*Osun APC: Need for genuine reconciliation*

*Osun APC: Need for genuine reconciliation*

By Kola Olabisi 
It is not an understatement to state that the peace being experiencedg in the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the State of Osun today is not far from that of the graveyard.  As a concerned stakeholder who has been watching actions and inactions in the party  prior to the governorship primary of the party  through the governorship election till the present moment, my eminent qualification to discuss the issue at stake can not be said to be outside the purvey of my genuine concern.

Much as it is true for politics to be a contest for positions, opportunities and relevance, such aspiration should be pursued with modicum of moderation with less of desperation in the interest of the people the politicians are hankering to govern. If the maxim that confers absolute supremacy on the party has not lost its meaning, one wonders why some party members still go for the jugular of their political parties whenever they fail to realise their personal ambition.  Before I am nailed on the cross for this submission, it should be known by all and sundry that I am not an apostle of preaching of shunning of redress whenever one's rights are being trampled upon. 

Though it is not unusual for political water of any party in power to be muddled up to the extent of it appearing to face extinction, one would have thought that permanent state of tranquillity would return to such a party,  courtesy of mending of frayed nerves of some aggrieved members of the party. Events have shown that the APC is still held in high esteem by the Osun electorate; its cataclysm lies with some dissatisfied members of the party who are having an axe to grind with the leadership of the party over what they consider as its poor reward system which is not in tandem with what they put into the party for its success at the polls.

Why it is urgently worthwhile for the leadership of the party to address some schisms in the party in the overall interest of the party itself, it will be suicidal and heinous for any member of a political party to work against his party for any reason. Politicians should have it in mind that it is only when their political party controls the government whether at the State or federal level, that they can have a gut to complain of being shortchanged  in areas of appointments or memberships of committees be it ad hoc or permanent. Any politician who is working against his party can be likened to someone who is deliberately nailing his own coffin as the type of partisan politics being played in this geographical expression called Nigeria is predicated on 'winners -take -all'. If one helps non-party of his to win an election, there is no way such character can have a moral right to demand for anything from such party. 

It is important the leadership of any party has a solace in the fact that everyone is important in politics. A political party is a haven for the wise, morons, idiots, thugs, even mildly mad men and women. After all, in any election, the vote of a wise man can not be differentiated from that of a wiseman.  Every character has his value in politics. While some are known for their wise value, others are known for their nuisance or thuggery value. It is the effective coordination of all these segments of characters that make up a unique political party.

It would be recalled that the Osun APC was confronted with a challenge of rabid ambition which shook it to the foundation. Since then, things have not been at ease with the party as some prominent members of the party decided to take refuge in other political parties to realise their ambition which they considered to be taken away from them unjustifiably while some decided to remain in the party and worked against it. It is on this note that I count  it desirable for the APC to inaugurate a truth and reconciliation commission where aggrieved party members would be heard and promptly placated.  The inauguration of such a truth and reconciliation commission is desirable now, more so, when we are facing presidential election in February next year.

The terms of reference of the reconciliation commission should cover wooing back into the party leaders and members of the APC who had, in annoyance, defected into other parties. There is nothing wrong in stooping to conquer; after all, all is fair in war.

Being a very popular party in Osun, the result of the last governorship election where APC led narrowly was not a true reflection of the popularity of the party.  Landslide should be its portion in any election. With special arrangement, nothing is impossible.  On this note, it won't be out of place for Prince Gboyega Famodun, the APC state chairman,  to shop for the return of the likes of former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Senator Lekan Salami, Otunba Lai Oyeduntan, Dr Onifade, Alhaji Azeez, Oluomo Sunday Akere and a host of others who are too numerous to mention. The more the merrier in politics while democracy is a game of numbers.