- Fear grips party leaders over elective convention
- Buhari orders: It must hold this year
Political observers were excited over a recent announcement that the ruling All Progressives Congress would hold its convention in November this year. The source of the story was credible because the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, made the revelation in an exclusive interview with a national daily.
Oyegun, the highest ranking party officer in APC, certainly knew what he was talking about. No source can be more authoritative than him on matters concerning the ruling party.
It is on record that after the national convention held in Lagos to elect the presidential candidate of the party in 2014, no other convention of the party has ever been held. Even though the party constitution stipulates that the convention of the party must hold periodically, different reasons were given for the inability of the party to hold its convention for the past three years.
Usually reliable sources, close to the party, disclosed that an obviously embarrassed President Muhammadu Buhari, on his return from his medical trip a few weeks ago, was briefed on the political situation by the party chairman, Oyegun. The President was said to have listened to the chairman, who explained in detail, the bickering among leading political figures and why the party could not hold its convention for three years, even though the party’s constitution stipulates that the National Executive Council meeting and the convention should hold, at least, once in a year.
Buhari was said to have ordered that the convention must hold before the year runs out and, it is an order that must be obeyed.
A party chieftain, who preferred anonymity, expressed his displeasure thus: “We are not deceiving ourselves. The motivation when the party was formed was to oust the then ruling party from power. The overwhelming desire of all concerned made many ambitious party leaders to forsake their different ambitions. Now, we have gained power and we have been in the saddle for the past two years and the reality has dawned on all that the proper foundation was not laid.
“What I mean is that we should have had very clear understanding of how to share power among the different tendencies that coalesced into a political party. What Nigerians don’t realise is that the PDP was also formed when different tendencies coalesced into a political party in order to force the military out of power.
“What became of the PDP is partly due to how the party emerged. But let us not make any mistake about it; Nigeria’s democracy is undergoing a normal process. We shall get there sooner than later.”
FEAR OF EXCO DISSOLUTION
A committee set up by the party to re-jig the party’s constitution was headed by the Legal Adviser of the party, Dr. Muiz Banire, from Mushin, Lagos, and changes had been introduced. For instance, instead of the Board of Trustees, the party will now have an Advisory Council whose advice to the party chairman and the Central Working Committee would not be binding. For these changes to become legal and effectively inserted into the party’s constitution, it requires the endorsement of the national convention of the party.
The national convention of any political party is the highest organ of the party and decisions taken at conventions are final. It is so powerful that it could decide to bring the existence of the party to an abrupt end. It could decide to change the name of the party and it could sack all other organs of the party or change the constitution of the party.
From all indications, if and when the APC convention is held, it would be a non-elective convention. In other words, there would be no election of principal officers responsible for the day-to-day running of the party.
Now, we have gained power and we have been in the saddle for the past two years, and the reality has dawned on all that the proper foundation was not laid
Another party leader remarked that there was the fear that an aggrieved group in the party could raise a motion for the dissolution of the executive of the party at the convention, just as other far-reaching decisions could be reached. As the party is presently constituted, there is no guarantee that the party could hold a smooth or hitch-free convention. Yet, the convention must hold before the year runs out.
The National Publicity Secretary of the rival Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, did not mince words when he remarked with certain degree of confidence that his party reliably gathered that the situation in the ruling APC was so precarious that the party might not exist anymore, if and when it holds its convention. He maintained that the information at his disposal was authoritative.
His counterpart in APC, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, almost took offence when he was told that political observers believed that internal wrangling and rivalry in the party made it impossible for the party to hold its NEC meetings and convention, even though the party constitution stipulates that the meetings must hold at least once every year.
When tasked on the issue, Abdullahi explained that lack of fund, as a result of the policy of the party not to spend public money to run the party and the illness of President Buhari that took several months to heal, were responsible for the delay in holding the important meetings the party should have held from time to time.
According to him, the party cannot continue to function as if nothing is wrong when the leader of the party is indisposed. The party, he said, had to ensure that it carried him along in every important step. He admitted that as a party that came into existence as a result of many tendencies coming together, no one could rule out disagreements among the various tendencies. He gave assurance that all meetings that were expected to hold would hold.
Yet, there were other questions such as why the BoT of the party could not be constituted since the formation of the party more than three years ago. Abdullahi again maintained that the meetings would be held and all organs of the party would function properly.
TINUBU, OYEGUN’S COLD WAR
Recall that when the primary election of the party that threw up Rotimi Akeredolu as candidate of the party was disputed, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who the Nigerian media usually referred to as the leader of the party, had alleged that the action of the National Chairman was not in the interest of the party and called for the resignation of the chairman.
Odigie-Oyegun, after consultation with President Buhari, had also publicly stated that there were procedures to remove a party chairman and that it was not something that could be done on the pages of newspapers. Ever since then, there was no convention held. No NEC meeting that was to be prelude to the convention was ever held. Twice, there were moves to hold the NEC meeting but the meeting was aborted for one reason or the other. It should also be noted that Tinubu, who, at a certain stage wanted to act as the conscience of the party, has decided to keep mum. His unusual silence has become a deafening silence that unsettles many in the party. Different interpretations are being read to Tinubu’s silence. Unconfirmed sources said eminent Nigerians; including foremost traditional rulers, had on more than two occasions reconciled Tinubu and President
Buhari.
Reports of misunderstanding regularly appearing in the media were never officially denied or confirmed by the party.
APC FACTIONS FLEXING MUSCLES
According to insiders, there are three distinct political groups that coalesced to make up the APC with their different areas of influence. One is led by President Buhari with strong presence in the North West and North East geopolitical zone. The bulk of Buhari followers in the APC were members of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change. The second strong political group is led by Tinubu and his followers, with strong presence in the South West geo-political zone of the country. The bulk of Tinubu’s followers were members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. The third political group is known as the new Peoples Democratic Party, with strong presence in the North-Central geo-political zone. The mass exodus of leading politicians from the South East to the party in the recent past is believed to have boosted the strength of this group in the internal struggle for power within the party. The leading personality in this group is the present President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola
Saraki.
It should also be noted that Tinubu, who, at a certain stage wanted to act as the conscience of the party, has decided to keep mum. His unusual silence has become a deafening silence that unsettles many in the party. Different interpretations are being read to Tinubu’s silence
These three political groups within the party, it is alleged, are engaged in serious rivalry to control the party. Recall, also, that the ACN, CPC, ANPP and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance dissolved and fused into what is known today as APC. The party got a big boost when nPDP decided to join the newly formed party.
The disagreement within the party became public knowledge when principal officers of the National Assembly were elected. While the party officially anointed and directed its members that constituted majority in the Senate to elect somebody with ANPP background, the nPDP ensured that it produced the leaders of the National
Assembly.
