BY AYO ESAN
THERE are strong indications that prominent loyalists of former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, have put plans in place to resuscitate the Action Congress of Nigeria, one of the parties that merged to form the APC in 2014.
The plan to resuscitate ACN is to serve as ‘Plan B’ in case Tinubu is unable to secure the APC presidential ticket, sources close to the plan told THE POINT.
The Tinubu loyalists, who are leaders of the party across the country, are apprehensive that most of the activities in the ruling party in recent times have not been in their favour, it was gathered.
The apprehension is growing daily just as the APC has fixed Monday January 25, 2020 as the date for the commencement of the registration of new members and update of the APC register across Nigeria.
A source in one of the meetings recently held in Abuja by frontline loyalists told our correspondent that there were pointers that the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee was doing all within its powers to shut the former governor out of the new structure of the party against 2023.
“There are signs that the Caretaker Committee may be doing all it can to put the structure in preferred hands against 2023,” the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, owing to the sensitivity of the matter, said.
Recall that leaders like Bisi Akande, Olusegun Osoba and Tajudeen Olusi, all close associates of Tinubu, visited President Muhammadu Buhari late last year, reportedly to plead with him not to dissolve the Executive Committee of the party in the various states.
They were even said to be more concerned about Lagos where there were two factional executives, one loyal to Tinubu and another one loyal to Former Legal Adviser of the party, Muiz Banire.
But the fact that a few days after the visit, the state executives of the party were dissolved, was greeted with suspicion.
“We have been meeting and we have intensified our efforts after the launching of our campaign Group, ‘the South West Agenda’ in Ibadan late last year.
“The shoddy manner by which former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was removed is a sign that we Tinubu’s loyalists should not just sleep and face one side.
“We have our ‘Plan B’ . It is true that the idea of resuscitating ACN is being considered. Some of us are even thinking of having Alliance for Democracy as an alternative in case Tinubu is denied ticket in APC,” one of Tinubu’s loyalists who is also a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but who asked not to be named, told THE POINT.
An Abuja-based political commentator, Joe Iruku, said, “Having a ‘ Plan B’ is not a bad idea in politics.
“The signs within the APC as a party are clear that Tinubu may not be favoured to emerge as the APC 2023 presidential candidate. His Muslim status may also be a hinderance because it may be difficult to get a Northern Christian to pair with him.”
“It is not a bad idea but the time may be too short for such an experiment. Let’s see how it goes,” he said.
