Let me deal quickly with the issue of political parties seeking for funding from government. Yes, it is expensive to run a party, but it should not be as expensive as the old parties have made it. A lot of the money is spent with wanton abandon and disappears through fraud presently. And what goes to the rural people is but peanuts after the big men have gorged themselves on taxpayers’ money. The existing big parties have entrenched a culture where states just dip hands into what belongs to everyone and spend freely for political purposes. ANRP has shown that some simplicity and a lot of transparency and accountability can be introduced to cut costs. But that said, why would a politician go into this venture without thinking of sustainability? Why start a political party if you will be stranded in the first month? And since parties export their culture to the larger society when they win elections, any party complaining bitterly of not being able to fund itself, cannot validly move Nigeria forward because such a party is lacking in internal democracy and positive imagination. If they were like ANRP, they would have been able to call on members from far and wide to raise funds. Little funds from far and near become substantial after a while. However, the only way members will accede to such appeals is if they have been treated fairly, if the party has established and institutionalized transparency right from the beginning, and if they know that the leadership of the party is straightforward. The only issue may then be that such funds are not enough, but what is enough in this world?
The fact is that if political parties want funding from government, they should be ready to sign up to a strict regime of being deregistered by INEC based on set criteria. The current scenario whereby once registered, a political party can hardly ever be deregistered (because of some settled court cases) – as democratic as that may sound – is certainly unsustainable if such parties are to be funded by taxpayers. We have to move beyond the romanticism of everyone and anyone being able to assert their rights to form a political party, to questioning the motives of many professional party leaders (also called political entrepreneurs), who sustain their billionaire lifestyles out of forming parties as if they were registering business names, only to place the burden on society at large. You cannot eat your cake and have it. You want funding? Be ready to be deregistered based on non-performance. Plus you stand a fat chance of dancing to the beat of the government, your benefactor. ANRP is prepared to fund itself. The road will not be easy, but that is how gold is refined. Of central importance to the issue of finance is frugality, transparency and accountability, with which funds are managed anyway. At ANRP we say that N1.00 will do the work of N100 elsewhere, and we render monthly accounts to all members – including those that haven’t paid their N5,000 yearly dues (N1,000 yearly for students). People are amazed at what we’ve achieved and shockingly many still believe we must be getting funded by some past political criminal! I find it quite annoying and pitiable, if not frightening actually, that Nigerians believe that people who have not been in politics and government cannot put their little hard-earned incomes together to change, transform and renew their country for the better. Nigeria’s biggest problem is actually Nigerians. Too many of us actively search for the poverty and stress that we are under. We should get rid of that slave mentality.
Let’s go back to the vexed issue of order of elections. If parties will be adjudged on their performances e.g. whether they win any elections after a few trials, it is important to ensure they are all given a fair chance. By putting the presidential elections first, INEC is foreclosing the chances of all the new parties. It’s just a question of statistics. 100 parties contesting for 10,000 councillor and about 1,500 House of Assembly positions, plus 360 House of Reps positions, presents much better odds, and far better chances for all, than 100 parties contesting for one presidential position; a position which then colours other outcomes. The choice before INEC is clear if it wishes to develop and deepen democracy in Nigeria. For now, the political space is being constricted especially at state level and we are running a charade. We need to open the space for our collective good.
The final issue to discuss is the call for mergers. I believe that it is parties that do not have any idea what to do with themselves, or have unclear mandates, or were established for the purposes of political entrepreneurship that will be quick to go into mergers so early. A real party should not be interested only in the presidency, but in the entire gamut of political positions from which it can affect society positively, and in changing the political space permanently by becoming a model for others to follow. A party’s task and remit, is enormous and long term in nature. By the way, in the event of mergers and acquisitions, an entity is judged on the strength of its balance sheet and cash flow. Why should our political parties abandon the development and consolidation of their ‘balance sheets’ (number of verifiable members, structure and organisation, ethos and ideology, networks), or the strengthening of their cash flows (membership dues, donations and general finance), so early on the pretext of merger? A party that must join ANRP to be the second core party in Nigeria’s desired dichotomy must be ready to play for the long term. A party cannot be created for the sole aim of wrestling power, and a serious party must be careful about the erosion of its values, ethos and ideology when it begins to yoke together with strange bedfellows that cavort with other partners in the middle of the night. Merger apart, a political party cannot also be sustainably built around the cult personality of some ‘ghetto superstar’ who believes he’s the best thing since sliced bread. Yes, a real party cannot be centered around someone’s presidential ambitions.
ANRP decided even before we got our certificate from INEC, that we were going to have a proper election for all EXCOs shortly after certification, in order to set the standards for the states, LGs and wards, and in order to properly constitute our executives at all levels and ensure that all who occupy EXCO positions understand the enormity of their positions and tasks. This is billed for Saturday, February 17, 2018, at Eagle Square in Abuja. We shall be the only party apart from the two behemoths who have dared to have a congress at that location. We are young. We are brave. We are honest. We will work pretty hard to change, transform and renew Nigeria for the better. So help us God. As for now, we believe we are the ones we have been waiting for, and that we are one of the parties that Nigeria can anchor their tomorrow upon. We cannot comment about others.
ANRP is the First Force. Join us at www.anrp.org.ng
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