BLACK TUESDAY: THE MUTINY OF THE TEMPORARY APC MEMBERS - BY FEYISAYO ABEGUNDE

In the United States of America, the term Black Friday usually refers to the Friday following  Thanksgiving Day in the United States when most major retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer promotional cheap sales to enthusiastic shoppers. In Nigeria, Tuesday June 9, 2015 can be best described as Black Tuesday.  On that day in Abuja the only thing that was being sold cheaply by APC renegades led by Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara was loyalty. Loyalty to the party APC was sold cheaply to the PDP whom many had fought so vigorously to dislodge from power. At the vanguard of that struggle were people like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Muhammad Buhari, John Oyegun, Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige, and a host of others. These were the people who fought against all odds, at great risk and with fantastic courage to put APC in power in 2015.

There are many theories swirling around on what could have led to this sad situation. Some have said the actions were to checkmate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed whose rising profile after the APC’s victory was unsettling many of the other power blocks. Others have said that the TAPC (Temporary APC) led by the former PDP Governors now in APC were insistent that they must grab a key position in the Federal Government. Some have even posited sinister religious motives to perpetuate a Muslim agenda in key Federal positions. The latest theory is that Buhari was behind this show of shame to cut down Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his henchmen to size.

Irrespective of the theories and conspiracies that will continue to emerge, one thing that is clear is that some members of APC betrayed their colleagues and have put the Country almost back to the point where we started. You can clearly see the PDP hierarchy gloating on how they decimated the ranks of the APC without firing a shot. It was Saraki and Dogara together with other renegades that opened fire on their colleagues. They installed Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President in an APC dominated Senate. Perhaps the rebellion in the House of Representatives could be stomached because the entire House was present to vote. Dogara and his mutineers only chose to follow their PDP friends instead of their APC brethren. Nevertheless it is reprehensible that they disobeyed their party and they must be punished according to the party’s constitution

On the other hand the perfidy at the senate is just too bitter to swallow. Saraki and his co- travelers chose to betray their colleagues and work with the PDP to elect himself as Senate President contrary to his party’s instructions. They snuck into the Senate chambers like thieves in the night and carried out a charade called an election without two-thirds of the senators present. Let us remember that winning in 2/3 of the 36 states could only elect our President Buhari. How can Saraki claim to have been validly elected President of the Senate with less than 2/3 ?

At the end of this all, the APC faithful all over the Country feel disoriented, betrayed and distraught. They question how their party could have been hoodwinked by the TAPC and the PDP. Some will even question why they must continue to remain loyal to their party.

In legal parlance I fear that irreparable damage might have been done by the actions of these TAPC in our midst. We are currently bleeding from all orifices and urgent steps must be taken so that APC does not die a premature death at the hands of the TAPC. Let us be reminded the punishment for mutiny is summary execution. The  APC renegades must be punished quickly and swiftly