Politics

Internal Wrangling Takes Toll On APC, PDP

Published

2 years ago

March 20, 2022

Editor

The intrigues that have rattled the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have taken a toll on both parties and threaten their electoral fortunes in the 2023 elections, according to findings by Sunday Independent.

The ruling APC is presently embroiled in a leadership crisis, which President Muhammadu Buhari fears may make the party suffer a worse fate than that of the PDP in 2015.

In the PDP, the governors of Rivers and Edo States, a few days ago, got into a feud over the structure of the party.

Obaseki and Wike are currently at daggers drawn over the purported verbal attacks on the deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, by the latter for threatening to quit the party if their supporters were not integrated fully into the PDP.

The rift between Wike and the Edo governor stemmed from a comment made by Shaibu suggesting that many supporters of Obaseki, who defected with the governor from the APC to the PDP are not happy and did not feel accepted into the new party.

Shaibu asked the national leadership of the PDP to “integrate” his supporters and those of his principal into the party, threatening that there are possibilities of an exodus.

This did not go down well with the Rivers governor who tongue-lashed Shaibu, calling him an ingrate, just as he also asked the national chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to constitute a disciplinary committee against Shaibu, stressing that if this was not done, he (Wike) would invoke sanctions of the party against the deputy governor.

However, Obaseki, who saw the attacks on his deputy as unacceptable, described Wike’s action as most unfortunate and uncalled for, saying, if Wike was one who showed respect and courtesy to his colleague-governors, he would have ordinarily reached out to him to express his concerns about the views made by Shaibu, rather than embark on unwarranted public onslaught.

This, however, led to exchange of verbal attacks between the duo, with Obaseki accusing Wike of attempting to cow, intimidate, cajole and threaten others into doing his bidding.

Wike on his part, alleged that the Edo governor has refused to be grateful to the party and the people who supported him to be re-elected when he left the APC.

Meanwhile, concerned leaders of both parties have called for caution ahead of the forthcoming general elections, warning that if care is not taken, these crises may spell doom for them in the electoral exercise.

The leadership crisis in the APC has compelled President Buhari to caution their leaders to get their acts together unless they want the party to suffer a fate worse than that suffered by the PDP prior to the 2015 general elections.

The party’s internal crisis took a turn for the worse a few weeks ago when the Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, controversially took over the APC leadership from his Yobe State counterpart, Mai Mala Buni.

Buni was reportedly butted out of office as APC’s acting chairman for alleged anti-party conduct ahead of the party’s much anticipated National Convention.

It was gathered that the party’s governors masterminded Buni’s dismissal, having noted the latter’s alleged plot to sabotage the March 26 event.

His removal, according to the governors, was also sanctioned by President Buhari before the president commenced his latest medical trip to the United Kingdom.

However, the President, in a statement last week, signed by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, did not acknowledge his role in the party’s leadership crisis but cautioned its members against repeating the PDP’s mistakes while in power.

“Yes, we are entitled to our own share of dissent and intra-party discord. These are common in all parties, left and right all over the world.

“But parties splintered by competing egos destined themselves to the worst possible fate,” Buhari noted.

Politics

Atiku Hints On Supporting Obi For 2027 Presidential Race

Published

15 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said that if in 2027, the party decides that it is the South-East’s turn and selects Peter Obi as its candidate, he will readily offer his support.

“I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party.

“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him,” Atiku declared in a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.

He added that a merger between the PDP and Labour Party is possible.

Atiku added that members of the party would decide his fate in the 2027 general elections.

The former Vice President mentioned that his recent meeting with Obi might indicate a possible alliance leading up to the 2027 general elections.

Responding to questions about the meeting with Obi, Atiku said, “It’s just a normal friendly meeting that we often have, particularly among us in the opposition parties. Such meetings are healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and in the country’s interest.”

On whether this will bring about a merger, he said, “Yes, it’s very much possible. We can merge to achieve a common goal. So, it’s possible, and nothing can stop it if we wish to achieve that.”

The former Vice President, who denied that the choice of presidential candidate might frustrate the merger discussion, said, “That’s not true. That challenge will not arise. I can tell you that the choice of who will fly the flag of the party won’t be an issue.”

On why he’s still in active politics, Atiku said, “Yes, we can’t keep quiet and watch things go wrong. People are suffering and we are committed to making Nigeria a better place.

“It means you are not tired of politics of Nigeria? Not at all. I am still in active politics in Nigeria, at least, as long as God permits.

“My age doesn’t stop the young ones from testing their fate. Everybody, irrespective of age, is allowed to aspire to be anybody in the society, politically or otherwise.”

Regarding his 2027 Presidential ambition, the former Vice President said “That would depend on the decision of my party. I can’t make any categorical statement on that. It’s the duty of the party to decide on the way to go in the next election.

“Until that time comes. Let’s just wait and see how it will turn out.

“It must not be interpreted like that. I must not be eyeing elections to have meetings with political friends and associates. Currently, we are practising democracy in this country which we fought for with our blood.”

Last week, Obi held a private meeting with Atiku and some other PDP leaders in Abuja.

Obi also met separately with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, sparking speculation about a possible coalition for the 2027 general elections.

Obi was a PDP member until 2022, when he left to pursue his presidential ambitions with the Labour Party.

He finished third behind Atiku in the February 23 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

Atiku blamed Obi’s departure from the PDP for his loss to Tinubu.

Analysts argued that Atiku’s 6,984,520 votes combined with Obi’s 6,101,533 votes could have secured a win against Tinubu, who received 8,794,726 votes.

Monday’s meeting marked the first public interaction between Obi and Atiku since the election.

Social media and online platforms were flooded with viral photos of Obi’s meetings with the three PDP figures on Monday.

In 2019, Atiku and Obi ran together on the PDP ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.

However, due to internal conflicts, Obi, who was Atiku’s running mate in 2019, left the PDP and ran as the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

Politics

JUST IN: Ex-PDP Deputy National Chair, Oyedokun Defects To APC

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Editor

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has resigned his membership of the party and announced defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Oyedokun, a notable personality within the political circle in Osun State and beyond, said he decided to dump the PDP after consultation with his loyalists.

He said he would be joining APC, where his experience, efforts, and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.

His resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP through the ward, local government and state chairmen of the party obtained late Thursday further read, “As a functional member and leader of PDP (Ward 13, Jagun/ Osi-Bale Ode, Odo-Otin South Local Government, Osun State,) whose high electoral productivity and value have been credibly and positively acknowledged in my ward, across the local council, state and country-wide for the enhancement of the fortune of the PDP, I have the honour (though with pain) in announcing the renunciation of my membership of the party on principle, having observed that the ideals of we, founding members, had been sorely contaminated.

“In taking this step which is not even without due consultation with my teaming loyalists in the PDP, I have consequently decided to shift my allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) where I believe my experience, efforts and leadership roles would be valued and appreciated.”

Oyedokun’s defection to the APC is coming at the time the aspirant he supported during the 2022 Osun governorship primary of PDP, Mr Dotun Babayemi is also moving to the national ruling party.

Osun APC said on Wednesday that Babayemi and his supporters would be dumping PDP and joining the party at a rally scheduled to be held in Osogbo on Friday.
PUNCH

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

“All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.