The APC is facing crises and the comrade chairman is losing the spirit of cameraderie over perceived persecution or real victimisation from party stalwarts and stakeholders, who were otherwise accomplices — in party activities and election time decision making, that saw to the making or unmaking of other party men and loyalists.
Comrade Adams bared it all in statements credited to him, as he explained or unmasked those that were behind his travails, especially the court order that suspended him as party chairman, and asked him to vacate his office as national chair. National chair of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has had a torrid time lately, especially from late 2018 when the party had its primary elections, building up to the general elections of last year (2019).
From then on, the party has sailed through very murky waters and it is beginning to mimmick the pattern of a dejavu of what had befallen the PDP when power was wrestled away from it.
The fact that the election results of three states have had to be decided via court judgements is beyond proof that all is not well with the party and its decision making body; with the most bizarre of these results being the result of the Zamfara elections where the APC won more than two thirds of the votes cast, but yet, do not have the seat of the governorship in their kitty, nor the 3 senatorial seats, and almost a dozen seats in the house of representatives.
Even after winning Bayelsa state, the Supreme Court awarded the governorship seat to the PDP, in a judgement that penalised the APC for fielding Senator Degi Erenmienyo as the deputy governorship candidate, who had filed false information, regarding his educational qualifications.
Imo state elections’ results had to be claimed by the APC, via the Supreme court, even though this particular case in question, is not exactly the fault of the APC; but it is no secret that Comrade Adams and the then APC governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, were at loggerheads.
Oyo state was another case whereby the candidate preferred by the governor, Ajumobi at the time, was not the candidate presented by the APC at the centre — the APC under the control of the national chair, Adams Oshiomhole.
Aside the choice of candidates for primaries, there were those of the opinion that the party was being run by one man alone, and that the National Executive Council of the party was either non functional, or a rubber stamp one. There were moves by some party chieftains to remove the party chairman at the time, and a few governors were fingered in the ploy.
The APC chieftains were at cross roads over the matter and there wasn’t a clear cut majority decision to let the chairman go. Mr. President saved the day and said a vote of confidence in support of the chairman. Clearly, it was the beginning of it all.
Comrade Adams threw away the garb of ‘comradeship’ and practically spelt out a host of names that he firmly believed were behind his travails and suspension, as declared by the courts, a few days ago. The judiciary too has been complicit in not just the party chair’s court steeplechase, but other election matters, which are beginning to ridicule our judicial systems.
Comrade had ‘shared’ his own fair share of the controversial judicial treatments that have been all over the country of late, and is perhaps furious enough to bring down his detractors, and inadvertently, the party along with it, if caution is not welcomed in fast. GMB must step in quickly.
We were all witnesses to a tirade of five governors, who abandoned the PDP, joined the newly formed APC, and were a very glorious part of the historic change that the APC brandishes, day in, day out. Almost eight years after, the APC is tipping to the brink of such political capitulation and upheaval, that seems destined to a short term adventure at the helm of affairs at the centre.
The powers and the smart alexs’ of the APC, may be forgetting the master formula or almighty equation that brought it to power not too long ago. There seem to be moves to take over the party leadership, with a view to controlling who becomes the party’s presidential flagbearer.
Forgetting that the Integrity or ‘chastity’ of PMB with regards to public funds, conjoined with the political sagacity of the Jagaban, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the exact reason the APC took over from the PDP.
Should the comrade and his erstwhile colleagues at the former governors forum, and some in the present forum, decide to sheath their swords, guide their utterances and guard their baby party for the time being, the better for the next level and the higher level or newer level. Should they continue to bicker over who gets what and why, then certainly, the PDP may not have to sweat their pants out come 2023.
Senator Akpabio reminded Buhari that there are three political parties in the country, namely the PDP, the APC, and Buhari — with the 12 million votes. And that should he decide to walk away during and after 2023, then APC would definitely seize to exist.
No politician has told Buhari the hard-core truth of late, that I can remember. Buhari must find GMB at least one last time, to midwife a teething APC, which is seemingly falling off its cradle, faster than anyone thought. It is almost looking like a sleep over of strange bed fellows, waking up to the bellows of a sad farewell.
GMB must whip dissenting ‘persona non gratas’ in line, with a whip akin to that of a soldier-recruits training ground whip (politically speaking of course). Efforts put in place to frustrate Jagaban’s presidential ambition seems to be the bone of contention, which is at the same time unfortunate — as it is biting off the finger that fed the party.
Efforts should be concentrated more on making the next level work, and realising what was promised in 2015 and 2019. That will be the ace to winning the 2023 presidential elections’, and any other elections. And anything other than this is perhaps PDP in motion, within the APC, just the way the APC was in motion in the PDP back then.
The ‘not too young to run’ are watching and learning and its a pity that what is being watched and taught is completely undesirable and wrong. Our leaders are not mentoring young politicians well. Taking on Adams now, is a wrong move and a distraction from the success of the APC, and the players must be made to understand this firmly. Politics will come when it comes, but for now, the public space is only amenable to the dividends of politics alone.
Tahir is Talban Bauchi
