The Congress of All Progressives is scheduled to hold its national convention at a yet-to-be-determined date in February 2022. But the planned convention may come amid a raging crisis in some of the party’s state chapters.
The congresses held in some states ended in crisis as parallel congresses were observed in several states. In Zamfara State, Mala Mai Buni, the Governor of Yobe State and Acting Chairman of APC has been accused of fueling the crisis in the state.
In this report, NEWSLODGE looks at the challenges facing the ruling party before the February date.
Two weeks ago, former Zamfara state senator Kabir Marafa, while appearing on Channels TV’s Politics Today program, said that the interim committee led by Buni is a Kangaroo Committee that is not known by law. In his response, Buni described Marafa as a “diminished politician.”
It should be remembered that, following the result of the Supreme Court ruling on the Ondo state elections, Festus Keyamo also requested the dissolution of the committee.
“We cannot guarantee the legality of any NEC meeting called by Buni now, most likely two-thirds of the NEC members will sign an invitation to convene a NEC meeting.”
In the midst of the crisis, the party had extended the tenure of the committee led by Buni three times.
Currently, the Party faces crisis in the states of Ogun, Lagos, Kano, Abia, Zamfara, Cross River, Kwara. Some of these states had parallel congresses.
This could play a very important role in determining the convention and the outcome of the convention.
Buni’s appearance to stabilize match after Oshiomhole
The last days of Adams Oshiomhole’s reign saw a battle between him and the governors. In the second round of the 2019 elections, the former Governor of Edo State had an ongoing battle with Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, who had wanted to anoint their successors. .
Governor Godwin Obaseki’s departure from the PDP, following his treatment by the Oshiomole-led National Labor Committee, aggravated several governors.
In 2018, NEWSLODGE reported how state governors were moving against Oshiomhole.
Buni was named after the dissolution of the NWC led by Oshiomhole. Analysts saw Oshiomole’s departure as the triumph of the governors, who had exercised some level of influence in the days of John Oyegun, the former president.
Henry Kelechukwu, a member of APC, while speaking to NEWSLODGE said that the current crisis is about governors positioning themselves by 2023.
“Unlike the PDP where the position of the governors is absolute, in the APC is the president who is the de facto head of the party. In addition, he has a heavyweight like Bola Tinubu, who is also believed to have a presidential ambition. Hence, the situation in the game is much more complex ”.
Insiders within the party also believe that governors are trying to secure their future, be it through a return ticket, obtaining a successor, or even moving to the Senate.
In the last elections, two incumbents lost their reelection in the states of Bauchi and Adamawa.
Since Buni’s reign, three governors have traded the umbrella for the broom. Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Ben Ayade and Bello Matawella of Cross River and Zamfara respectively.
Rotation of 2023 and impact on the convention
The topic of rotating the presidency will be a central theme at the convention. APC governors, in the framework of the Kebbi state’s Abubakar Bagudu-led Progressive Governors Forum, reportedly met on Sunday to discuss the convention and the rotation of the presidency.
The outcome of the meeting produced the February 2022 date of the convention, but was silent on the rotation.
As it stands, most of the potential candidates are from the north, hence the possibility of maintaining the tradition that the presidential candidate and the party president are not on the same side.
However, in the case of the president, no one has clearly shown interest, but Tinubu’s surrogates have been participating in a massive mobilization across the country. James Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives, had opened a campaign office in Abuja for the former governor of Lagos state.
While Dayo Adeyeye, a former minister, leads the SWAGA campaign in the Southwest for Tinubu.
In addition, there are reports of a possible run by the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo. Mr. Osinbajo, an ally of Tinubu, had to disassociate himself from the campaign posters that recently flooded places in Abuja.
Southeast agenda
In the southeast, the clamor for the president’s micro-zoning of the region has been very strong. Currently, Ken Nnamani, Rochas Okorocha, Orji Uzor Kalu and Dave Umahi are among the politicians expected to compete for the region’s position.
The 2023 policy could have an impact on the convention, as Kelechukw claimed. He pointed out that the only saving grace would be if the president is not distant.
“In the case of a ruling party, the president plays a very important role in preventing the crisis in the party. Any politician will respect the mediation of the president in any crisis. All these crises could be prevented if the president is decisive enough ”.
However, the president has a long history of not intervening during crises. During the 2019 elections, Buhari welcomed all the aggrieved groups and even posed with all the candidates.
During a campaign rally in Imo state, he told the crowd to vote for his conscience.
Probable outcome
The battle could hinge on the governors’ anointed candidate. Although, some of the governors are loyal to Mr. Tinubu, particularly the governors of the Southwest.
But governors remain formidable across the country. Also, unlike the PDP convention, in which the majority of posts were consensual, the APC convention could view most of the disputed posts, creating a challenging atmosphere.
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