By Emeka Alex Duru
Even with vigorous efforts by its leadership to downplay the crisis in its fold, it is obvious that the ruling All Progressives congress (APC), is in huge stress.
In what has become serial in its stumble from one crisis to another since coming to power in 2015, APC appears headed for another strife that poses serious threats to its outing in 2019 general elections.
Last Wednesday, for instance, fears of what had been held as rumours of imminent defection of some of its key members to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), began to take shape, when leading elements of the reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC) met with the leaders of the PDP in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.
Although the meeting has been variously explained as coincidental and to commiserate with a chieftain of the rAPC, Abubakar Baraje, who lost his mother recently, there have been insinuations that the occasion provided grounds for negotiations on the absorption of the break-away faction of the APC into the PDP.
Aside known faces of the rAPC, others at the meeting were Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State), Samuel Ortom (Benue State) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara State), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), as well as the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who led the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Neither the APC nor the PDP, has offered official response to speculations on the object of the meeting. Even Wike, who spoke to newsmen at the occasion, explained the meeting as incidental.
But the presence of the APC governors as well as other senior members of the party known to have variously had issues with its leadership, continues to raise concern on the real essence of the gathering.
The governors, their grouse with APC
Governors Tambuwal, Ortom and Ahmed, are for instance, not known to have had the best of times with the leadership of the APC and by extension, the Presidency. The three, had also, incidentally been members of the PDP before crossing over to the APC in the build up to the 2015 general elections.
Until the turn of events in 2015, Tambuwal, for instance, had been a favoured member of the party. Then, Speaker in the Federal House of Representatives, he had brought to bear, his position and influence, in galvanising forces for the emerging APC in the green chamber.
His rapport with the party began even before the fusion of parties that gave rise to APC. Riding on the support of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Tambuwal, who was a PDP chieftain, had worked against the arrangement of his party for Mulikat Akande, to emerge the Speaker in 2011.
Former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu, was fingered in giving Tambuwal the needed support in moving against PDP. While on the seat, Tambuwal pandered more to ACN, to the discomfort of his PDP. It did not therefore come to many as a surprise that towards the end of his term, he defected to the emerging APC.
He contested and won the Sokoto governorship on the platform of the party in 2015. Tambuwal however fell out with the party, on suspicion that he provided support for the emergence of Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House, against Femi Gbajabiamila, the preferred choice of Tinubu and APC leadership.
Ever since, the governor has been treated as an outsider in the affairs of the party. Suspicions of his likely return to his former party, have been rife, subsequently. His frustrations and lamentations on recent attacks by gunmen in some sections of the state and perceived lethargy on the part of the federal government in halting the trend, have added weight on the fears of his imminent defection.
In a statement personally signed by the governor, last week, he blamed the attacks in some parts of Sokoto and other sections of the country on leadership failure, stressing that that was not what Nigerians had voted for in 2015.
The statement, which was made available to TheNiche, read in part; “The worst part of all this is that these deaths are avoidable and the killings preventable. It boils down, at the end of the day, to failure of leadership.
“This is not the way to go. That is not what Nigerians voted for in 2015. That is not what will build a virile, united, united, politically stable and economically prosperous African Giant”.
The governor commiserated with the families, friends, colleagues and associates of Nigerians, who lost their lives in what he described as the persistent and senseless killings currently taking place in all parts of the country.
Our Correspondent gathered that since the release of the statement, relations between Tambuwal and the APC leadership, which had, at best, been lukewarm, since 2015, had taken turns for the worst.
Hardliners in the party, are for instance, said to be interpreting the statement as amounting to serious blackmail on the Muhammadu Buhari presidency and an indictment of the administration.
They are thus, pushing for Tambuwal to be dealt with as the 2019 politics inches closer. But the governor, apparently aware of the mines ahead, is not taking things lightly.
Also, aside looking for a broader platform to enable him actualise his rumoured presidential ambition, which the APC has reserved for Buhari, he is also making calculations that will see him fall back on re-election if he does not get a presidential ticket.
PDP comes handy in both calculations. These permutations, TheNichelearnt, inform his increasing rapport with chieftains of his former party, the PDP.
Like Tambuwal, Benue governor, Samuel Ortom, had earned national influence in PDP, at least as a Minister, before crossing over to APC, before the 2015 polls. Also, just as his Sokoto counterpart is not having it rosy with the APC, Ortom is not comfortable with the tide of affairs in the party.
Benue, his state, has for example, seen by many, as Nigeria’s killing field by armed Fulani herdsmen, lately. Earlier in the year, on January 1, precisely, 72 indigenes of the state, were slaughtered in one fell swoop. In April, another round of killing, this time, involving two Catholic Priests and 15 worshippers was recorded. These are aside incidental attacks in various communities in the state, resulting in loss of life and property.
In all the instances, the responses of the APC-led federal government, had been feeble. Thus feeling betrayed by a government he has been part of, Ortom, has repeatedly cried out against the system.
Residents and citizens of the state have also, in their utterances, given indications of severing links with a ruling party that cannot come to their aid at the hour of need. Their cry in this regard, has not escaped Ortom’s attention.
As if that has not been enough, the governor is also said to be in consuming tussle over the leadership of Benue with former governor of the state, Senator George Akume, who was instrumental to his ascendancy to power.
Akume, said to have the ears of the Presidency and APC leadership, is alleged to have vowed to ensure that the governor does not get a second term ticket of the party. Fearing being dumped when it matters most and seeking alignment with the flustered Benue electorate, the governor, seems in deep consideration on return to PDP.
On Monday, he raised alarm that many saw as an indication of his next move. In it, he claimed being shown a red card – a euphemism for not being wanted in the party any more, hence his agenda to seek alternative platform.
“As for party (APC), I have been given a red card and I’m outside the pitch. So, if I have been given a red card and I’m standing outside, I’m a free man”, he lamented while swearing in an aide.
Ortom did not state where he was headed for. Two quick interpretations have been made of his declaration. It is either he is seeking assurance from APC of a second term ticket or preparing grounds for defection to the PDP.
For Kwara governor, Ahmed, his moving out of APC or remaining in the fold, is seen to be tied to the next move by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Since his emergence as Senate President, in defiance of the APC directive, Saraki has been at odds with the party and presidency. In the last three years that he has been on the hot seat, he had been on his toes following his case at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on allegation of false declaration of assets. But following the clean bill of health on him by the Supreme Court, recently, he has regained his voice in the nation’s politics.
With his supporters more in the PDP, there are indications of his return to the fold, especially as the APC leadership does not seem at ease with him. His alleged interest in the presidency which the APC has foreclosed in reserving the ticket for Buhari, does not also help matters.
In that case, Ahmed, who has shown unflinching loyalty to the Senate President, may also go with him.
Dogara, senators and other national and state legislators, who have shared fate with the Senate president on APC affairs, are also counted in the imminent move.
APC, undaunted
Incidentally, the APC does not seem to be bothered about the impending defection of its members to the opposition party. In a remark shortly after the rAPC members walked out of the party, the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, dismissed them as politicians without electoral value, adding that their exit would not affect the party in any way.
It is yet, not certain how he would take the rumoured imminent defection of the governors and other key members of the party. But given the trademark cocky disposition of the chairman and other leaders of the APC, it would come as a surprise if constructive overtures are made to the aggrieved members to prevent their movement.
What happens in that instance, may not be readily estimated.
PDP had found itself in similar situation in 2012, when former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and seven governors on the party’s platform, staged a walk-out at its Abuja mini convention.
Five of the then governors – Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), later joined APC.
The movement of the governors with their supporters, counted among the factors that saw APC winning the 2015 polls.
This is the challenge currently facing the ruling party.