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By Madu Obi
Following criticisms that trailed the statement credited to the national chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, that the party would capture two other states after Ondo, his Senior Special Assistant, Chief Oliver Okpala has insisted that his boss is a committed democrat.
Ganduje was said to have made the statement during stakeholders meeting of the APC ahead of the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election.
In a statement on Thursday, Okpala said Ganduje believes in the practice of democratic principles and ideals, adding that he remains unshakable in his dedication to Nigeria as a nation.
Okpala was reacting to a statement by the national publicity secretary of the PDP , Mr. Debo Ologunagba, who portrayed Ganduje as an undemocratic personality and that the APC national chairman does not believe in the tenets of democracy and the rule of law .
Faulting the PDP spokesman, Okpala wondered how those who have not occupied elective positions of honour in the country could describe a man who had contested and won the governorship of Kano State twice through a democratic process, as not being a true democrat.
Okpala said: "It is important to note that the word capture allegedly used by Ganduje is not negative on its own, but PDP added 'forcefully' to it in an attempt to mislead the public.
If a list of the first 100 democrats in the country is drawn, Dr. Ganduje would appear amongst the prime five by merit and credentials .
The APC believes in democratic processes and it is committed to the tenets of democracy and that reflects in its internal democratic process which made it possible for its candidates to always emerge through transparent primary election processes, just like the recent ones in Edo, as well as Ondo State that would be having election soon.
In Ondo the primary was seamless and credible which produced Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa. So they are giving a wrong and twisted narrative of the alleged comment of Dr. Ganduje.
While he spoke in a metaphorical sense, they seek to twist his comment to achieve their sinister motive.
This has become imperative because if a spokesman for a national party cannot understand the fluidity of language , the use of metaphors, hyperboles, onomatopoeia and simile, then it is most troubling.
There are metaphoric expressions that bear different connotations outside the shallow meanings, especially in the political terrain.
The arena of politics is not the field of botany which is the study of plants. It is the dynamic field of political play with all its profoundness both in language and actions.
Even the dictionary meaning and interpretation of the words in question does not connote negativity as the PDP would want us to believe."
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