*By: Edward Robert*
“….It is concerning that CRA who led the nPDP faction against ethnic sympathy evoked by his kinsmen to support President Goodluck Jonathan against Muhammadu Buhari (APC) Presidential aspiration in 2015 is now being treated as a pariah and enemy of the party.
CRA placed the Rivers state government owned aircraft and other resources for use by the Buhari/APC campaign organization. CRA led APC presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019 securing victory for Buhari and the party. Yet, CRA is not making a fuss or boast of his contributions to the party as others do. …”
Nigeria’s largest and ruling political party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), a party founded on consensus and collegiate leadership is fast loosing its form and the intentment of the founding fathers. Recent developments shows that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) is tactically taking ownership and singularly directing affairs of the Party.
Indications of Tinubu’s take over of the party are manifest in various activities of the party; the lopsided structural imbalance and the obviously sour relationship with many of those with whom he founded the party.
As President, no one is contending Tinubu’s leadership of the party, however his move and departure from the alliance of leadership that culminated in the birth of APC is a clear signal of either a divided or disintegrating party. This is evident in the crop of new alliances and friendships that PBAT has cultivated and with whom he now closely align in piloting the affairs of state.
Such prominent founding father and pioneer interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and a foremost National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun has ceased to be heard or mentioned in the scheme of things. So too are many others whose names space will not permit me to mention.
Contrary to expectation, Tinubu who was at a time seen as a conscientious party man, good and unbiased party Administrator has relegated APC, the party under whose platform he became President to the background. It is often said that “a political party is as strong as its members wishes or desire it to be”.
It does seem evidently clear that PBAT has preference for a strong-man political party instead of building a strong and all inclusive political party.
The many unilateral breaches and uncompromising shift of Party norms as seen in respect of the replacement of the displaced former National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu from the North Central to Ex-governor Ganduje in the Northwest against all protestations evidences the tyranny of one in authority.
Same also with the position of the National Women Leader that was taken from Cross River to Edo state.
PBAT has continued to use his lackey, former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje whom he imposed as the National Chairman to stir crises in some state chapters.
In Akwa Ibom for instance, the NWC encouraged and supported Senator Godswill Akpabio who fraudulently manipulate the results of the 2022 State Congress of the party with which he procured a contentious and irregular verdict of the Court that upheld Mr. Steven Ntokekpo (who came last at the congress) winner and subsequently inaugurated as State Chairman of Akwa Ibom chapter.
Only recently, the NWC under the watch of PBAT after a protracted political/legal battle proceeded to not only recognise but also inaugurated former Governor Wike’s sponsored, illegally constituted and unpopular SWC of Rivers State chapter with Chief Tony Okocha, the Real APC principal antagonist as State Chairman.
As I was yet to conclude this essay, news got to me that a Port Harcourt High Court has nullified the congresses that threw-up Tony Okacha & Co as Chapter and Local Government Executives of the party in Rivers State. That exercise is a reflection of the impunity and disorderly conduct that has characterised APC and its leadership.
It’s important to highlight the political undertone behind the actions and inactions of the NWC in the affairs of the Party in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.
In Rivers State, against Court Order, the full complement of the NWC led by the National Chairman moved from Abuja to Port Harcourt to supervise the carefully designed and tailored Congresses and its ill-fated outcome whose main focus (perhaps as directed) was to belittle and humiliate Barr. Rotimi Chibuike Ameachi (CRA), former Governor of Rivers State and a 2023 APC presidential aspirant.
As expected Amaechi may have been at odds with the Party (for obvious reasons) after the Presidential primaries. His aloofness or “siddon look” approach to government and his public comments about governance does by no means suggest disaffection or antagonism towards PBAT Administration.
A rather curious and troubling matter of concern in Amaechi/Rivers APC imbrioglo is the conspiracy and overt attempts to diminish Amaechi’s authority and scuttle his influence in the party by the National leadership of APC.
It is concerning that CRA who led the nPDP faction against ethnic sympathy evoked by his kinsmen to support President Goodluck Jonathan against Muhammadu Buhari (APC) Presidential aspiration in 2015 is now being treated as a pariah and enemy of the party.
CRA placed the Rivers state government owned aircraft and other resources for use by the Buhari/APC campaign organization. CRA led APC presidential campaigns in 2015 and 2019 securing victory for Buhari and the party. Yet, CRA is not making a fuss or boast of his contributions to the party as others do.
It’s appaling that in the quest for power and control PBAT has turned to hitherto haters and antagonists of APC for support against friends, Associates and Stalwarts of the party.
A somewhat agonising situation is prevalent in Akwa Ibom APC where Senator Akpabio in conjunction with the NWC fraudulently and singularly emplaced the State Executive of the party at the exclusion of fathers and heroes of the party in the state.
The likes of Atuekong Don Etiebet, Obong Umana Okon Umana, Obong Nsima Ekere, Group Capt Sam Ewang (rtd), Dr. Amadu Attai etc.
Party leaders and Elders who gave APC in the state a face and name now sit on the bench while Akpabio (a late joiner, now Senate President and Tinubu’s acolyte) takes the field with a fractured party in the state.
The situation in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State is replicated in many other state chapters of the party where PBAT has identified his interest and pitched his tent with a favoured faction pursuant to his second term ambition.
This witch hunting and divide and rule tactics is killing the party. One had thought that as a founding father of the party now privileged to lead the party and country, PBAT will work to unite the party to sustain its winning streak in the next general elections. This maybe far from reality as the party continues to wobble from pressure ocassioned by preferred and vested interest.