The Presidential elections are around the corner, in facts, only a few days separate Nigerians and the chance to elect who will lead them for another four years period.
Also, apart from the elections that are billed to help choose a new President, the citizens will be allowed the opportunity to elect their governors and members of the National and State Houses of Assembly.
To this end, political parties are looking to tighten their hold on their supporters and making sure that candidates flying the party flags are supported and voted for at all elections.
Political parties by nature are selfish organisations, they want to win every possible office in every area they are contesting, even if it was impossible for such to happen, they will still try their best to make sure that their agenda is met.
It is in line with the above that President Buhari, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), shocked most party members by asking them to vote for any candidate of their when they head for the polls. Though the President was emphatic in his demands that the party members vote for him during the presidential elections, he, however, told the supporters to vote their choice in the other elections including the governorship elections.
This is totally at variance with the principles and policies of the party and some members have actually frowned at it. Buhari did this on two different occasions, the President made the same comment while he was campaigning in Imo State and recently, he did it again during the campaign of the party in Ogun State.
The situation on both occasions are similar, the governors of both states were unable to get their preferred candidates selected to be the APC candidate for the governorship election, however, instead of abiding by the party decision, the governors moved their preferred candidates to other political parties and vowed to work against the interest of the APC in those state.
President Buhari seems not to be worried about the arrangement as long as he is able to secure the support of the governors in the presidential elections.
Curiously, Both Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Governor Rochas Okorocha are Senatorial candidates of the APC in their various states.
“On Saturday, February 16, you are to vote for Presidential candidate of the APC. But I want to urge you to choose whoever you like across the parties as governor of Ogun State. There is no problem with it. I have no problem with it. The rest people of Ogun State will decide,” Buhari said.
This is totally at odds with the party leaders and it came as a total shock to the leadership of the party, the party chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the National leader of the party, Bola Tinubu was booed by the crowd that the rally, Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo also looked shocked by the President remarks and was also a victim of the crowd’s booing and name calling.
Apparently, the only person who seems to have benefitted from the campaign was the state governor who used an APC campaign rally to canvass for votes for the candidate of the APM.
Amosun boldly stressed that he had warned members of the ruling party, particularly its leaders that his candidate will win the election, his statements and actions over the month seem to trigger the violent reception the APC leadership got during the campaign in the state which saw the likes of Oshiomhole pelted with stones and sachet water while some, some of which nearly hit the president.
On his part, visibly angry Tinubu broke protocol and left the campaign venue while President Buhari was still making his speech, clearly not satisfied with the outcome of the proceedings and indeed, not happy with what the president was saying about allowing party members to vote for other candidates in the elections.
The full effect of President Buhari’s actions will come to fruition in the coming days or weeks as the general elections reached come calling, it may seem a selfish political strategy by the president, but as they say, the end justifies the means, and he will be justified if he eventually wins the presidential elections.
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