The Saturday’s All Progressives Congress, APC Ward Congress marred by violence and disruptions nationwide has given party men and indeed political watchers growing concern on how sanity and decorum are becoming deficits in the country’s troubling political climate.
From one state to another, pockets of violence and bravado marked by fisticuffs, ballot boxes snatching, grand manipulation of results and change of venue subterfuge greeted the concluded congress hitherto organised as a prelude to other congresses. Yet, the outcome portended grave dangers to the nation’s crawling democracy in a desperate attempt by the party to hold onto power at all cost.
The upheaval continued Monday as stakeholders from Cross River led by Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator John Owan Eno, lamented efforts by some individuals within the APC in Cross River State, to hijack its structure and warned the APC national leadership to disregard any attempt by some persons to make them believe the contrary.
From Kaduna State, the battle is pitched between Senator Sani Shehu and other political jaggernauts of the party against Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. Protesters from the state were said to have stormed the national secretariat in Abuja to demand the cancellation of the exercises in their states.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “Baba, please call Kiriku to order,” “APC is dying in Kaduna,” “EFCC should come to the aide of Kaduna people,” “Democracy is about people and not committee of friends,” “say no to kiriku in 2019,” “Congresses must hold in Kaduna,” “Affirmation is undemocratic,” “Oyegun should go,” “No APC Ward congresses in Kaduna,” “We stand with Baba Buhari for 2019,” among others.
From Imo State, tension continued to mount, after the congress as commissioners appointed by Governor Rochas Okorocha insisted that the congress should be rescheduled.
This came at a time some youths loyal to a faction of the state executive of APC, blocked the party secretariat and threatened to burn down the APC office.
Governor Rochas Okorocha was said to be locked out from entering the congress centre led by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Tony Chukwu, Deputy Governor- Eze Madumere and Senator Izunaso.
Thereafter, the governor ran to Daura, hometown of President Buhari to beg him to come to his rescue so that he could control the party’s structure to be able to produce his son in-law a successor. His commissioners, who spoke in Owerri, through Mr Lasbery Okafor, the Commissioner for Transport, said “In view of the foregoing, we state categorically and without equivocation whatsoever that ward congresses did not hold in our wards in our various local government areas.
“We therefore request our party, the All Progressives Congress, to quickly reschedule the ward congresses in the state, to enable election of our party executives in our various wards in the local government areas.
“We call on the party relevant government authorities to investigate the alleged involvement of the National Organizing Secretary and the state party chairman in the entire saga.
It is alleged that the outgoing national chairman of the party plotted the ‘coup’ to punish him for moving a motion that supported the inglorious exit of the chairman.
So far, the war congress in Imo is still in stalemate as Oyegun said the congress would not hold until report of the Appeal Committee is submitted and approved.
In Ekiti State, violence rocked the governorship primaries as 32 aspirants filed out in a do-or-die showdown. Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals accused of camping delegates outside the state and using Federal might to prosecute the race was a butt of attacks by other aspirants. The primaries were held three times with the last one on Saturday, May 12.
Confusion trailed the congress in Anambra State, with the party’s candidate in last year’s governorship election, Dr. Tony Nwoye accusing the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige of a plot to hijack the party in the state.
Ngige, on his part, however, said there was no problem, insisting that every effort was to ensure that APC was properly organised in the state.
Tempers rose during the harmonisation of lists from the wards following allegations that few party chieftains merely compiled names from all the 326 wards in the state.
At the meeting in Awka, Nwoye alleged discrepancies in the lists and accused Ngige of usurping the functions of the congress committee. According to him, it was improper for Ngige to say that ward congress held on Saturday when none took place.
Nwoye, who is a member of the House of Representatives, said he was refraining from speaking because he might be accused of being bitter over the conduct of many APC chieftains during the governorship election, which he ran and lost on the platform of the party.
He said: “Some of you here worked against me during that election, but my joy is that I lost the election and you lost too, because all those people who worked against us have not risen either.
From Kano State, the reports had it that Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Governor Umar Ganduje organised parallel congresses and forwarded lists to national secretariat for confirmation. However, no approval has been given yet.
In Adamawa, Governor Mohammad Jibrilla, popularly called Bindow, mounted a rat-race against ex-governor Murtala Nyako’s faction said to be controlling the political heavy weights in the state.
In Edo State, Oyegun was said to have boycotted the congress, while Adams Oshiohmole tipped as the national chairman of the party had a field day in ‘planting’ his cronies as ward executive members.
From Akwa Ibom State, Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe, Umana Okon Umana, Senator Nelson Effiong, Nsima Ekere, Senator Aloysius Etok and Don Etiebet were said to have waved olive branch for peaceful conduct of the congress. However, there were reported skirmishes in Etim Ekpo in which one Tony Akan, the APC Chapter chairman was brutalised by unknown thugs. Unconfirmed reports have it that Udoedehe may control the party’s structure in the state.
In Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport and Senator Magnus Abe were locked in a battle royale of who is to control the soul of party. From all indications, Amaechi, the Director-General of President Buhari Campaign Organisation is said to have trodden the path of party’s structure.
Governor Akeredolu is not in-charge of the party’s soul in Ondo State. There were parallel congresses in Ondo and Kwara States on Saturday, May 12.
Eventhough Bola Tinubu is said to be operating like a political submarine to control the soul of the party, all is still not well. Media reports had it the jagaban of politics may quit APC. Buhari is strategically operating from the midfield of the party to take charge. But at the end, political analysts believe, Buhari will have an upper hand in party’s structure otherwise his presidential ambition would be a mirage. a major spanner has been thrown into as new PDP gave national APC leadership a seven-day ultimatum to allow them have a sense of belonging or they would quit the party.
The ghost of political brigandage typical of the defunct National Party of Nigeria and the major opposition party in the country- Peoples Democratic Party- resurrected by APC infested by ‘PDP’ hawks and kites. And unbridled impunity was brought to the fore by some party men to out-do others and have firm grip of the party.
It would would have been pardonable if APC with the much-vaunted ‘change mantra’ overcame the show of public shame and opprobrium by stalking its tail in the murky political waters and draping its feet in a miry clay to the chagrin of most admirers.
Yes, some young Nigerians age and parochially minded people were swept of their feet by the party’s rambunctious promises packaged by some recycled politicians who downed the wing of PDP and other parties to resurface in another workshop with re-worked engines incapable of flying long distance in the air space and landing at the destined airport.
Perhaps, the party’s reconciliation committee headed by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the purported national leader of the party would have provided the balm to plaster most festering wounds to the divided and acrimonious house torn apart by selfish interest. As soon as the national chairman and some people loyal to the President allegedly fractured the reconciliation effort, then the party bogeyed again into executive lawlessness.
Again, what would have saved the party was the effort by National Executive Committee’s proposal to rejig reconciliation by adding Senator Aliyu M. Wammako from North and Don Etiebet from the South to fire up the effort of Tinubu.
In other words, the hierarchy of the party would have embarked on soul-winning through genuine reconciliations of most aggrieved members and discipline of erring ones in turning around the party’s fortunes for the better instead being seen as a tinderbox of bitterness and revenge. Doing otherwise means putting the horse before the cart in a journey.
Though President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to conduct congress looked like afterthought and belated, it was a worthwhile one to forestall unnecessary litigation by some members in the party or in the opposition party.
Meanwhile, the John Oyegun-led APC executive that control control some bigger-than the party personalities is in full control of party’s soul. It is not due to the man’s political sagacity but due to some vested interests he was envisaged support to muster support for some privileged few mostly the APC state governors and others to the detriment of collective interest of many.
And so, the ward congress is the beginning of pain-activator in the party’s effort to birth new leadership and consolidate on its gains as the ruling political party in 2019. Like tornado, more crises are coming that may clip the wings and yank off the common patrimony of the party.
In the public opinion poll, APC has come before the judgment throne of the masses indeed other political parties for reckoning. In the public opinion court, the party is enmeshed in a cobweb of accusations and counter-accusations it bandied in wrestling power from the now infamous PDP. Without any equivocation, the party has soiled its hands and plunged its feet in the clay in the art of electoral malpractices. By this, it should cover its face in shame instead of defending its foible.
In the coming elections, APC is a close neighbour to any political party in the country capable of stealing more votes. Who knows if the APC stalwarts would not sit in the comfort of their offices and home to doctor results and release airslide results of defunct NPN era? Who can certify that APC will conduct the much-vaunted fair, highly hyped free elections earnestly yearned by the masses? Who is sure if APC will not capitalise on the lethargic attitude of most voters caused by the country’s porous political system by disenfranchising them of the use of their Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC? Who knows if most APC members will not collude with some security operatives and Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC, using digital gadgets to out-rig their opponents beyond the scale and magnitude of its jealous wife party- PDP?
The proverb- the day tells the night, holds water based on the outcome of the party’s concluded ward congress. Indeed, Daniel has truly come to judgment. Who will deliver the less privileged from the clutches of ‘I don’t-care’ attitude of self-aggrandised and egoistic politicians who have relish in the hardships and sufferings of the poor Nigerians? Which party will do it right?
Given the same scenario and platform, PDP’s governors seen as leaders of the party at the state level and their agents would have succumbed to the same temptation of trying to hijack the party’s soul from others by crook means reminiscent of Nollywood film. It is not enough for politicians of other climes to criticise APC members by putting on pious garb to hoodwink the gullible. Such attitude smacks of hypocrisy as the Melayes, Adelabus and Adelakuns are the game masters and referees in Nigerian politics.
However, as Annang people in Akwa Ibom State would say: efub achacha, unen ada ache meaning as you pluck the feathers of a kite, the hen is looking. Let other political parties desiring to grab power embrace participatory democracy that will be cherished by most people. Let elections be fair and free and let the best hands and passionate people with sound pedigree emerge to occupy various political positions in the forthcoming elections.
