Has APC Learnt Anything from Zamfara?
The current state of play in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Zamfara State, is an unfortunate one. It does appear the political actors in the state have learnt nothing so far. Despite losing it all to political rascality and brigandage in the 2019 general election, it seems the party has yet to learn anything, because it is about to start another round of political misadventure that may yet again consume it.
Since Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), things have not been the same again in the APC. Other members of the party like former governor Abdul-Aziz Yari and Senator Kabir Marafa would not buy the idea that the party leadership in the state be conceded to the new entrant, albeit a governor.
Of a truth, how does the party reward loyalty to members, when it places outsiders over and above its own, who had stayed through thick and thin with it? If anything, especially, that the APC considered Zamfara one of its strongholds, the most sensible thing would have been to defeat Matawalle at the polls, and deny him a re-election. That way, loyalty would be what every member of the party consider sacrosanct.
But with the suspension of Marafa for objecting to making Matawalle their leader, the Mai Mala Buni leadership of the party has also not exhibited discretion in the handling of a rather sensitive situation. If he thought that the other members would just keep quiet and say yes to his pronouncing Matawalle their leader as if he was a lord of the manor, then, he probably lacks requisite emotional intelligence to lead the party. For now, things are not looking good for the APC in the state, despite increasing in size and number.