THE All Progressives Congress, APC, right from inception, has always battled to shed the toga of a party whose interest is mainly skewed in favour of the North and Muslim interests. Until the appointment- not election- of Odigie Oyegun to the position of Chairman, all of the principal officers were mainly Muslims.

So, when a few weeks ago, we read from the camp of the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, that he is throwing his cap into the ring for the presidential ticket of the APC, not a few of us were very delighted. At last, a man with true pan- Nigerian vision, an achiever with international pedigree is joining the race.

We warmed our hearts towards towards the perceived democratic credentials of the APC, our hope was further kindled by Oyegun’s press release – as if choreographed – that the APC is going to throw the presidential race open to all, irrespective of geographical or ethnic factors.

But we were shocked we later  received the announcement from Oshiomhole that he is no longer in the race, that he never considered himself in the race in the first instance; this is coming two weeks after his supposed declaration of intent.

It is further compounded by the fact that on the day Oshiomhole was announcing his recant, his information commissioner was quoted in  a newspaper as highlighting the advantages Oshiomhole has over all the other contestants and that his interest is for real. What would have made Oshiomhole to do a recant?

Was it just a ‘demo’ to shore up his political status for a future appointment in the party, maybe vice president position? Is it a fear of failure? Or a lack of confidence? Or was it a result of intimidation from the party hegemony? Or the inability to fork out the huge sum of N27 million required? We will never know, but it sure leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

As if on cue, in the Premium Times, an online publication, of October 17, 2014, Oyegun was quoted as saying that “we will welcome consensus candidate” when General Buhari visited the APC headquarters in Abuja.

Our politicians are the most unpatriotic elements in this country, especially with their penchant to manipulate everything. Why is it so difficult for us to present our best in the affairs of this country? Without our best at the top, we will never get the best from governance in this country. A party that prides itself of change must be radically different, not aping the one it is trying to take over from; there must be clear lines of demarcation and this, we have not seen.

As it is now, with the exit of  Oshiomhole, we are back to the beginning.The remaining  contestants of note are all from the North and they are all Muslims, which fits perfectly into the vision of the reactionary Northern Elders Forum and their likes, the Boko Haram obviously fighting for a Muslim to be in charge of the affairs of the country in line with the wishes of  those who have sworn to make this country ungovernable unless the presidency moves to the North. What is APC trying to tell us?

The beauty of democracy is in the participation; there is a sense of inclusiveness if you throw the contest open; everyone is a winner when the process is transparent and free from all forms of manipulation. As it is now, the APC has become known for imposition and manipulation of candidates into positions.

This is what those who have left the party are complaining about. Now, this is about to be displayed at the highest level; we will see how it pans out.

Oshiomhole on his part has done this country a great disservice by his action. I have never known him to be one that will ‘chicken out’ of a cause he believes in, but it is said that with politicians you can never tell. Now that he is in politics, he has allowed the culture to permeate through him. It took all of two weeks to recant after the news of his declaration broke out; definitely, it was in his heart to contest.

When you know that you are a better candidate, you go for it. A party that has Fashola, Amaechi and Oshiomhole should not be struggling to present a credible presidential candidate. Impositions and manipulation of candidates into positions, if not handled properly, will hurt the party in the 2015 elections.

As I am writing this piece, news just filtered in that the Boko Haram group has reached a cease-fire agreement with the Federal Government. If this is true, it is a good development and must not be isolated from the happenings in the APC camp, with the declaration of Buhari for the presidential contest.

I have always held the position that there is no way a true and transparent election will take place in the North East, with the level of insurgency going on there and that the opposition will be defeated under such conditions. I have also held that, it is in the hands of the Northern elites to determine whether the Boko Haram insurgency will end or not; not Jonathan as the effective APC propaganda will have us believe.

You cannot sit and watch your house being destroyed because you are not happy with the man at the top, there are so many roles the people can play to put the activities of the insurgents in check. The leaders of the North have failed and not doing anything to remedy the situation.

Presently in Iraq, the Kurds are fighting the battle of their lives against ISIS. They know that if they leave the situation to the Iraqi government, it will lead to their doom; so, they have formed various resistance groups and with the support of allied forces, they are succeeding in holding off the ISIS.

What has the North as a group done to fight the Boko Haram, even though they are killing their emirs and leaders, raping their wives and children, burning down schools? Nothing!

In recent times, the Boko Haram are on the defensive, with the decision of our neighbours to co-operate. I am sure the sponsors are beginning to feel the heat; it is in their own interest, therefore, to make peace. If there is peace and free and fair elections, the people of the troubled North East will likely vote for Buhari because of their well known sentiments against Christians and the South.

It is also noted here that the Northern elders have been claiming with confidence that elections will take place in the region no matter the situation. Is the new turn around of the Boko Haram linked to the election of 2015?  Time will tell.

A good democracy is the one that opens the space to everyone concerned and that is what all of the parties should do.

Mr.  Sunny Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.