is a place of experience in everything, as well as an overall understanding of the technical knowhow of how things work from the grassroots level to the top echelon of public offices, ego overload and the principle of selection mustn’t be allowed to ruin the beautiful garment of our growing democracy. From ages past, “baba sope” (Father says) has always been the usual practice, where the father figure in a political party practically decides who takes what, usually against the wish of the supposed decision makers, in the end, choices become a thing of pain as the preferred candidates hardly get the party nod simply because the lions upstairs would have lorded candidates on voters, the idea of primaries within parties to determine who gets the mandate to fly the flag of the party is already a failed joke as hopes die for candidates with good intentions at the altar of the gods of selection, popularly known as godfathers having already decided who goes next long before due dates, as evidenced by some calamitous showing of the fostered candidates, lording tactics isn’t working, even God doesn’t lord Himself over we His creations, (depending on what you believe), the idea of selection, when proper primary election could be obtainable should be given a befitting burial and let sanity rule.

The local government elections is fast approaching and candidates are scrambling for the blessings of the top guns up there, in Lagos, almost every local government already has a crowned candidate even before party primaries, this undeniable fact makes the scheduled party primaries an exercise in frustrating futility; take Kosofe local government for instance, over thirty candidates obtained forms for chairmanship and councillor positions, but as always, the most vocal voice in Kosofe, one  seemingly untouchable Honourable has made it clear to other aspirants that Sofola is the crowned prince and others shouldn’t bother to waste their money, regardless of what people of Kosofe want, these arrangement is against the noble principles of democracy and must be halted before it haunts us down. Still in Kosofe, from ages past, it has always been a thing of selection any time election is concerned, loyalty to the party decision makers and how much you can offer their pockets are the main criteria as opposed to the content of manifestos, academic qualification, knowledge of the environment you claim to represent, street credibility, antecedents and content of character.

Talking Surulere, it’s no more news that the people are unhappy with unfolding activities of some party lords who are bent on imposing one candidate or the other, regardless of what the people want or what their anointed ones have to offer. In some quarters, Honorable Ajide, who spent three years as the chairman of the local government with nothing meaningful to show is being touted to be the choice of a certain big madam up there and you begin to wonder what her criteria was, in all honesty, Honourable Ajide’s name shouldn’t be mentioned in the corridor of power at any level considering the spate of backwardness he brought to the local government in three odd years; in the same vein, another top politician in the APC has anointed former house of assembly member, Honourable Kabiru Lawal, popularly known as Ceazer as his own chairmanship candidates, what happens to the other aspirants who truly have ideas and good intentions for the local government? For Ceazer, having spent eight years in the law making chamber as an honourable representing the local government before losing to Desmond Elliot in his third coming has no business running for this seat, can we try someone else?

We could go on and on and would only realize it’s the same for all local governments in Lagos APC, the idea of primaries shouldn’t be jettisoned by the greed of some selected few, every aspirant should be given a level playing ground to fight for their chances; at the last guber primaries that produced our current governor, party leader Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu insisted on free and fair primaries and even ensured that he and other party chieftains, including the former governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola weren’t present at the primaries to avert manipulations, same spirit is expected at the grassroots level, let these lots go to the polls, let them test their popularities in the fairest and freest manners, let them convince their delegates by their unfailing words, antecedents and prospects rather than Ghana must go bags, if our democracy would come good for all, then we must be sincere with ourselves in all dealings, whatever happens at the next local government polls, if the candidates put forward by political parties aren’t the unanimous voices of the delegates, then we’re romancing a time bomb that won’t climax in pleasant places. The hard work of the likes of Ashiwaju himself and other party chieftains shouldn’t be destroyed by the selfish thoughts of some privileged few... Let our primaries be fair.