The desire of the leading opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to enter the 2015 elections as a united political family may be stillborn, going by the glaring division already prevalent in the party over who emerges the National Chairman and who picks its presidential ticket for 2015.
The leaders of the party had broken into factions behind their choice candidates. It was also learnt that the vested interests may mar the party’s May 24 National Convention, where national officers are expected to be elected. An indication of this development emerged at a very crucial meeting on Monday March 24 in Abuja hosted by a chieftain of the party and a former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Garuba Ghadi.
At the exclusive interactive meeting of the APC Contact Committee held at Rockview Hotel, Wuse 2, the former deputy governor told his audience of the undercurrents in the party and how if not well managed might lead to a a major crisis in the party. Ghadi warned that the APC was becoming engulfed in crises, adding that the party was gradually heading towards avoidable collision among its national leadership.
He highlighted the major area of conflict as the inability of members of the National Convention Committee to agree, as they were divided by their vested interests. Ghadi revealed that the issue led to an open disagreement between APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and erstwhile governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, during the last NEC meeting of the party. Tinubu had reportedly wanted to personally handpick its members, an action which did not go down well with Sheriff and some other senior APC leaders.
APC is currently divided along the lines of vested interests within the party. For instance, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Audu Obeh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and Sheriff, among others, are backing a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to pick the party’s presidential ticket.
To make their dream come through, they want to ensure that Ikimi emerges as the substantive National Chairman at the planned National Convention. But Tinubu is said to be rooting for Gen. Buhari and wants a former governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun, to emerge as the APC National Chairman as the position has been zoned to the South-South.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is afraid that should Ikimi emerge as the APC National Chairman, Atiku could ultimately secure the APC presidential ticket, is scheming to thwart the South South. The former governor of Lagos State is said to now prefer the incumbent APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, to emerge as substantive national chairman. He sees this as the only way for him to continue holding sway in the party.
According to our source, the current Tinubu position negates the earlier decision of the leadership of the party that members of the Interim National Exco should not contest for any offices in the substantive executive at the National Convention. Meanwhile, New Telegraph on Sunday learnt that as all these are going on, a strategy committee led by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, is working for the emergence of a neutral person as the party’s presidential candidate.
In Fashola’s group are his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi; Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Mallam Aminu Masari. This group is also enjoying the support of governors who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kano State.
Why do reporters refer to tendencies and electoral divisions as crisis? Why do some politicians also do so? What has been reported here are mere divisions that occur when any election is about to take place,including the ones in church committees. Everyone has a preference. When it is over,it is over. I do not see a gigantic party like APC queuing up 100 percent behind one candidate. It is impossible.
Personal interest vested as the case maybe, is not a surprising matter in these kind of situation. But if I may ask, why can’t Atiku give respect to Buhari as an elderly man to him by way of allowing Buhari to pick the presidential ticket? What I see in these issue is that Atiku is only being desperate to lead Nigeria and afraid he has nothing to offer.
I was in primary 1 when Buhari was the military head of state.Now i am a Dad and he still want be Lead us again.l wonder where are the Cameron and Renzi’s of Nigeria.
BUHARI above all.
My concern is that Gen Buhari, whether fronted to bear the flag or not is not likely to occupy the nation’s oval office again. I think that he is done. GEJ is not going anywhere, he will still have his official address at Aso Rock, therefore regardless who APC fields in will not matter. However, I hope they settle their differences amicably because it is good that they are offering PDP some challenges as we approach 2015.
THE PROBLEM WITH ROBBERS IS NOT IN THE ROBBERY OPERATION BUT IN THE SHARING OF THE LOOT.
THE PROBLEM HAS JUST STARTED
Personally, you run on a ticket to win, APC might have a good shot at this coming election if they have a right candidate. Pitching Buhari might not cut it. It seems Nigerians doesn’t want the guy at all. He is religion bigot and ethnocentric and he had gaffe exorbitantly on that topic in the past ESP. choosing sharia law over constitution of the land. Atiku understand economy of scale, he is moderate Muslim unlike Buhari. It is a hard nut to crack by APC and they better get the angle right this time