MONTHS TO PRIMARIES, PARTIES IN TURMOIL
None of the major political parties seem to have found an antidote to internal crises, even as the 2019 general elections draw near, amidst fears of a good chunk of the electorate who are already confused as to where they would vote. Daily Trust Saturday
The 68 political parties registered by INEC have about three months to put their houses in order, finish congresses and conventions, sort out differences and conduct primary elections to have those they would field for various elective offices, including presidential, gubernatorial and National Assembly candidates ahead of general elections that would be held in February next year.
This is in line with INEC guidelines but evidently, there are three things that occupy the minds of three categories of the Nigeria’s political actors as we approach the 2019 general elections, and the mind-set cuts across all the major political parties.
The first category comprises those who felt jilted after they worked for the success or otherwise of their political party in 2015 and have resolved to ‘spoil the show’ for those who supposedly short-changed them. They intend to do this by either defecting to another political party at the dying minute, or remain within to cause damage.
The second category are those who have found their bearings in 2015 through securing elective and appointive positions and want the status quo to remain. The third category brings together “disgruntled elements” from everywhere who formed various coalitions, not necessarily because they share the same philosophy or believe they would do anything different in the event they secure power.
The troubles in APC
The future of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), no doubt, came to the fore from recent events, including the move by its National Working Committee (NWC) to elongate its tenure until after the 2019 elections.
The Chief John Odigie-Oyegunled NWC had even secured a tenure elongation for party leaders at all levels, including state, local government and wards, a development that at a time received the blessing of President Muhammadu Buhari, and some governors.
The move was however rejected by the camp of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a large chunk of National Assembly members and other chieftains from the legacy parties that coalesced into a powerful force in 2013 and formed the APC. These include a section of people from nPDP, CPC and APGA.
At the end of the day, and considering the unimaginable danger ahead, President Buhari backtracked and directed the APC leadership and governors to get ready for congresses and the national convention.
It is obvious that a former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is the new APC national chairman-in-waiting. He has already secured the anointment of Buhari, and a substantial number of APC governors. Party sources said Tinubu is also at home with this arrangement, a development that guarantees the South West’s resolve to remain in the APC.
But what has remained problematic is the apparent silence by Tinubu on the responsibility given to him by Buhari to reconcile aggrieved APC members.
“It is not just about doing away with Oyegun and few others,” a source in the party said. “Oyegun is just a fraction of the crisis in APC and Adams Oshiomhole might likely face worse challenges because the government in power is not amenable to party politics. Oyegun is not lazy or indolent as many people think; he was a former permanent secretary and a governor but these credentials amount to nothing if you don’t have a say in what your government does daily. The APC does not have a clearly-defined source of funding, and leaders move from one state to the other, cap in hand, to run their affairs. Those who fund the party, would always control it. And it is the governors that are still funding it.”
But the discordant tunes occasioned by the ongoing congresses in various states leaves a huge vacuum for potential danger in states.
In Imo State for instance, Governor Rochas Okorocha, who is the chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) is in hot soup: he has surreptitiously lost out in the scheme of things, having failed to wield control over ward and local government congresses. He was tactically defeated by the combined forces of the his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, the three senators from the state, and a national officer of the APC from the state.
Analysts believe Okorocha is simply paying the price of his excesses, having pocketed the APC in the state for over three years, including his resolve to anoint his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as successor. The governor is now battling in Abuja to have the congresses in his state cancelled.
In Bauchi, the Speaker of the House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara and nine others have approached a Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the conduct of the ward and local government congresses the APC.
The writ of summons was jointly filed alongside senators Sulaiman Nazif, Isa Hammah Misau, Muhammad Muhammad, Dr. Ibrahim Lame, Hon. Ibrahim Zailani, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Captain Mohammed Bala Jibrin, Hon. Mohammed Aminu Tukur, and Hon. Maryam Garba Bagel.
They are up in arms with Governor Mohammed Abubakar, who they said “came from nowhere” and shoved them to the trenches.
They, therefore, sought for interim and interlocutory injunctions retraining the defendants from proceeding with today’s state congress of the party in Bauchi State, believing that once the governor succeeds with party structures at all levels, “they are finished.”
The speaker and the other applicants also in a letter addressed to APC chairman Oyegun, dated May 17, 2018, notified him of the pendency of the suit challenging the result of the already conducted ward and local government congresses of the party on May 5 and 12, 2018 for being fabricated and in violation of the party’s constitution.
The letter signed by their counsel, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), also demanded cancellation of the planned state congress “In view of the long-settled principle of law that when a suit is pending in court, parties are not allowed to take steps that will have nugatory effect on the outcome of the suit or foist on the court a fait accompli.”
In Kaduna, Governor Nasir El-Rufai had publicly at a political event rained curses on senators Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Laah, with many saying he had also offered their seats to some of his loyalists. The two factions have had their delegates and only time could tell who will scale through.
In Kano, the factions of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje (known as Gandujiyya) and his estranged friend and predecessor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kwankwasiyya) have held separate congresses. The situation is the same in Zamfara State where Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s faction held separate congresses while Senator Kabiru Marafa and his group held other congresses separately.
The situation is the same in many APC states in both North and South, heightening fears that this would cost the party dearly in the next coming months. The party would hold state congresses today, meaning unless something is done to repel crisis, more complaints might likely leave the ruling APC with additional wounds.
A recent statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi said those who conducted parallel congresses were on their own, saying the party would only recognise the congresses it superintended.
Sources say the buck lies in the table of President Buhari, who has the figurative stick and carrot.
Dark skies over PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also in turmoil, having to make a choice among the growing number of presidential hopefuls on its platform. Insiders say the party is also in a dilemma on grounds that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) which it thought would join forces with it to collectively field a
credible candidate, has finally pitched tent with the ADP.
Some of those eyeing the PDP’s apex ticket are: Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State; former governors of Kaduna State, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi; former Senate President, David Mark, and former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.
But findings by Daily Trust reveal that with active support of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Forum of ex-PDP Ministers have resolved to support a former minister, Barrister Tanimu Turaki, as their presidential candidate. His campaign office in Asokoro is already agog, with a visit suggesting a big project on the table, with many ministers being on the campaign organization. APC chieftains from all the six geopolitical zones were also seen putting final touch to the launching of the campaign.
It was also gathered that some notable Nigerians, including retired generals, are working hard to secure the PDP presidential ticket for Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, a former member of the House of Reps, onetime senator, and founder of the Abuja-based Baze University. A source said his youthful age and untainted pedigree are some of the factors considered by those supporting him, and which are believed will work in his favour. “There is even an indication that he might be asked to defect to one of the parties being supported by the generals, to pick the ticket,” a source said.
Senator Baba-Ahmed has since declared his interest in the presidency. He also declined comment for this report.
But a high-ranking member of the party from the South West said it will be difficult for the party to ignore Makarfi because of the role he played in stabilising the PDP. He argued that Atiku is also a force to reckon with having dumped the ruling APC to seek a PDP ticket.
According to him, another issue is whether to field a serving governor who would have executive immunity till May 29, 2019, in view of the continuous arrest, detention and trial of PDP chieftains. “I think there is uncertainty on who to present. But we are praying for someone who has political sagacity; a popular candidate who will defeat the APC in 2019, so that our party can reclaim power,” he said.
But the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan told
Daily Trust via SMS that only the APC would say the PDP is in a dilemma over choice of a presidential candidate. “Kindly read up the INEC timetable and check the closing date for nomination of presidential candidates,” he said.
The PDP Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin also told Daily Trust in a telephone interview that the party is not in a dilemma, but waiting for the report of the Contact Committee. He said after the report of the committee, which was set-up last month to discuss with other political parties and individuals in order to produce “a qualitative presidential candidate” is ready, due process would be used for implementation.
“The PDP is not in a dilemma. We’ve already zoned the ticket to the North and many aspirants are coming up. We’ve not met with any of them yet. The forms have not been issued yet. So there is no problem,” Jibrin said.
Asked about how the party intends to manage the crisis that might erupt after the primaries, Jibrin said, “It will be a free-and-fair process. Arguments will only come out when the process is not.”
Daily Trust Saturday learnt that some presidential, and other aspirants, have opened talks with statutory delegates as part of scheme to emerge at the primaries.
Enter the SDP
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) came back to limelight after the December 2017 national convention of the PDP that saw some of its members, especially those in the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) leaving the former ruling party in protest against the process adopted.
The event led to the defection of Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Prof. Jerry Gana, and Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, among others, into the SDP. The development also paved the way for restructuring in the leadership of the party. Hence, Alhaji Shehu Gabam became the party’s National Secretary, while a second republic lawmaker, Dr Junaid Mohammed, was also adopted as National Vice Chairman, NorthWest.
The calibre of people joining the party and series of activities taking made Nigerians to feel that it would be used as a platform for the movement being promoted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The SDP, it was gathered, was actually being considered before the final adoption of African Democratic Congress (ADC). Reports suggested that the refusal of the SDP national chairman, Chief Olu Falae, not to surrender the party’s certificate, cancelled the deal.
Pundits see the latest development in the SDP as a setback for its plan to quickly widen the leadership of the party to reflect the current realities and the hope to pose a strong challenge to APC.
However, the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, said the chances of the party had not been affected, following the adoption of the ADC.
Mohammed expressed confidence that the SDP would eventually be considered as a platform for the mega political party by the various groups. He said, “SDP still remains the party that will form the next government. It still remains the mega coalition vehicle for all other political parties. As I’m speaking with you, we are still having meetings with the Nigerian Intervention Movement (NIM).
“On the Obasanjo Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), I can tell you categorically that even though it has adopted ADC, a good number of members of that body are already interfacing with us with a view to coming to us. Very soon, you will hear about a faction of CNN joining SDP.
On the report that the talks to adopt SDP failed because Chief Falae refused to submit the party’s certificate to former President Obasanjo, Mohammed, said “I’m not aware. Obasanjo cannot demand for our certificate. He does not have the right to demand for anything about the party. It’s either you join the party or you leave it. We can’t just do that. We are not jittery.
“People don’t know what Obasanjo has done. When you are doing negotiation, sometimes, you need a political structure to negotiate on a political terrain. Now, Obasanjo does not have that structure. He needs the structure. What he has done is to acquire a structure. It’s not over.
“When we get to the level of major political parties negotiating with mega vehicle, SDP will still resurface. Initially, it was ObasanjoSDP. Now, it will be ADC-SDP. When we get to that level, ADC-SDP will be formed. Everybody is aware that the mega vehicle for 2019 is SDP. It’s not a new name, apart from our manifesto which remains attractive to the Nigerian populace. So, we are not losing sleep over it, as we know that ADC and SDP will still come up like any other party.”
The tale of APGA
The party with deep roots in the South-East has survived various degrees of crisis from the eras of Sir Victor Umeh and Chief Chekwas Okorie, to the Umeh and Alhaji Sadiq Masalla tango.
Umeh, now a senator, had told Daily Trust Saturday that the importance of APGA in the nation’s political sphere was largely responsible for the series of forces wanting to destabilize the party at the detriment of the nation’s nascent democracy.
Senator Annie Okonkwo and Governor Rochas Okorocha were among the notables that split from APGA to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) merger in 2013.
While the party did not present a candidate for the 2011 presidential election, it also did not present a candidate for the 2015 one, but the leadership was largely seen divided between incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan, who were the leading contenders then. The last leadership crisis was from Chief Martins Agbaso, a former governorship candidate of the party in Imo State.
Agbaso, who stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja late last year, claimed his actions were based on an Appeal Court affirmation of the Order of Mandamus to both the INEC and the Nigeria Police to recognize and deal with him as the authentic national chairman of the party. Backed by a detachment of policemen, Agbaso in company of other members of his National working Committee (NWC) broke the main gate to gain entrance.
Nigerian voters await with bated breath as the dates for the primary elections draw closer, with the hope that the turmoil in various parties abates.