What Future for NCP Without Gani?
A couple of weeks ago, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, a Lagos based human rights activist, constitutional lawyer and Chairman, National Conscience Party (NCP) took many by surprise when he announced his resignation as Chairman of the party. Why did Gani decide to take a bow and what becomes of NCP without him, asks Olawale Olaleye
Today, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) is regarded as the doyen of legal activism just as Chief F.R.A Williams is indisputably, the symbol of legal profession in the country. For so long, Gani had fought for the emancipation of the Nigerian people from the hands of the military.
Thus, the story of the struggle against military regimes and all forms of dictatorship would not be complete without the names of the likes of Fawehinmi featuring prominently. This is as a result of the role he played in the struggle for freedom. For Fawehinmi, the fight against injustice, dictatorship, undemocratic tendencies informed why he is among the living, particularly as a legal icon in Nigeria.
In association with various human rights groups, Fawehinmi ensured that Nigeria commenced its democracratic journey. However, in the course of this struggle, Fawehinmi single-handedly founded the National Conscience Party (NCP) as a structure designed to continue with the struggle for freedom. First as a human rights and pro-democracy association, NCP which is today 10 years old, however metamorphosed into a political party with a view to running a people-oriented programme as a government.
Because of this vision however, Fawehinmi struggled to get NCP registered as a political party after which he thought running as the party's presidential candidate would further boost the chances of the party, more so that there did not appear to be a better material in the party during the last election. But penultimate week, Gani resigned his 10 year-old chairmanship of the party.
In his resignation letter, Fawehinmi said he did not want to contest the chairmanship again and therefore stepped down. According to him, "having put in 10 years as the founding chairman of the party, I have received several pleas and entreaties from various quarters after my declaration to step down urging me to stay on. I wish to take this opportunity to thank them all. But I am going", he said. He further told the national executive of the party that "I clearly and equally informed you of my intention to step down as the chairman of the party from the end of September, 2004". Fawehinmi, who did not appear indifferent on his successor, however said "I wish to reiterate my decision to hand over the leadership of the party to another elected leader at the congress of the party scheduled for September 25, 2004".
But the party, which claimed Fawehinmi's decision to resign did not go down well with it, however maintained that it would accept the resignation letter on the ground that he was to step aside for some reasons he has cited, but that it would not oppose his resolve to fly the party's flag in future elections.
Perhaps, because of his overwhelming personality, Fawehinmi was more or less synonymous with NCP. That the party got to where it is today, to many, was not only because he founded it, but also because he was the chairman until two weeks ago. Gani had over the years carved a niche for himself, both in the legal profession and in the human rights circles. His strong character and tenacity of purpose drew quite a number of personalities to him especially that he could fight a course successfully. Analysts also argued that qualities that served as Fawehinmi's strong points, which made the party to have large followership, people from different walks of life, discourage such from joining, possibly because of his seeming over-bearing nature.
Therefore, for 10 years, Gani's personification of NCP helped the party to garner the kind of image its contemporaries could not and did not get. With Gani as Chairman, it was easy for NCP to take-off and aim at destinations that even some of its supporters knew it could not reach even if given a period of five years to journey such.
With Fawehinmi being chairman, NCP was swift and analytical in its responses to issues. There was no issue bordering on national interest that NCP did not react to given the background of its chairman as a lawyer and an activist. Interestingly, virtually all the issues that required his attention usually assume controversial dimension.
Relatively, NCP with him at the helm was a success. He elevated NCP and the party tried its popularity during the last elections but did not translate into electoral fortune. Generally, analysts agreed that Gani may have properly nurtured NCP from the cradle and have taken it to a level beyond people's expectation as a party.
Not a few knew there could be more to Gani's resignation as Chairman of NCP than what the people were made to believe. The reasons are not far-fetched; that Gani has an image that is completely devoid of filthy politics as may be common with the conventional political parties. His official reason for quitting the position of the party's chairmanship was the need to leave when the ovation was loudest, more so that he had put in about 10 years as a leader.
Beyond this however, are several other intriguing issues that analysts say actually informed his resolve to quit. For instance, THISDAY gathered that some of NCP's followers were beginning to think Fawehinmi was assuming a sit-tight posture, having been there for 10 years. Though, they claimed to have appreciated his efforts in the party, however the argument was that it was time he left having ran as the party's presidential candidate and still held the chairmanship position. This, it was gathered had begun to generate internal bickerings that eventually culminated, in his resolve to leave.
Consequently, THISDAY learnt that because he had begun to make too much complaint about the expenses of the party which invariably emanated from his personal purse, there was the need for him to resign and let the party fund itself through other sources as done in other parties. This did not end there. It was also gathered that he was subsequently told to allow them source for fund in some places as well as from some persons Gani would not however agree with. For Gani, sourcing funds from such people would end up vitiating what NCP may have connoted over the years. That the drive by the membership and leadership to take such step in lieu of the need to meet up with financial demands would also mean that the principles of the party may not have been genuine all along. And when he appeared obstinate over the party's decision to source for funds elsewhere and stop being a burden on his personal purse, he was thus advised to step aside and let the party survive. Though, he did not concede to that decision, but later thought all that had happened at that period may have been signs for time to leave and so did quietly.
Now that the party is on the verge of being an entity, independent of Fawehinmi, there have since been divergent views about what may become of the party. Essentially, Gani was all that NCP could pride as its asset both in person, intellectual material and financial base. He founded it, nurtured it and financed it almost independently for years. There may have been contributions from other party members as it is done in similar organisations, Gani however remained the nucleus of the party.
But, the survival of NCP with his resignation, analysts say, is dependent on several factors, predominantly the personal qualities of the new leader that would be elected in September. Should NCP elect a younger person, who is more pragmatic in approach, pro-active and less idealistic like its former chairman, it may compete keenly with other political parties.
His exit, undoubtedly puts NCP's survival on a dicey scale, some analysts contend. Fawehinmi attracted followership with his personality and rare qualities just as those qualities drove several others from joining the party, even though they may believe in some of the ideals the party tends to sell.
Pointedly, NCP's fate, analysts say is in the hands of its new leadership that would be elected come September 25. If a leader who would be objective both in reasoning and approach to issues is elected, analysts say NCP may come out stronger while its performance in next elections would take many by surprise.
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