Politics

APC Crisis: Why Buhari’s Late Intervention May Not Save Party

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2022

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, seems not to be nearing any end soon.

President Muhammadu Buhari had a few days ago reportedly approved the removal of Mai Mala Buni as the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee and ordered Governor Bello Sani of Niger State to take over the affairs of the party.

The decision of the President to intervene in the affairs of the party has set off reactions that threaten the planned national convention.

Rather than members of the party to close ranks, the tussle within the party has intensified. Last week, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State called some APC governors “yahoo yahoo”, while Buni and Bello have been engaging in power tussles.

Governor Nasir El-rufai had also claimed that the President had approved the removal of Buni and alleged that the Yobe State governor was a victim of certain persons within the party.

El-rufai, while speaking on Politics Today on Channels TV, said the Buni-led committee had received a court order barring it from carrying out the convention, but refused to make the order public.

Further, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had rejected the notice of NEC meeting of the party, unless Buni signs the letter of notification.

El-rufai also claimed the President had given the governors the name of the preferred candidate for the position of National Chairman and the man is from North Central. According to several sources, the former Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu is the prefered choice of the President.

Tanko Almakura, also a former governor of Nasarawa State, and a contender for the position of National Chairman, has refused to back down for Buhari’s choice.

In the midst of this crisis, President Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, stirred the nest, when he said the APC is drifting towards the path of the PDP, a party he said failed for 16years and also failed in opposition.

Austin Okai, a member of the PDP, flayed the President for the comment, noting that the PDP has been able to always resolve its crisis because it has an internal conflict resolution mechanism.

Okai said: “The man (Buhari) is clueless about the situation in the country. What is the direction for that statement? We have been able to manage our crisis. We have held several conventions. Is the President not aware that Buni is receiving salaries as Governor and party head. Your ability to manage misunderstandings is what distinguishes you.”

How PDP has been able to deal with its crisis and the approach of the APC in conflict resolution:

The PDP has had 16 National Chairpersons between 1998 till date. While in power, the party had 10 chairmen in 17years (1998 when the party was formed to 2015 when it lost out).

During PDP’s stay in power, presidents played prominent roles in the appointment and removal of Chairmen from office. Audu Ogbe was reported to have been asked to resign by President Obasanjo. In all, Obasanjo used 4 chairpersons in 8years.

The tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan witnessed the unprecedented turnover of Chairmen; Vincent Ogbulafor, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Haliru Mohammed, Bamangar Tukur and Adamu Muazu.

While the APC in 8years of existence, has had five National Chairmen, Bisi Akande, John Oyegun, Adams Oshiomole, Buni and Bello. All were forced out, except Bisi Akande.

Recent internal strife in both parties…

Since becoming the opposition party in 2015, the PDP has had two major crises at the national level: Alimodu Sheriff and Uche Secondus.

The brief stint of former governor Sheriff almost caused the party to disintegrate in the aftermath of the 2015 election.

Sheriff, who was invited by the PDP to help rebuild the party after the defeat at the poll in 2015, soon had a fallout with the PDP governors.

It took the verdict of the Supreme Court in 2017 to finally remove Sheriff as the Chairman of the Party. He had approached the court to ask that Sen Ahmed Makarfi’s election at the Port Harcourt convention be nullified.

Another crisis that rocked the party was on the part of Uche Secondus. The former Chairman had a fallout with his erstwhile benefactor, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

After his (Secondus) suspension by his ward, the party was engulfed in crisis, and legal action threatened the planned convention of the party.

The governors of the party had to unite to conduct a convention. Many have hailed the PDP’s ability to resolve internal strife, an ability the APC seems to lack

APC and reluctant Buhari

The first substantive chairman of the APC, John Oyegun was forced out of the party after falling out with Bola Tinubu over the governorship primaries that produced Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

In a strongly-worded statement, Tinubu said “Oyegun and his ilk turn out to be gangsters adorned in the tunic of party authority.”

He accused Oyegun of planning to return the APC to the trenches.

Although he stayed till the end of his tenure in 2018, he could not seek re-election and was subsequently replaced by Adams Oshiomhole.

Mr Oshimhole had a turbulent time as the Chairman of the Party. In the 2019 general election, he lost 4 states to the PDP, Oyo, Adamawa, Bauchi and Zamfara State. The court barred the APC from contesting in Rivers State.

The former Edo State governor was at loggerheads with Rochas Okorocha of Imo, AbdulAziz Yari and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, all had plans to replace themselves with anointed successors.

Oshiomole met his waterloo when he attempted to prevent his State governor, Godwin Obaseki from getting a second term ticket.

He was suspended by his ward, therefore, forced out of the Chair. President Buhari’s intervention produced Buni.

Mr Buni was given the mandate to hold a convention in 6 months after his appointment; 2years after, he has been unable to do so.

The inability of the President to react swiftly enough has been blamed for the state of affairs of the party.

The question that remains: will the president be able to call members of his party to order amidst the ambitions of major members of the party?

DAILY POST

Politics

Edo Poll: LP Guber Candidate, Akpata Replaces Running Mate

Published

13 hours ago

April 15, 2024

Editor

Olumide Akpata, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming election in Edo State, has replaced his running mate, Alufokhai Oluyinka, with Prince Kadiri Yussuf Asamah (SAN).

Prior to his nomination, he served as a partner and head of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group at the law firm of Jackson, Etti & Edu.

His extensive experience and expertise in civil and commercial litigation, arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and regulatory compliance make him a valuable asset to the legal community.

He has also earned a reputation for his meticulous approach and dedication to achieving favourable outcomes for his clients.

His nomination as running mate to Akpata has reportedly caused a mix of excitement and concern within the Auchi political circles.

While some are excited hoping his nomination would serve as a breath of fresh air and also infuse a reasonable degree of credibility into the political process, the critics, however, contended that he has been largely apolitical until now and may not change the tide in the political arena.

Politics

[JUST IN] Ganduje: Kano APC Sacks Ward Leaders

Published

18 hours ago

April 15, 2024

Editor

The All Progressives Congress, APC, state working committee in Kano, has taken drastic measures against some Ward Party Leaders who suspended the National Chairman of the Party, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje.

APC Ganduje ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government was said to have suspended Ganduje but in a quick counter, the party’s local government officials thwarted the suspension and sacked those behind it.

The APC Dawakin Tofa Local Government Chairman, Inusa Dawanau, told Newsmen that those behind the suspension of the National Chairman were caught in anti-party activities and their records of meetings with the opposition, exposed.

Adopting the suspension of the APC Ward APC leaders, the state working committee of the Party said they have sanctioned the perpetrators for six months and a special investigations panel has been set up to verify several allegations against them.

The Kano Chairman of the Party, Abdullahi Abbas, said the decisions of the LG Party Leaders have since been adopted.

“We have evidence of meetings between the state government officials and those that suspended the National Chairman. The state working committee has agreed to sanction them for six months and they stand now suspended.”

However, one of the accused party men against Ganduje, Halliru Gwanjo said they decided to suspend him from the party due to the allegations levelled against him by the Kano State government on bribery.

Politics

UPDATED: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

19 hours ago

April 15, 2024

Editor

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has been suspended from the party.

Ganduje was suspended by members of his ward, the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State on Monday.

His suspension followed alleged corruption charges levelled against him by the state government.

Recall that the Kano High Court had said Ganduje will, on April 17, 2024, be arraigned on charges bothering on allegations of bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds, including the purported acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38bn in bribes.

The Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, who confirmed the development, said Ganduje would be arraigned alongside his wife and six others.

The accused individuals, as listed in the writ of summon, include Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lesage General Enterprises.

The Kano State Government, which initiated the criminal suit against the eight respondents, declared its readiness to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of State High Court number four.

“It is very true. We have filed the case and it’s going to hold on the 17th of April, 2024. What I cannot confirm is whether he is served or not, but he will definitely be served,” he said.

Dederi further highlighted the significance of accountability in governance, remarking, “What he (Ganduje) doesn’t understand is that you cannot run away from the evil day, it will definitely come to you, and this will even serve as a deterrence to all of us that are also in government now.”

The commissioner also addressed the jurisdictional aspect of the case, asserting, “He was saying that we can’t prosecute him, forgetting that the offence also falls under the category of the state offences,” he said.

“It’s not totally a federal affair and we have even appealed to Justice Liman ruling on that.”