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Why ACN/CPC negotiation failed
By Pat Utomi
Newsdiaryonline Thur April 14,2011
For several months, strenuous attempts were made by some of us
deeply convinced of the need for change in the National
leadership, to bring the major opposition parties together ahead
of the 2011 General Elections which is now underway. All......
kinds of obstacles were installed on the path of these noble
efforts. The most formidable of these obstacles was the attitude
of some key persons themselves, within the leadership of the
opposition parties who failed to put the National Interest above
their personal selfish interests.
What has transpired in the past three days of negotiations
between the CPC and ACN with Mallam Shekarau of the ANPP waiting
eagerly on the wings somewhere in Abuja, to join a possible last
minute opposition alliance could all have taken place weeks ago
in peace with all details carefully ironed out if my candid
advise had been heeded!
General Muhammadu Buhari is hugely popular in North West Nigeria
in particular and I dare say in the whole of Northern Nigeria in
general. There are elements in other parts of Nigeria who admire
the strength of character of this political crusader. But this
popularity which attracts mammoth hysterical crowds at the mere
appearance of the man in Northern Nigerian locations
particularly, cannot be translated to political victory at the
polls without adequate political organization to back it up. The
CPC is new and has not got the capacity to provide the necessary
political structure across the vast territory of Nigeria to cope
with the technical demands and complications of a National
contest. It was therefore in their best interest to seek a
merger or alliance to assist their Presidential candidate. Key
advisers to the General preferred to play the proverbial
ostrich.
Faced with the stack reality a few days ago some eminent leaders
played what I would consider, a laudable role to provide a
platform upon which the alliance between CPC and ACN could be
brokered. The outcome of the National Assembly elections
presents a clear picture of the strength of the two parties.
Without a doubt the ACN is stronger and more on the ground
across the country than the CPC. ACN controls four States at the
moment. ACN delegation at the negotiations considered their
party as the senior partner but that notwithstanding they were
prepared to cede the position of the Presidency to Gen Buhari of
the CPC. In return the ACN demanded the Vice Presidency which
was as had been basically proposed during the negotiations prior
to filing of candidates to INEC. To achieve this the CPC vice
presidential candidate would have to step down. This would be a
necessary sacrifice by the CPC in the same manner that both Nuhu
Ribadu and Fola Adeola the Presidential and Vice Presidential
Candidates of the ACN have to step down in the plan.
Unfortunately, inspite of the fact that the CPC agreed to this
fundamental aspect of the arrangement and promised to bring to
the meeting Tuesday night a letter of resignation from Pastor
Bakare. they failed to produce the letter at the crucial meeting
and asked for some additional time which was granted. Time was
ticking away and it became clearly they were unable to convince
the Pastor to sign such a letter. The ACN needed some time to
educate their supporters that they should vote for the CPC logo
this week end. The ACN leaders particularly in South West
Nigeria were now worried over the risk they would be taking of
convincing the vast majority of illiterate voters this week end
to vote for a strange new logo and switch them to the broom logo
next week end for the very equally important Governorship and
State Assembly elections. They decided to pull out of the
arrangement.
The opposition I dare say has failed!!!
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