Before You Say I Am Non-Partisan

OKEKE GODWIN IYKE

Between 2014/15, I can authoritatively tell you that 90% of the most vocal online influencers that were opinionated in the campaign both in APC and PDP were not registered members of any political party.

In my personal interactions with colleagues, most of them across party lines lamented that they were not carried along by the government. Everyone outside the government had that impression that they can do better than those in government.

Unfortunately, many people do not know that political parties had their reward system. Tilting towards a party in your opinions doesn’t give you entitlement to hold offices in government.

Most often, party leaders are asked to forward names. Do you think that the party leadership will abandon their members and opt for you because you were opinionated online?

It was El-Rufai that told us in United Kingdom that having good opinions and ideas and quoting how it was done in other climes will not make Nigeria great  until we joined political evolution.

Nigerians do think that shouting I’m not partisan is an accomplishment. All the people you quoted in other climes were registered members of their political parties.

The likes of Prof Soludo and Late Dora Akunyili told us that our opinions were trash until we see a political party that will adopt it. Why not join a party and push for the implementation of those ideas? That’s how ideologies are birthed.

Some people thought that I was against a youth party. Hell no! Nigeria youths have the opportunity to hijack APC, PDP, other political parties and revolutionise them after 2015. But because they love top bottom approach, people who cannot feed a rat would want to be National Leaders of political parties through the social media.

One thing I know is that the elite are not strongly tied as we presume. Once you torture them with better idea,  they will give you space.

El-Rufai was a nightmare to many people as FCT minister, he was even banned by the 5th Senate not to hold public office in 20 years. Today,  he is governor through the power of ideas and aligning with a political party that had chances of winning an election. El-Rufai is knowledgeable and he knew that the political class were not even his match when it comes to ideas.

Most of the NGOs parading as parties are facing the hard reality of funding which is the bane of political parties. Even with 12 governors, PDP went to seduce Ali Modu Sheriff to join them because he had the capital to turn around the party.

You cannot sustain a political ideology without cash. That’s why people are moving from one party to other without being tented. Ribadu did not soil his hand because he moved to PDP. Oshiomole remained an activist despite his venture in politics. What gives you the impression that when you open your party, only saints will join?

Sowore my friend is enjoying his holiday tour across the world using crowd funding. To him, he knows that he is not serious but at least,  maga will pay for all these trips which ordinarily he knew that he cannot sponsor with his own personal cash.

It is not late! Join a party in your ward.

If you capture your ward and I capture mine, both of us will meet at the LGA,  State and Federal levels and take back Nigeria.

Social media helps to harness like minds but social media opinions remain worthless until a party adopts it.

When you hear that 40 political parties are meeting with a ruling party, you don’t need anyone to tell you that they are in need of cash for survival.

The position being occupied by Sheriff and Hope Uzodimma are vacancies you and I ought to occupy but political NGO thinking will not allow us to be great!

Okokobioko is your anchor man
Stay tuned!