10 Things Oshiomhole Must Do
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has finally assumed the mantle of leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Oshiomhole comes at a time when the APC is still facing the challenges of reconciliation in various states, the nPDP bloc, deciding governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states, fallouts of recent congresses and national convention, expected intense battle for tickets at primaries and the struggle to retain power during the 2019 general elections.
These challenges, among others, are litmus tests that will surely define the tenure of the former labour leader.
Though Oshiomhole seems to exhibit confidence in his ability to face the challenges, Daily Trust on Sunday itemises some of the critical issues he should consider for him to enjoy a crisis-free tenure. Executive Vs Legislature feud For Oshiomhole to succeed as the chairman of the APC, he must work hard to resolve the lingering feud between the executive and the legislature. The feud between the two arms of government has festered for long, thus hindering the smooth running of the government.
As it is now, the legislature, the both chambers of the National Assembly which is dominated by the APC members is competing with the PDP in playing the role of opposition.
The latest altercation between the two arms was on June 20, this year when President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the 2018 budget. He accused the lawmakers of smuggling 6,403 projects into the fiscal document. The lawmakers responded by saying, they acted in line with the constitution.
Pundits believe that the success or otherwise of the Edo-born party chief would be determined by the way and manner he manages the feud between the two warring arms.
Under Oshiomhole’s predecessor, the feud festered like a wild fire. The foundation for the crisis was laid when the duo of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara dribbled their party on June 9, 2015 to emerge as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. Kwankwaso Vs Gaduje: The feud between the Kano State governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is threatening the chances of the APC in Kano State.
At the 2015 elections, the APC won the presidential, governorship, the three senatorial seats and all the 24 federal constituencies. Except for the feud between the two political heavyweights, the fortune of the party seems to be bright in the of Centre Commerce.
Kwankwaso, who came second at the 2014 presidential primaries of the APC, is said to be making moves to dump the APC. His recent visits to opposition leaders, including a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State has been interpreted to be an affront to his party. Elrufai, Hunkuyi and Sani: Like in Kano, the feud between the trio of Governor Nasirul El- Rufai of Kaduna state, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and Senator Shehu Sani awaits the magic wand of Oshiomhole.
The former labour leader would need more than his labour tact and the mastery of Edo politics to resolve the dispute. The trio have since shifted their battles to 2019 general elections even when at the moment they are still members of the same party.
The feud threatens the chances of the APC in Kaduna central and North senatorial districts, the areas regarded as the stronghold of the party in the state. Oshiomhole must unite the trio if he wants to succeed as the APC chairman. Uniting factions in states The need for Oshiomhole to unite various factions in states came to the fore in his first official assignment when he received two separate delegations from Taraba States last Wednesday who paid solidarity visit.
One team was led by the Minister of Women Affairs, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, while Sen. Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf led the second delegation.
In Imo State, Governor Rochas Okorocha and his deputy, Eze Madumere, belong to different camps. Also in Delta State, the fight O’Tega Emerhor and a former governorship candidate, Great Ogboru, has divided the party. The brawl among the delegates from the two states was traced to the existing factions, following the conduct of parallel congresses in more than 20 states.
The scenario in Bayelsa State is not different as a former Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly and former acting governor, Nestor Ibinabo, together with his camp, is quarrelling with former governor Timipre Sylva and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Hon. Heineken Lokpobiri. Work for victory in 2019 The new APC national chairman must pursue genuine reconciliation with all the aggrieved parties to achieve victories for the party in the governorship, National Assembly and presidential elections in 2019. Organise rancour-free primaries
Pundits say the forthcoming primaries expected to hold between August and October 2018 must show high respect for internal democracy. The challenge of funding Under the leadership of Chief John OdigieOyegun, the APC was faced with the funding challenge as party staff did not receive their salaries as at when due. The challenge was so pronounced that the party accumulated debts as a result advertorials published in many newspapers.
The new party leadership should, therefore, give a priority attention to welfare of staff and ensure prompt payment of contractual agreements. Party staff must also be professionals who can handle challenging tasks. The job of the qualified staff may be enhanced if the party constitutes a team of think tanks who engage in researches for the party.
Acquisition of a befitting national secretariat
Though the APC leadership has eventually bought its current national secretariat at the sum of N 1.96 billion, the edifice located in Number 40, Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja, is not a befitting structure for a governing party.
The main hall used for the meeting of the party’s highest decision making body, National Executive Committee (NEC), is not spacious enough for such gathering that has President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, State governors, and other political heavyweights across the country. So, the current National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Oshiomhole should consider the possibility of acquiring a new befitting secretariat in a more conducive and serene environment in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Ekiti, Osun governorship polls as litmus test
The forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States remain the first set of major tasks before Oshiomhole.
The Ekiti governorship election holds on July 14, 2018, the Independent National electoral commission (INEC) has equally fixed September 22, 2018 for the governorship election in Osun State. The two election challenges for the new APC national chairman come ahead of 2019 general elections.
Pundits say the performance of the APC in the two elections will be used to measure the chances of the party in 2019.
So, Oshiomhole needs to bring all the critical stakeholders in the concerned states together in order to achieve the needed victories.
The new party national chairman, who is mindful of the task, said last Tuesday when he collected the baton of leadership from Chief Odigie-Oyegun that what the APC needed to do in order to win the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State was to dismantle the PDP rigging machine that was deployed in 2014. Cohesion in South-East APC From the look of things, some party leaders in the South-East are not happy with Governor Okorocha of Imo State because of the role he played in the just concluded national convention.
Apart from the convention saga, some leaders have not forgiven him for daring to contest against President Buhari at the 2014 presidential primary, a decision they believe was detrimental to the plan of the zone to run for presidency in 2023.
Though Okorocha has constituted two reconciliation committees with the mandate to ensure that peace returned to the party in the South-East and Imo State, Oshiomhole must personally pursue a separate reconciliation move that will fully involve the likes of Jim Nwobodo, Orji Uzor Kalu, Ogbonaya Onu, Chris Ngige, Martin Elechi, Sullivan Chime, Andy Uba, Benjamin Uwajumogu, and state party chairmen in the zone to achieve true truce. The loss of the position of National Organising Secretary by Sen. Osita Izunaso to Okorocha’s ally, Barr. Emma Ibediro, has further deepened the division in the zone ahead of 2019.