OF APC, CHANGE, 'ONE CHANCE' AND BUHARI - BY CHRIS MUSTAPHA NWAOKOBIA JNR

I was one of the paladins and prime movers of the APC/CHANGE narrative before and during the 2015 general elections. However, with broken heart, I must admit that what we have on our hands is certainly not the CHANGE we envisioned and fought for.

Some of us who gave our time and hard earned resources to enable the APC to victory in 2015, bought into, and sold the CHANGE mantra. We were passionate about the man Buhari, and the All Progressive Congress APC. We were not deluded to think that he is the messiah, but were at least confident that he will deliver on National Security, Anti-corruption, Social Security and Job creation, unfortunately the indices have proved us wrong, as the CHANGE that so fervently resonated some 36 months ago, translates to a sordid 'ONE CHANCE' debacle.

To those who yet wonder, what ONE CHANCE implies? 'One Chance' is the charitable refrain that defines Bus Robbery in Nigeria. It particularly bothers me why we have chosen to label the wicked ordeal that criminal Bus Drivers pass passengers through as ONE CHANCE, however the morality or otherwise of this refrain is 'a seminar topic for another day', apologies to our own Fela Anikunlapo-Kuti of blessed memory.

ONE CHANCE epitomizes bungled hopes and promises. One Chance defines a journey to nowhere, a circuitous rigmarole of sorts, botched dreams and aspirations, and ALL PROMISES CANCELED APC. This ONE CHANCE Vehicle is piloted by Mr President, yes by the man who by his actions and in-action has frittered away the monstrous goodwill that saw him to Aso Rock in 2015.

I have in my response to those who have consistently demanded an apology for our roles in putting the present plague on Nigeria, said that I am not God to have known that Buhari will perform this poorly. I have also said that the love for COUNTRY which drove my fight against the failures of past administrations, fuels and drives my fight against the failures of the present. If I was blinded by the desire to see a Nigeria better than what we had under Jonathan, I am sorry, but with my Country remains my unalterable destiny and commitment.

Some have continued to sell the hubris that the rot of 16 years cannot be fixed in 3 years, as government continues to blame the past rather than confront the present challenges that trouble our nation. Nigeria and Nigerians are today more divided and disunited than anytime in our history, since the Civil War (which I have always referred to as our War of Unity). The fight against corruption is cosmetic and media driven, so much sound and fury, without serious convictions, little wonder the current Transparency International report puts us at 148 out of 180 nations with a terrible 28% score under Mr Integrity.

On National Security, we have crises and conflict on all sides, the Haramist just reenacted a terrible replay of the 2014 Chibok abduction, as close to 100 schools girls were abducted in Yobe. What about Farmers/Herders clashes, and the sacking of towns and villages by marauding Herdsmen and Armed gangs, Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani in Enugu State, the carnage in Benue, Nassarawa, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara et al and the many security challenges across the Country tells that even on National Security, which otherwise should be Mr President's forte, it is yet ONE CHANCE.

On the economy, job creation and social security, it has been more propaganda than performance. This government is obviously oblivious of the fact that the lifespan of falsehood is short, and even shorter is the lifespan of propaganda. Today, poverty is rife in the land, and suicide has become an escape to some. The school feeding program, stipends to the poorest of the poor, and the empowerment scheme to which over a Trillion naira was ploughed is yet below 20% performance, another ONE CHANCE, you would say.

We are told daily about the increase in foreign reserves but no one tells us about how in three years this government has superintended over the monstrous doubling of our Local and foreign debts. Sad.

In all of this, Buharideens pander, they dive from one illogical end to another illogical extreme in defense of a 76 years old who has himself admitted that he is slow. They seek to make us believe that slow is Honourable, laughs. They are too proud to admit that Buhari's return to power in 2015 was a collosal collective mistake, one that we must repent from, repudiate, and remedy in 2019.

They say that the nation must move at his pace because according to them the best Nigeria has is a 'Mr Integrity' that harbours and defends the corrupt political operators who are his men. They overlook the fact that nepotism is the father and the mother of corruption, another ONE CHANCE on our hands.

They want us to believe that cronyism and nepotism is not corruption, so they regal us with tales of recovered orphaned funds, where in the world do spirits own monies? Shamelessly, we are given the kindergarten refrain, 'no government has recovered more money than the present administration', and yet we have not been told as directed by the Courts those from whom the monies were recovered. Sad.

They want us to believe that recovered funds without owners and without convicts, is fighting corruption, how cynical and Laughable. And the ONE CHANCE continues.

They want us to believe that the mediocre war against corruption is effective, whereas we are yet to see any serious conviction. And they think we are idiots to buy into the hubris that corruption has never been fought like Buhari is fighting it, another comic relief. Blinded by partisanship Buharideens will rather attack everyone that insists that this is not the CHANGE we envisioned, fought and voted for, rather than address the truth, they deploy insults, invectives and nullification. But it is alright.

I ask was Maina not reinstated by Saint Buhari? Was Usman Yusuf of NHIS not reinstated by Mr Integrity? Was Zakari Biu not reinstated by Saint Buhari? Was the Corrupt Saleh not reinstated and promoted in the Judiciary by Mr Integrity? How long did it take Saint Buhari to remove the corrupt Babachir Lawal, and replace him with his first cousin? Abba Kyari, the NIA stench and the many allegations of corruption under Saint Buhari means nothing to Buharideens, but this ONE CHANCE has a terminus, God willing 2019 is the inevitable end of this faux pas.

I have consistently condemned corruption in the past, I am consistently opposed to corruption in the present government and I will not stop because of those who believe in mediocrity.

Nigeria can do much better on all fronts than remaining in the hands of a self-confessed slow leader. For those who believe that a slow Buhari is their future, I do not grudge their right to such deep in the nadir, posterity will judge their position. But do not deny me my inalienable right to demand the best for my Country.

Under Buhari, shamelessly the soulless attempt the defense of the indefensible. And they do so with skewed and moronic historicity, as though non Buharideens were living in Mars when they happened. But there is yet hope that 2019 will become the end terminus for this ONE CHANCE Bus.

This period of mediocre and lethargic watch in governance shall pass. Our COUNTRY Nigeria will come out of this darkness better and stronger, not minding the machinations of the Party that has since transmuted from the ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS APC to ALL PROMISES CANCELED.

A Party that does not obey her Constitution, and cannot organize a National Convention in four years cannot fix Nigeria. That Party lacks the moral nexus to govern, for there is no corruption worse than nepotism, impunity and cronyism. The CHANGE APC preached is certainly ONE CHANCE no more, no less.

I have resolved to continue to speak the truth to power no matter whose ox is gored, whilst also choosing not to argue with the members of my generation who defend with vehemence the generation that brought us to this sorry trajectory. We all have a date with posterity, and the unbiased lens of Truth shall stand as our judge. If my words are harsh, please accept my deepest apologies. But from this day onwards I will never engage in debates that seek to extol mediocrity. We must halt through the electoral process this ONE CHANCE journey, and disembark from the ONE CHANCE Bus called the APC.

And I say without an ounce of equivocation that A NEW AND A BETTER NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, we MUST work together and pull through a peaceful ballot based ORDINARY PEOPLES revolution come 2019.

Kindly drop your comments.