AJIBS CALLS FOR SOBER REFLECTION FOR BETTER INTERNAL DEMOCRACY

The recently concluded primary elections within the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly across Ondo State and within the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, were meant to be a celebration of our party’s grassroots strength and democratic values. Instead, they have laid bare a deeply concerning collapse of our internal party mechanics. What we are witnessing is not merely a flawed process, but a systemic unraveling of the electoral structure that holds our great party together.

When internal democracy is sacrificed on the altar of executive high-handedness and elite entitlement, the entire foundation of the party is compromised. It is time to speak candidly about this dangerous trend and why it must be urgently reversed.

*The Myth of the Sainthood and the Manufacturing of Results*
Let us be unequivocally honest: in the turbulent arena of politics, no one is a saint, but we must be fair. The bitter truth is that no credible elections were conducted statewide and its laughable when your read about folks claimming lost mandates. when they didnt even particpate in an alection . results were literally manufactured from thin air..

Across our constituencies, results were fictitiously and wonderfully manufactured. It is a remarkably sad story. It reminds one of the cautionary tale of the old boxer who refused to be transparent with the rules and his own legacy, only to eventually be outfoxed by a younger boxer who also relied on the exact same “no rules” situation to arbitrarily manufacture his own rules. When the architects of a system abandon transparency, they inevitably become victims of the very lawlessness they helped create.

*The Danger of Executive Overreach and the Clash of Titans*
In any functioning democracy, the limit of executive power—whether from the executive branch or influential party leaders—is the power of endorsement. Endorsement is a democratic right; imposition is an autocratic overreach.

To put this in a global perspective, even in the United States, when President Donald Trump vehemently opposed the Mayor of New York or the Governor of California, he did not try to impose his will by subverting the mandate of the local people. The sanctity of the ballot remained intact.

Here, unfortunately, we have seen party stalwarts and guardians bypassing the vital crucible of grassroots support, opting instead to flex “Abuja connections” and “Akure connections.” This has created a devastating clash of the titans scenario, where overwhelming force drags everyone down and high-level relationships are leveraged to subvert due process. When the machinery of the state and the influence of the executive are used not just to back a candidate, but to actively manufacture election outcomes behind the scenes, we strip the electorate of their voice.

*The Legal Nightmare and the Anti-Party Epidemic*
The fallout from this institutional quagmire is no longer just a theoretical debate; it has morphed into a tangible, spiraling nightmare that threatens the upcoming general elections.

The arbitrary disregard for grassroots mandates has triggered an avalanche of court actions and pre-election injunctions. Internal reconciliation has become a farce, with appeals committees deeply compromised by opposing political heavyweights. This internal strife has moved to the streets, resulting in a deeply divided house.

Even worse is the blatant orchestration of cross-party defections. Because legitimate winners have been sidelined, political godfathers are now executing backup plans to onboard their favored candidates into rival political parties. We face a bizarre reality where party stalwarts are secretly funding the opposition simply to maintain their grip on power, thereby destroying any remaining semblance of party loyalty.

*An Institutional Quagmire and a Laughable Hypocrisy*
This systemic breakdown doesn’t just disenfranchise the electorate; it creates a toxic environment where other contestants feel compelled to resort to unfair, underhanded practices just to gain a fighting chance.

All of this chaos could have easily been settled at the ballot box on election day if the elections were indeed free and fair, as they were designed to be. But in Nigeria, we have a tragic habit of copying a noble democratic concept, modifying it to fit our lawless nature, and then miraculously expecting great outcomes. It is completely laughable, especially when you consider that most of the very people orchestrating this charade proudly claim to be pastors, community elders, and faith leaders in their own rights.

*A Call for Sober Reflection:* The Center Cannot Hold
Today, we are reaping the bitter harvest of this institutional collapse. Those who know the right things have been effectively blackmailed into silence. Meanwhile, those who do not know how democracy should work have been making up the rules as they go, utterly confusing the next generation of leaders and voters alike. This has come back full circle to haunt everyone involved, resulting in absolute chaos. As the popular saying goes: when things fall apart, the center cannot hold.

We must pause for a moment of sober reflection and find the mind to do better. The people occupying these seats of power and orchestrating this chaos today will not be there forever—perhaps not even by the next election cycle. We must ask ourselves: what foundations have they laid? History will undoubtedly be the judge.

It is a tragedy that Nigeria keeps setting a bad trend instead of striving to leave an event, occurrence, or activity better for those coming behind. Let the breakdown of these primaries serve as a stark cautionary tale and a solemn vow to do better. Only by rescuing the soul of our internal democracy can we restore order, fairness, and true progress for our people.

Hon. Ajibola Kolawole Adetula (AJIBS)