APC chair: How Adamu’s endorsement splits Nasarawa stakeholders
The recent endorsement of a two-time governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West) as a possible national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by President Muhammadu Buhari, has created division among political stakeholders in the state.
Like Adamu, another former governor of the state, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (APC, Nasarawa South), is also a contender to the party’s top seat and has since launched his campaign ahead of the national convention slated for March 26.
Although the entrance of Senator Adamu at what analysts said was the “last minute,” has no doubt altered the calculation in the state, his alleged endorsement by the president has created disaffection within the Al-Makura camp and a major split within the party in the state.
Before the news of Adamu’s endorsement was broken, it was the view of many that the president would support the emergence of Senator Al-Makura, who was the lone governor from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), founded by Buhari.
The CPC is one of the legacy political parties that formed the APC in July 2013. Others are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a splinter group of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and another splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Supporters and allies of Al-Makura were seeing him as the party chairman in-waiting.
APC governors were shocked when Adamu was named as the preferred candidate of the president.
“The thinking was that he would pick either Al-Makura or Saliu Mustapha, another aspirant from the CPC bloc for the party’s chairmanship position. But we were made to understand that the president wanted a party chairman who is rugged and could withstand the pressure from the opposition ahead of the 2023 general elections,” a party chieftain said.
It was learnt that the party’s national caretaker committee had been directed to rally round and support the choice of Adamu as a consensus candidate for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) before its meeting ahead of the national convention scheduled for March 26, 2022.
Further findings, however, indicated that at the beginning, some governors from the North-Central zone were antagonistic to Adamu’s endorsement. But it was gathered that they have been persuaded to key into
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that before then, the North-Central governors, who are members of the APC, were pushing for different aspirants. While others were doing theirs underground, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State was all out selling the candidature of Al-Makura.
Before the endorsement of Adamu was let out, Governor Sule had recently described Al-Makura as the face of the CPC in Nigeria, after president Buhari, and as such he should be considered for the plum party position.
Sule made his position known in a chat with journalists immediately after meeting with Senator Al-Makura in Abuja.
He said Al-Makura represented the defunct CPC during the merger of the legacy parties in 2013 to give rise to the APC.
“If there is any face of the CPC in Nigeria, apart from President Buhari, it is Tanko Al-Makura,” he said.
He emphasized that Adamu had the right to contest in a democracy but the APC in Nasarawa State had endorsed Al-Makura. During a political gathering where Al-Makura was endorsed, top shots of the party threw their weights behind him.
The state chairman of the party, Dr John Mamman, said if Al-Makura was elected, he would work towards ensuring that the party became a model in political party administration in Nigeria and beyond.
Godiya Akwashiki, the senator
representing Nasarawa North, extolled the political and administrative records of Senator Al-Makura, assuring that he would be the only candidate to take the party to the next level.
Speaking on President Buhari’s choice of Adamu, the member representing Keffi/ Karu/Kokona federal constituency, Mr Gaza Jonathan Gbefi, said he read it on a newspaper, adding that he is very well qualified as a two-time governor and threetime senator, affirming that no one could take the position from him.
“If what I have read in the paper is anything to go by, I believe it will strengthen the fortunes of the party,” he said.
Reacting to the endorsement of Adamu, a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr Joseph Haruna Kigbu, said they had two aspirants from Nasarawa State who are eminently qualified to be the national chairman of the party.
He, however, posited that it would be premature to believe and accept that one was endorsed against the other.
“Between the two political gladiators, whoever comes on board we will give him the necessary support,” he said.
An APC chieftain, who is also a former secretary to the Nasarawa State government during the administration of Abdullahi Adamu, Mr Philip Dada, said Adamu’s endorsement by President Buhari was done with the principles and provision of the
It was learnt that the party’s national caretaker committee had been directed to rally round and support the choice of Adamu as a consensus candidate for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) before its meeting ahead of the national convention scheduled for March 26, 2022
party’s constitution.
Speaking to our correspondent, he explained that President Buhari as a leader of the party, possessed the right to do so, noting that if he allowed the matter to be unguided, it would create a scenario that would be counterproductive to the overall objective of the party.
He urged other aspirants to rally round Senator Adamu to move the party to the next level of development.
“The principles of consensus in democracy for the emergence of leadership in the party and other structures of governance, even elective positions, are acknowledged in the democratic party and principles.
“The president’s decision on Senator Adamu was aimed at unity and strength for the APC ahead of March 26, convention and 2023 general elections,” he added.
A release made available to journalists by the press secretary to Senator Al-Makura, Chief Danjuma Joseph recently, it was stated that so far, he remains the only aspirant for the national chairmanship of the APC who has fulfilled a major constitutional requirement by getting the endorsement of his state governor, adding that he also has the experience to restructure the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“I am aware that a certain aspirant from the same state with Al-Makura is being prepared to work against the interest of the party by acting as a spoiler to the ambition of Al-Makura by pretending to be interested in the position.
“The most unfortunate thing is that this is someone whom Al-Makura, as governor, helped in the past to win the senatorial election of his district in 2015 as he was facing imminent defeat from a younger candidate.
“This person should be grateful to Al-Makura for protecting his interest rather than trying to bite the fingers that fed him,” he stated.
Our correspondent reports that Senator Adamu was recently booed by some youths believed to be political thugs during the 20th anniversary of the Emir of Azara, Dr Kabiru Musa Ibrahim on February 20, 2022.
It was, however, gathered that the suspected political thugs, on getting the information that the senator was endorsed by President Buhari, became furious.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that on March 1, three governors who are members of the APC met with Al-Makura in a bid to resolve the logjam trailing the endorsement of Adamu as a consensus candidate. The meeting between the North- Central governors and Al-Makura was sequel to the governors’ meeting with the president.
However, some stakeholders of the defunct CPC have opposed the choice of Adamu.
The stakeholders, under the aegis of the Forum of Defunct CPC National Working and Executive Committees, said the party’s leadership position must be ceded to someone from the CPC bloc, who is a founding member of the APC.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the national secretary of the group, Okoi ObonoObla, lamented that internal bickering and factionalisation had cost the party electoral victories in the past because it derailed from the dreams of its founding fathers due to leadership failure.