OSUN 2022 - BIG AND TIMELY 2023 LESSONS FOR APC.
APC, my party since 2014, must learn certain lessons from the Osun State off-season governorship election that held yesterday Saturday, 16th July 2022. And they are big and timely lessons:
1. Limits of incumbency factor. APC is today party of government at the centre and in Osun State, yet, it has lost the off-season governorship election with all the powers of national and state incumbency at our disposal. We must learn that incumbency is not all-powerful and does not guarantee electoral victory. We must not take the electorate for granted because of incumbency.
2. Limits of voter-inducement. Not only is monetary and material inducement of the electorate illegal, it did not work in Osun 2022. It had not worked in Edo and Anambra for us, but we failed to learn that lesson then. Hopefully, we will now learn it ahead of 2023 general elections.
3. Primary versus general election. General election is quite unlike primary election. The formula of wooing and even compromising a few persons at primary election to win ticket cannot always work in a general election situation where the electorate is much larger and more complex.
4. Intemperate language. It is regrettable that certain frontline APC leaders believe that "anyhow language" is a "winning language". When they speak bombastically and provocatively, there is hardly any difference between their manner of speech and that of a typical lunatic or a street urchin.
5. Arrogance. Humility is a lesson that we must learn as a party. We cannot take decisions - such as choice of electoral candidate and/or running mate - regardless of how majority of the electorate and even our fellow party members feel. We cannot expect victory when by our body or spoken language tell those who don't agree with us to go to hell.
6. Presumption. By our choice of presidential candidate and his running mate, we have presumed things that are not founded on even commonsense. Unless we wear our thinking cap and eschew discriminatory mindset ahead of 2023, the electorate will punish us - as they did in Edo, Anambra, FCT Abuja and Osun. Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket will cost us not just the presidential election but also other 2023 elections. We can still make amends and should if we truly want to win 2023.
7. Dismissiveness and disrespect. 2023 is not a two-horse race. APC, PDP, LP, NNPP, ADC, SDP and other parties are in the race, and none must be underrated, disrespected or dismissed by our party. Pomposity will not help us. We must campaign respectfully, intelligently and vigorously to win.
8. Playing God. APC people given to claiming power of God (the people) for themselves must stop that nauseating posturing. No one person makes anyone anything. All powers belong to God; anyone who thinks otherwise will sooner or later be humbled by the people (God).
Dr. Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu,
Convener/National Coordinator,
South-East APC Integrity Group.
Contact: 09052910866.
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