The National Chariman and presidential Candidate Of Green Party Of Nigeria speaks from the heart.
*THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY IS THE SYMBOL OF PARTY SUPREMACY *
I will like to speak expressly to all party leaders and flagbearers(candidates) from the Wards to the national level.
A lot of people assumed that once they’ve become party executive officer (especially chairmen, women or youth Leader) or flagbearers they feel untouchable, forgetting the fact that every power to do and undo in the party is derived from the people who kept it in trust with them.
For Party flagbearers, it is easy to think you have arrived and get carried away by the noise of praise singers in the Nigerian political setting, especially if you have small kunkushi to throw around when they shout your name.
If not careful, that noise will make you forget your primary reason of contesting in an election, which is to win. Because no matter the goods you have in your heart, if you don’t win your election, it will remain a pipe dream.
But to win an election you need a party with structure, which is either already existing or you roll up your sleeves and join in putting the structure in place. Structures needs to be built from polling units to wards to local government to federal representative to Senatorial district to state, geopolitical zones and federal level.
In the process of doing this ardours and sometimes unfulfilling job (because most times while you’re at it, you don’t get a thank you and nobody sees or praises your effort), a lot of people who wants to benefit from your political largess but are not willing to join you in building your party. So they tell you they are independent campaign organizations or that they will work for you codedly while remaining in their current party. And because people in these category are sweet talkers, they sweet talk you into thinking that the party that gave you a ticket to contest in the first place matters only a little.
In the case of party executives, for established parties, the battlefield is different as getting to party leadership position is an arduous task in itself, and the availability of funds to run party affairs seamlessly makes the dynamics of internal politicking different. But for new parties where most often than not people are either begged to come and take up leadership positions or it is served to them a la carte based on first come first served, it takes a lot of patience to navigate the terrain.
For instance some people have never been involved in partisan politics at any level (either church, mosque, workplace, community society etc) and those who have are just members at ward level, but because a new party needs people to coordinate its affairs in the interim, such people are made ward, local government or even state chairmen overnight with little of no party administrative experience, when such people have certain character flaws like pride, greed, anger issues etc, rather than build the party, they might end up tearing it apart faster than they can build.
For our party to thrive, everyone must understand the supremacy of the party at all levels over individual pecuniary interests.
Candidates should know that the only people who can be your agents and public canvassers are party members, that they are the ones who voted for you during party primaries and that they can collate signatures and say you didn’t actually win party primaries such that even if you’ve already won the general election, they can still replace you with another like the case of Rotimi Amaechi in 2007.
It is good to work with as many groups as you can get, but never forget the supremacy of the party. Other parties can promise you heaven and earth because an internal squabbles they claim to be having with their own candidates. Don’t neglect your own party structures cos all those squabbles could be resolved few hours to elections and everyone will return to status quo, but your party will remain with you to the end.
Yes sometimes, the actions and attitude of some people in your party can be nauseating and frustrating, but the fact is that people are the hardest to manage, but managing them is part of the learning curve. Hold your party tight, respect and love them, cos when the chips are down, they are all you have
Meanwhile, party executives must understand that party administration is not unitary system where only the Chairman at any level unilaterally takes decisions without the agreement of other executives of the party and critical stake holders.
Thereby making sure that every checks and balances box are ticked before any decision is taken.
Decisions can not be taken at ward level without prior knowledge of the local government and state hierarchy, neither can decision be taken at local government or state level without the approval of the national body, as this is the best way to ensure fairness and justice to all concerned.
In the situation where a chairman at any level thinks he or she is above his/her other colleagues in the executive committee and takes a unilateral decision on matters of collective interest to the party, then the full weight of the party is brought to bear on such errant person.
Not because the party takes pleasure in punishment, but because if we must get it right, we must do it right.
As a party, we must not let immediate gains obstruct our view of the bigger picture ahead of us. One of the quality of a good leadership is ability to manage crisis when they arise, for you don’t know a good sailor in calm waters. Issues will arise from time to time but how we manage them is what will determine whether we sink or sail.
If you’re having a little trouble with your party, either as candidates representing the party in the upcoming election or as party executives leading the party to the battlefield in your domain, there’s still time to mend fences, make hays while the sun shines, I wish you good luck as we head for the earlier postponed elections. Only in togetherness can we make the land green, and its pastures greener.
- Chief Sam EKE PhD FIPMA FNIPR National Chairman & Presidential Candidatey
