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I have come to the conclusion that sometimes politics in this part of the world can be such a cruel game.
For one, one’s utterances can be twisted in such a manner by mischief makers that the original ethos behind utterances is completely lost!!
Interpretation of utterances is crucial. How Senator Gbenga Aluko’s ( my blood brother) utterances has now been reported beats my imagination so much so that I’m currently pinching myself to find out if it was really my physical body, eyes and ears that was at the APC party secretariats and subsequently at Ode Ekiti listening to the senators speech.
The deed has been done. His well meaning utterances has been twisted and for now I will not fool myself the best I can do as I’m about to explain below is damage limitation.
Let me first remind ourselves. That awhile back, another Senator , my good friend and a respected leader Senator Femi Ojudu had his utterances twisted so much so that if he did not quickly come out to debunk the interpretation given to his statement it would have caused a rift between our great leader Ahmed Tinuubu and the president!
I doubt if he would have subsequently gotten the appointment he has today as a political adviser in the presidency approved by the president.
Clarification is necessary in the current climate. I was there. and deeper still, the person in question is my blood brother.
Senator Aluko never never disparaged our great leader Tnubu. If I felt that is what he was doing I would definitely have walked out of the party secretariat even before he finished his speech. It is very dangerous to have half baked interpretation.
The concern Gbenga mentioned. Was that how can an EKITI man constantly in the name of faction carry the problems of the party and within party men outside the shores of EKITI namely to Boudillon and Oshogbo all the time,. when we have three former gov. ( one of the few states that have such) that can partake in resolution of problems. And that after awhile the matter will turn to insult.
Insulting, that the EKITI man cannot seat down and resolve his problems without inviting an outsider all the time!. To the senator, it smacks of inferiority and a complex which has no reason to exsist. To this extent I personally agree with his position.
He further stated that these people ( Tinubu and Aregbe) have their own political ‘Walhalla’ and to him after awhile they will get tired of EKITI people constantly running to them for political solutions when we have a God given brain to solve our problems among ourselves.
2 His position. Which I again agree with. Is that how can he after deciding to join a political party join it through a so called faction ( action group ) when there is a seating party execo lg chairman ward chairman etc. And that there is no such faction registered by inec. And as an in coming party man, he was not a member of the party when the polarisation started and therefore will have no justification to enter the party through a faction.
The explanation sounds rational but I’m the first to also agree also that the reality on ground to some extent exposes Senator Gbenga Aluko’s naivity about the deep rooted problems we now have in EKITI in general and in APC and even PDP in particular, for factionalism has become a problem in EKITI party politics.
In the case of PDP it is now Fayose vs the rest. In Apc it is groups vs groups!.
There is no way a group like action group can be wished away or ignored for it is made up of quality individuals who have served the state and indeed Nigeria passionately. I do not believe the members can just wake up one day and decide to form a group if the leaders had been more dexterous in handling delicate issues particularly after APC lost the elections. It has now become almost impossible for a new entrant to come in and not be associated with one groupings or the other which is a big pity! for the structure at all times must be the party. Party supremacy is a must. How can we now have a thing called action group APC?
How can people now pledge their loyalty to a faction rather than the whole?. Yet this is the current reality.
I must further admit the current problem started long before Apc lost the elections. When party leaders decide to become victims of ‘ego tripping’, refusing to consider the interest of the party above individual emotions this is the result we get. When leaders in an attempt to deliberately control the party exclusively, deliberately not being inclusive, and carrying as many people along as possible this becomes the result. Party positions must always be negotiated. Any suspicion of imposition or bias of party officials causes friction.
If things are not managed properly and quick true reconciliation is not reached it can lead to a permanent break!
I have friends, very close ones in action action group. However my argument and appeal to them is that how can they be continuously locked in the mindset of factionalism?. How can a bigger pie exist and you deliberately decide to concentrate on the slices?. How can there be an opportunity to remove an incompetent party and government such as the current PDP one in power and you remain addicted to factionalism?.
There are natural principles in life and politics. ‘He who lives by the sword dies by the sword’. He who grabs power and eventually controls the party through factionalism will eventually be removed by the same factionalism down the line.
Party supremacy is the way to go always. Those in control of the party at all times must learn to be humble, adopt a true reconciliatory spirit and carry everybody along.
Steve Aluko is younger brother of Sen Gbenga Aluko pen this on Ekitipanupo
