Chief Peter Ameh is the National Chairman of Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA. In this interview, he bares his mind on the recent development in the nation’s political scene. Ameh while x-raying the controversies which characterised the recently conducted National Assembly leadership election concluded that a bi-partisan legislature is good for the country.
How would you react to the controversies generated by the election of presiding officers in the National Assembly?
There have been a lot of intrigues behind closed doors among the various blocs that came to form the All Progressive Congress, APC, that gave it the power it now has and the ability to have the national spread that gave it the advantage to take over power at the centre.
These power blocs have been pitching opinion against opinion and interest against interest, and that is what has really made this thing very difficult. But nevertheless, we know that there is a good intention from the elected president. But APC as a party is making very serious mistakes maybe from the leadership.
I thought that based on their popular slogan of Change, that they would be an all-inclusive party, a party that has respect for internal democratic process, a party that has respect for the interest, wishes and aspirations of it members. But so far, APC has fallen short of that and has failed to achieve that in a lot of areas.
Peter-Ameh
Like the National Assembly elections, I want to sincerely fault the leadership of the APC. While we commend the President, Muhammadu Buhari for accepting that he would work with any person that is chosen as leader at the National Assembly level. We want to fault the negative influence of the APC as a political party in the leadership process of the National Assembly.
Because one, if you say a member who wants to contest for the post of the Senate President has an interest and that member is a member of your party, and that member has contributed financially up to date, the member has contributed personal manpower by moving from one state to another campaigning for the victory of the APC. You said that member should not run that you have a preferred candidate, what have you done? Have you not infringed on the right of that person to participate and have you not refused to create a fair playing field for participation for all your members? Have you not refused to create an all-inclusive process of election?
These were all the things that the previous political parties like the PDP were doing that were wrong that caused the party to crash and yet APC claimed change. APC would have allowed its members to elect the leader or leaders of their choice without any imposition.
As the national chairman of a political party do you think Senator Saraki and Speaker Dogara violated party discipline by contesting against the party’s nominated candidates in the leadership contests?
I want to tell you one thing, our party the PPA, had people like Senator Uche Chukwumerijie of blessed memory elected to the Senate in 2007 under its platform, Chief Ikedi Ohakim became the governor of Imo State under the platform of our party, Chief Theodore Orji, the immediate past governor of Abia state became governor under the platform of our party. I think when the position of the party becomes too stiff; you push your members away, and the damage that would be done would be too much to recover from.
If you say party discipline, you must create a system of fair hearing, you must create an equal level playing field for all those persons that you want them to follow party principles and party policies; you must create that equal playing field.
You cannot be a judge in a matter where your interest is already known, there is no way you can judge that matter fairly because from day one the party was known to favour some candidates as the choice candidate of the party; Lawan-Akume and Femi Gbajabiamila tickets.
--Vanguard
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