How consensus pacts were struck
Party leaders list challenges ahead of new NWC
Adamu sues for peace, admonishes media practitioners
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
Although the much anticipated national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress has come and gone, investigations by The Point revealed that many delegates were disappointed at the convention because the usual largesse that comes with such political gatherings was elusive.
The party had on Saturday held its national convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja where it elected all the members of the National Working Committee as well as zonal executive members in a consensus arrangement that produced the former governor of Nasarawa State and serving Senator, Abdullahi Adamu, as the National Chairman.
Some delegates that spoke with The Point on condition of anonymity blamed the consensus option chosen by the party as the cause of their displeasure.
A delegate said, “This national convention is peaceful but it is the worst because our coming here has no financial benefits. The only money I have made from this convention is the money given to us at the state. Those who came from APC states are those enjoying it because their governors will take good care of them. In the past, the candidates would campaign to us even if there was consensus, we would meet with the candidates but this one, the decision was taken from above.
“Look at the calibre of men and women who were in the race. Honestly, this is not the type of convention some of us want to attend. If it continues this way, members will not want to be delegates to any political gathering again.”
Corroborating, another delegate lamented that the decision by the party leadership to choose the consensus option saved money for the candidates and subjected the delegates to hardship.
“Some delegates even wanted to leave before now but for one reason or the other, they stayed back. What is our benefit when we cannot buy bread for our children at home on returning from the national convention? It’s bad.”
CHALLENGES AHEAD OF NWC
A former governorship candidate of the party who would not want his name in print said himself and many others did not see the unity list from his zone.
He claimed that those who compiled it hid it from them but added that whatever that has happened he will give a 100 per cent support to the new NWC but prays that they will work towards repositioning the party to enhance their victory in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
The APC Chieftain stated that the future of the party is now in the hands of the Senator Adamu-led NWC and cautioned them to be bias-free and committed to justice, equity and fairness in all, not some, because anything contrary to that will spell doom.
“APC has been in a mess. Adamu and his team have enormous work to do. They have to repackage the party, clean up the mess of imposing candidates which denied us victory in many governorship polls. If they can do this, we will achieve a lot as a party. Mind you the 2023 elections are here at the doorsteps.
“So, it is time for them to hit the ground running. Anything else will be a regrettable mistake that we will cry had I known. Thank God he was the chairman of our reconciliation committee, so he should continue with the assignment because there are divisions in almost all the states. He should not pretend. We are ready to work with him to get the best and reposition our great party that has been beaten by boisterous wind.”
A party chieftain from the South East zone confided in The Point that the party needed a surgical operation as fast as possible to avert its demise claiming that the party leaders in the zone are not interested in the well-being of the party.
He said, “Though I have made up my mind that we will not continue to fight, yet those at the helm of affairs of the party are doing things that are tearing the party apart. Head or tail, I want us to come together, work as a united body heading to the 2023 general elections. Anything short of that, it will be requiem mass for APC in the zone. If you don’t know, know now that the governors of our party’s extraction are not welcome by our people and it has nothing to do with APC. It’s about them.”
“This national convention is peaceful but it is the worst because our coming here has no financial benefits. The only money I have made from this convention is the money given to us at the state. Those who came from APC states are those enjoying it because their governors will take good care of them”
HOW CONSENSUS PACTS WERE STRUCK
A confirmation of the divisions in the various states chapters of the party played out at the national convention when President Muhammadu Buhari’s preferred consensus candidate for the post of national Organizing Secretary, Waziri Bulama from Borno State, North West was rejected by his state chapter that preferred the Deputy National Chairman North and settled for Senator Abubakar Kyari while the National Organizing Secretary was rezoned to North West and Chief of Staff to the governor of Kebbi State, Suleiman Argungu was elected as the consensus candidate.
Bulama’s name led others till pressure from his home state of Borno ensured he was replaced with a candidate from Kebbi while Borno regained the spot for Deputy National Chairman.
The plot to stop the duo of Victor Giadom from River State and Betta Edu, Cross River (South South) from occupying the posts of National Vice Chairman (South South) and National Woman Leader also failed.
Opponents to the positions accused them of various crimes and offences ranging from not possessing a School Certificate in the case of Giadom to publicly supporting and being a full participant in the #ENDSARS protest in the case of Edu.
While Giadom has served the party at the national level before now, Edu, a medical doctor, was the Commissioner for Health, Cross River State till the national convention.
Be that as it may, members of the APC are celebrating what party faithful have termed a very successful and peaceful national convention in the history of any political party in the country.
The party faithful and top hierarchy of the party had thought that the hosting of the convention had become a forgotten issue especially when about two weeks to the convention skirmishes erupted with the former national Vice Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, now dissolved, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State taking over the Buhari House National Secretariat of the party and declaring himself the new National Chairman and claimed that the authentic National Chairman CECPC, Governor Mai Mala Buni has been sacked.
His action which some governors tagged a “Coup d’état” was also backed by some governors which made it more worrisome.
However, the governors and other party chieftains who never supported the step taken by the vice chairman mounted pressure till they had the ears of the party leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, who waded in and issued a strongly worded instruction tasking the governors to revert to status quo in order to continue with and conclude the process of national convention, declaring the March 26 date sacrosanct.
Having settled the matter, another trouble that had to do with who emerged the new national chairman of the party took over. The news of the President’s choice of Abdullahi Adamu from among over 14 aspirants broke out.
Counter news followed claiming that the President had not at any time got involved and had never chosen anyone. What surprised most party faithful was the fact that Adamu at that time had not even joined the race as he was busy with the assignment to reconcile aggrieved members thrown up by the various states, local government and ward congresses.
On Friday night through early hours of Saturday March 26, the Progressives Governors that were split came together to finalize and confirm the President’s choice and also agreed to the consensus arrangement as the party’s option to elect the new national officers with 16 governors in attendance.
The governors selected from among them designated colleagues that submitted the unity list of the zones to the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu at the governor’s lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State submitted the list for the South East; Ben Ayade of Cross River submitted that of the South South; Governor Sani Bello of Niger State submitted that of North Central; Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State submitted the list for the North East; Governor Abubakar Badaru submitted for North West, submitted the list.
A delegate, Abubakar Abubakar told The Point at the Eagle Square venue of the convention that the APC has proved to the world that as a ruling party, it has the capacity to manage not only its affairs but also the affairs of the country.
“What is happening today is proof to the world that our party, APC, is solid and well organised. We have also proved that we have the capacity to handle our internal affairs and the affairs of our dear country, Nigeria. You witnessed how the convention is going. The national executives have been chosen already by consensus, we are here to announce them to the public and swear them in.
“We are the party to beat. Other political parties should learn from us rather than criticizing us unnecessarily. They thought our convention will not hold but look at the crowd, unprecedented, which confirms that APC is loved by Nigerians. Our leaders, from the President, the governors and Senators and House members are committed and faithful to the party. This is what will give us overwhelming victory in 2023. Wait and see.”
Adamu was elected as the consensus (President Buhari’s candidate) national chairman after the withdrawal of other six candidates from the contest.
The six national chairmanship aspirants that withdrew from the contest on the day of the convention after scaling the screening exercise were former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, former governor of Benue State and Minister of Special Duties and Inter -governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, Senator Sani Musa, Saliu Mustapha and former governor of Zamfara State, Abdullaziz Yari.
The Point gathered from impeccable sources that the candidates said their decision to withdraw from the race was to avoid defeating President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to our sources, the contest for the national chairmanship by the candidates was a contest against President Buhari.
The Point also learnt that the intervention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha yielded the expected results from the candidates.
“The SGF had warned that a defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari’s preferred candidate was a defeat of the President,” the sources quoted the SGF.
According to one of our sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, “the problem was that the six other national chairmanship aspirants could not produce an acceptable candidate from their group.
“They believed that if they must defeat Abdullahi Adamu, they must produce one of them as a consensus candidate. And if one of them was produced and he defeated Abdullahi Adamu, they would have ended up defeating the President.
“But producing one of them as the candidate for the national chairmanship position was a problem. Nobody among the six candidates for the national chairmanship was willing to step down for another.
Based on this, the candidates signed their support letter for Abdullahi Adamu on Saturday.
The letter reads: May I kindly refer to the appeal by Mr President for the chairmanship aspirants of our great party to agree to a consensus arrangement wherein our colleague Senator Abdullahi Adamu is made consensus candidate for the chairmanship position and forward letters of withdrawal from the under listed aspirants to wit.”
ADAMU SUES FOR PEACE, ADMONISHES MEDIA PRACTITIONERS
Meanwhile, the newly sworn in national chairman of the party and his team have assured the party of total commitment to the party.
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony on Sunday in Abuja, Adamu in his acceptance speech said, “We accept the onerous responsibility that you have placed on our shoulders and we will work hard to ensure that we fulfill your expectations for the greater good of our great party and of our dear country.
“I wish to also congratulate the great party men and women who also aspired to occupy these national offices of our great party. They did not succeed this time but in God’s time, many of them will yet realise their ambitions to serve our party and country in many other positions of responsibility. As politicians we are not strangers to gains, losses and disappointments with the outcome of every political contest.
“Let us show maturity and good sportsmanship and accept the outcome of this convention with grace. Our party needs all hands on the steering wheel so that together we can steer the ship of state through the inclement weather of our divisive national politics to the Promised Land. I thank all of them very much for their spirit of sportsmanship and we will continue to count on their cooperation as loyal party members and patriots.
“As we conclude this very successful convention of our great party, I know that our opponents in PDP and other opposition parties are now sulking, wearing long faces of sadness, bewilderment and dismay. They had been hoping and praying to make a fortune out of our misfortunes. They were also hoping and praying to capitalize on assumed failures of our party to reap political benefits.
“For almost seven years now, APC administrations at the federal, state and local levels have been battling night and day in order to enhance the livelihood of Nigerians through various policies, programmes and projects.
“We need to renew our faith in our party and its leadership at all levels in order to herald a new dawn. We need to commit to the resolution of our crisis within the confines of our party constitution. We must resist the temptation to blow every minor personal disagreement into a major party crisis. It is time for us to do things differently. When we quarrel, we open our flanks to our rival political parties that are only too eager to exploit them for their own benefit.
“They believed that if they must defeat Abdullahi Adamu, they must produce one of them as a consensus candidate. And if one of them was produced and he defeated Abdullahi Adamu, they would have ended up defeating the President”
“I promise you here and now that we shall heal any wounds in our party; we shall effect lasting reconciliation among our members, and we shall go into the next general elections as a strong and united party. I offer my hands of friendship to all our members. I want to assure you that my colleagues and myself will run an open door policy to all members of the party.
“No Administration in the history of Nigeria has performed as much as we did in building key infrastructure and in uplifting the living conditions of the Nigerian people. Projects that once existed only in the dreams of Nigerians such as the Second Niger Bridge, complete rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan dual carriageway, the Lagos-Ibadan express rail, the Abuja-Kaduna express light rail, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline and many others, have either been started and completed during our administration or have been inherited in abandoned conditions and have made rapid progress in the last seven years.
“No government can satisfy everybody, however hard it works. Some work will always be left undone and every work done will continue to need maintenance, expansion and improvement. We are however satisfied that APC has fulfilled its covenant with the Nigerian people. Of the three main pillars of its promises to the Nigerian people in 2015, that is, security, economy and anti-corruption, much progress has been recorded in all three areas and many more.
“APC is set to do much, much more when Nigerians continue to bestow on us their love, support and confidence in next year’s general elections.
“My dear compatriots, the eyes of the nation are on us; the eyes of Africa are on us; the eyes of the world are on us. This is a historic moment.
There is no room for false steps. Our first step is to make our party the bastion of internal democracy. If a party is not internally democratic, it cannot offer the country true democracy.
“Together, let us rise and march towards the sunrise in our party and in our country. The time has come for us to show statesmanship to arrive at the new dawn. The time has come for us to be patriotic in words and deeds. The time has come for us to affirm our being the party of the people, for the people and by the people.
“At this point, I wish to appeal to our journalists and media houses to revive and uphold the patriotic spirit of the founding fathers of their profession such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Malam Abubakar Imam, Alhaji Alade Odunewu and other media pioneers. Those great pioneers of Nigerian journalism always put the interests of Nigeria and its people above all other considerations and they always worked for the peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria.
“Journalists and everyone else in Nigeria should uphold this spirit of selflessness and patriotism and continue to work hard for the success of the Nigerian project. It is not correct to assume that it is the work of political leaders alone that will make Nigeria great, that other citizens can sit on the sidelines and just observe and criticize. We should all remember the wisdom in the saying that the chain is no stronger than its weakest link.”
