By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
A Chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Niger state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa has expressed grave concerns over the rising security challenges, uncertainties about the possibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary as it stands today being able to conduct credible elections in 2027.
Vatsa who turned 64 spoke against the backdrop of political uncertainties ahead of next year's general elections, insisting that all indices points to possibility that Nigerians may no longer be able to tolerate the excesses of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led APC government which may lead to anarchy.
Vatsa said he is particularly worried that the once respected judicial arm of government have reduced itself to becoming an instrument of mockery of democracy judging by what is happening today and the body language of Nigeria's electoral umpire, the INEC which according to him could make peaceful transition impossible. "Looking at body languages of the INEC and the judiciary, one will not be wrong doubting what will happen nextyear.
What Nigerians are witnessing from the two bodies is capable of causing anarchy thereby truncating hard earned democracy in 2027". Speaking to journalists shortly a thanksgiving service to mark his 64th birthday which took place at ECWA church, Minna, Jonathan Vatsa also hinted that the crisis brewing across the ranks of the ruling APC will soon burst into flames, and what will follow thereafter will be a child's play when compared to the “sponsored crisis” ravaging all the opposition parties put together.
Vatsa who had also served as former State APC Publicity Secretary argued that, for the APC not to have announced results of the primaries elections held across the country almost two months after they were conducted shows that the party is in a deep mess. The former who expressed optimism that the crisis bedeviling all the opposition political parties were sponsored said, “The day the APC will announce the results of election primaries will be the very beginning of the mother of all crisis in the party". "The crisis in the opposition parties are sponsored one", Vatsa pointed out, and therefore call on Nigerians to hold the judiciary and the INEC responsible if the county is plunged into political chaos ahead of the 2027 elections. Expressing deep fears about the political explosion that awaits the APC after results of the election primaries must have been announced, Vatsa told journalists that, “The crisis that is brewing in my party is worst than the crisis in all the opposition political parties put together and it will soon explode”.
Jonathan Vatsa who is hated or loved by his outspokeness when it comes to politics insisted that what transpired during the just concluded APC primaries clearly shows a case of lack of equity, fairness, justices and as well lack of internal democracy.
Giving examples with what happened in Niger state where 80 percent of the candidates emerged through what he called “government house arranged consensus”, Vatsa described the scenario that played out in government as biggest political deceit "What we all witnessed in Niger state during the primaries, from the lowest to the presidential was the biggest political deceit I have ever witnessed since the return of democracy in 1999”.
It is also worthy of note that the so-called consensus arrangements in the state was more or less an autocratic way of handpicking candidates against the will and wishes of the people which will surely boomerang at the end or soonest, he said.
Vatsa questioned justifications and fairness in allowing a person who is seeking a sixth terms in office and disallowing someone who is seeking a second term, arguing that “What was done by government house does not in anyway reflects justice, equity and fairness". “This high level of injustices will definitely trigger anti-party activities during the general elections. Someone who is contesting elections for the same office for the sixth times is qualified but someone going for the second time is being forced to step down under state government house arranged consensus".
He lamented that the APC have clearly deviated from the principles of the founding fathers, adding that, “This kind of injustice is enough to trigger anti-party activities even though people are keeping quiet because they want food on their table.
People like us who are pioneer members of this great party must speak out no matter the consequences". “I can assure you that the crisis that will befall APC after the release of the primaries elections results will be enough to consume the party before the 2027 general elections".
“As it stands right now none of the political parties is free from crisis even though the APC own is self made crisis waiting to explode, the other political parties crisis are sponsored”. If a political party is not being fair to its members how can it be fair to the larger society, Vatsa querried, adding that the annoying thing is that everybody is keeping quiet over the impunity and grave injustices that will soon tear the party because some people are eating with their two fingers and even have extra to take away.
"Like I said, we will continue to speak the truth whether it pleases them or not, afterall people like us who helped to push the broken down or assembled the vehicles called APC for it to get back on motion in 2015 are not the main passengers in the vehicle today, but I am not complaining".
“The truth is that I am among the landlords in APC, and I cannot leave the house for tenants. As the pioneer Publicity Secretary of the party in Niger state, I know what I went through in the hands of the then ruling government in the state, but today this house is largely occupied by tenants". NNL.
