SINCE 1999 when Nigeria returned to democracy, the ACN has metamorphosed from Alliance for Democracy to Action Congress and finally Action Congress of Nigeria. It is the party in control of five of the six states in the South West of Nigeria. Prior to the April 2011 election, it was in control of only one state which is noted for planting flowers everywhere and marking ' at great public cost ' every 100 days of the administration. Today, the ACN is in control of a larger part of the South-West and has not hidden its intention of capturing the remaining state (Ondo State) into its fold.First it started by wooing the executive Governor of Ondo State Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to defect from the Labour Party to the ACN. The wise governor smelt a poisoned chalice in the unrelenting pressure being mounted on him to defect since the ability to deliver on his electoral promises does not depend on whether he was in ACN or not. When one recalled that ACN has gone to court to challenge defection of its members to other political parties, one cannot but wonder at such monumental retrogression of a party that has shown flashes of political sagacity.Upon the failure of ACN and its political godfather to have Mimiko defect to the party, the party employed all manner of subterfuge to discredit Governor Mimiko. Suddenly, as far as ACN is concerned, Mimiko is no longer a progressive and should be removed. Now who is a progressive' A political progressive is someone who favours or advocates progress, change, improvement or reform as opposed to someone wishing to maintain things as they are. It is without doubt that being a progressive does not and cannot depend on a political party.The position of the ACN on Ondo State is regrettable and unfortunate. The task of evaluating Mimiko's performance is solely that of Ondo State people who are equally competent to judge Mimiko in an electoral examination. Recently, the ACN floated a policy with a view to integrating the six South-Western states into a political union. The crude and diabolical aim of the integration process is to surrender the entire South-West under the political control of the ACN national leadersip. Must the integration of the South-West be achieved only when all the states are under ACN control' It is obvious that the integration process is dubious, fraudulent and myopic.The ACN-controlled states have been treating the Ondo State governor with such ignominy and disrespect. Worst in the bunch is Aregbesola who goes by the title Ogbeni and christened his state as Omoluabi ' a Yoruba word for being responsible. The diatribe from this governor against Mimiko is shocking. He has used several indecorous expressions against Mimiko both at the Achievers' University and some other programmes where he exhibited shocking crudity and uncouth mannerism to describe Mimiko only because Mimiko refused to join a group noted for corruption, subterfuge and political godfatherism. Ondo people must never forget that Mimiko, at a great political risk, refuses to submit and surrender Ondo State treasury to looters and people who have penchant for domination and politics of hatred. Mimiko has maintained stoic and commendable silence in the midst of this political stupidity by ACN people. Mimiko's mantra is, there is a room for all.The politicalfirmament in the South-West is wide enough for all to fly without being goaded into a party heading into extinction anyway.To the likes of Aregbesola who thrive on political rascality, we commend the poignant word of erstwhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, that power is transient and that every current political office holder would at sometime or the other become former or an ex this or that. This advice is timely since the governor is carrying on as if political office is eternal.We submit that there should be no compulsion in politics. Everyone should be allowed to decide his political fate. It is also necessary to advise ACN leadership to take a cue from the South-South States of Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Rivers State. Out of this states, only Edo State is ACN, the remaining five are PDP led states. They have achieved some level of integration under BRACED which stands for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-Rivers, Edo and Delta. Governor Oshiomole of ACN has never been subjected to any opprobrium on party affiliation. The other PDP governors have also never made Oshiomole defecting to PDP a condition before he can join the South 'South group. Why then should ACN demands that Mimiko should defect to ACN before the integration of South-West can be achieved'It is laughable when ACN refers to itself as a progressive party. Recently, the PDP held a transparent gubernatorial primary to elect the party's candidate in Edo State where Prof. Osareimen Osunbor, erstwhile Governor of Edo State came fifth. Always a bad loser, he decided to jump ship and pitch tent with the ACN. Suddenly, Osubor has become a progressive. Is ACN a political water where, that once you are baptised inside it, you become a progressive immediately'A progressive party would have listened to Lagosians complaint about the oppressive Lekki toll gate. ACN refused to listen to wise counsel and the toll gate remains with billions of naira being expropriated from our pockets on daily basis. Conversely, Nigerians protested and a PDP-led government reduced the pump price from N140 to N97. Who then is a progressive' Is it the government that listens or a deaf government'' Owolabi, a lawyer, lives in Lagos.
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