Will pre-national convention hiccups break APC?

The All Progressives Congress (APC) from the onset was a child of necessity, a kind of special project packaged by strange bed fellows specifically to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose reign of 16 years had been largely marked by recurrent impunity, arrogance and absence of the rule of law. Our Politics Editor, PATRICK ANDREW, x-rays thorny issues on the path of the APC ahead of Saturday’s national convention.
Marriage of convenience
The APC- a blend of the CPC, ACN, APGA, ANPP, and a breakaway faction of the PDP, known as new PDP (nPDP), but most of whose members were made up of persons that suddenly adorned the garb of holiness to differentiate themselves from the mother PDP- came together for the sole purpose of defeating the then ruling main stream PDP. Mission achieved with the defeat of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, but the marriage of convenience expectedly began soon afterwards to exhibit cracks.
Signs that the APC- seem by the opposition more as a mere propaganda tool than a real well-structured political party- was heading for an implosion became quite visible barely months following its victory at the 2015 general elections. For instance, it took over six months for the cabinet to be formed, a development that was largely attributed to disagreement between governors and leading lights of the coalitions as some insisted on their protégés being members of the new cabinet, while some that had staked their necks to ensure the APC came to birth vehemently wanted to constitute the cabinet. Delay in constituting the cabinet rubbed off on the composition of boards of parastatals as it remained in abeyance even until the major part of 2017.
Perhaps, in more ways than one, the confusion over the choice of the leaderships of the National Assembly epitomised the depth of the crack and in fact adverse and self-centred intentions and purposes among the motley of political parties that collapsed into one fold to form the APC. Even members of the President’s party- the CPC- cried themselves hoarse in attempt to remind the leadership of the APC that it was being neglected.
However, whereas they had complained of exclusion from being players dictating the levers of power, other members of the coalition slammed them for insisting on dominating the scene as if they had the lion share in mobilising electorate and producing the new federal government or were the only Buhari loyalists.
Evidently, as argued by some keen political watchers, the APC seems not quite prepared for governance as betrayed by the absence of direction in terms of sharing formula for political offices. The indifference for cohesion appears succinctly captured by those close to the National Secretariat of the APC who have often painted unpleasant picture of the irritant divisions whereby even staff of the secretariat draw their monthly remunerations from whatever platform one’s principal belongs. In other word, a principal officer from CPC, ACN, APGA, allegedly pays his staff from funds made available by his arm of the coalition, not the APC as an entity.
True, a political party ceases to be one in the absence of differences in opinion and members’ interests. These are all parts of the democratic process and clearly one manifestation of party growth. However, the conflicts threatening the APC deeply reflect the warp ambition of some who are held bent on sacrificing party interests for their selfish inclination while insisting on using the APC platform.
Expectedly, the core rut that gradually ate up the PDP: imposition, arrogance, impunity, absence of rule, indifference towards the electorate and utter disdain for party structure, all of which produced lack of internal democracy have manifested in the APC. The Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu Reconciliation Committee was ostensibly set up to soothe fray nerves, reconcile warring factions and ensure a unified front before and after the ward, local and state congresses where executives of the party were to be elected, preparatory to the National Convention. Ironically, the National Leader himself needed to be reconciled to the Chief John Oyegun-Odigie-led National Working Committee that allegedly had severally worked at variance with him, and even the Presidency itself.
Perhaps, the NWC felt affronted having set up its committee to investigate, resolve and reconcile aggrieved party members, moreso as it was most unlikely neither consulted nor asked to recommend membership of the Asiwaju committee. The President directly appointed Asiwaju and handed him blank cheque. That in itself clearly shows huge communication gap, the tendency to do things without resorting to the organs of the party and its leadership and thus tacitly undermining the NWC, rightly or wrongly. Therefore, proclivity towards lack of order, coherence in purpose and objective and drive are sadly fast diminishing the shine of the APC. These are obviously evident in:

Demand of the nPDP
“Our belief is that it does not augur well for our party if a section of it feels that it is being treated as outcasts and meddlesome interlopers in the party they rightly belong with the legitimate expectation to be treated with injustice both in the running of the party and the government”, says nPDP leader, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.
Last May, after a closed door meeting with the APC National Chairman in Abuja, the leadership of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) expressed dismay over its members’ neglect by the APC and the federal government despite their contributions to the eventual success of the fledgling party in the 2015 general elections. The group, led by former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, told the press that it had forwarded a letter dated April 27, 2018 to the APC National Working Committee, copied the President, and other relevant leaders of the party.
In a letter titled “Request for redressing of grievances of the former new PDP block within the All Progressives Congress”, it said among others that despite their contribution to the success of the APC, their members have been relegated to the background in the scheme of things in the party.
Explaining in graphic details, the nPDP adduced that its members’ contribution to the overall victory of the APC thus: “The stubborn facts are as follows: In Kano State, APC scored 1,903,999 in 2015, and in Kwara 302,146. ln Sokoto State it scored 671,926, and 374 701 ln Adamawa In Kebbl State, APC had 567,883 votes and 885,988 in Jigawa. It was the same story in Gombe (459,898). Kogi (284,851) and Benue (373,961) votes.
“These represented significant additions to the APC victory column. Indeed, the influence, activities momentum and ripple effect generated by the former New PDP block was significant in the victory of APC in the entire elections in the whole country”.
Further, in an interview he granted recently, Alhaji Baraje restated the intention the nPDP noting: “It stands for good governance and delivery of dividends of democracy to the common man. That is what we stand for and today, we have travelled a long way in APC and we discovered that there are some of those things, if not all those things, that led us to complain when we were in PDP, that are even worse now”.
The nPDP therefore decried the return of gross impunity, arrogance, imposition and nepotism in appointments and governance. It equally lamented sustained highhandedness against members of the nPDP in leadership positions in the APC federal government.
“When we were in PDP, we complained against lack of respect for the rule of law; we complained against marginalisation of certain parts of the country; we complained against impunity of government and so many things. If you look at the preamble and first paragraph of that letter (letter to NWC, President), all the things we complained against that time are the things that are repeating themselves”.

APC losses could be PDP, others’ gains

Giving instances, it pointed to the persecution of Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Senator Dino Melaye, among others. The insolence of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who has repeatedly in utter disdain to the NASS shunned invitation to appear before it, also attracted its attention.
“People just think, ‘it is when you take bribe or embezzle money, those are the only corrupt acts.’ No! When you run government without respect for the rule of law, it is the highest form of corruption. When you do not strengthen your system, it is the highest form of corruption. People steal goat and you are jailing them for three years and people are there disrespecting the law of the land”.
“In the constitution the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) the New PDP block was generously sidelined as virtually no positron was conceded to it The only member that belonged to former New PDP block comes from a state that contributed virtually no vote to the APC in the 2015 presidential election.
“In appointments Into Boards of various government agencies, very few former New PDP members were patronized. These are however not commensurate with our contributions to the growth and Victory of the party, among others”.

Solution in sight?
Far from it. Though the nPDP has twice held meetings with the leadership of the APC, it eventually ended further dialogue insisting that the main issues were not being addressed. It demanded for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, only yesterday, the likelihood of meeting with President Buhari was made remote following claims that Mr. President is not favourably disposed to such meeting, but would wish they continue talks with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
“I am not ready to sit down with any faction. If they have problems, they should go to the party. I will not interfere.
“Governors as party leaders in the states should deal with all issues. Where there is a need, the party leadership can come in. “I will not get involved”, according to a Daily Trust source.
The situation may be headed for the rocks in view of alleged hard line position of some governors. “Some hard-line governors asked the President to ignore the nPDP members, while the majority felt the party and the VP should continue to talk to them”, the source said.

Outcries over congresses
The ward, local and state congresses organised by the APC to elect leaders to pilot the affairs of the party that these levels turned out to be a litmus test. Albeit every congress do have its blushes, the APC’s crises sequel to the May exercise was expectedly not different except it plunged it further into the cesspool of disunity.
Except for very few, virtually all the states where the nation’s ruling party conducted its congresses are enmeshed in damaging conflicts. Of course, the reasons are obvious, certain key actors wanted to control the machinery of the party to ensure that they maintain convincing level of influence, determine who becomes delegate at the elective national congress scheduled for June 23.
Prominent among states where tension reigns are Kaduna, Bauchi, Kwara, Delta, Kogi, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos, Imo, Zamfara, Kebbi, Adamawa and Osun States respectively. Worst cases are those in Kaduna, Bauchi, Imo, Rivers and Kwara States.
The fallout of the congresses across the states showed parallel congresses and executives were produced in most of the states. Besides, incidences of violence, abuse of the rule of law, imposition, arm-twisting of delegates, disdain for party principles, even internal zoning structure, all combined to leave a sore taste in the mouth of the APC.
At the moment, some aggrieved members of the party have taken their state governors, lawmakers and NWC delegations and the INEC to court. This raises a poser: what becomes of delegates that legitimately feel aggrieved because the processes adopted were illegal? Would those manipulated out of being delegates to the National Convention allow themselves to be so isolated and schemed out? Will they feel any sense of belonging within the APC if they are denied their aspirations, alas illegally?
AS party leaders were unable to resolve many of these issues before the scheduled national convention, there are palpable fears that it may not augur well with the APC. That development appears to have justified the fear of advocates of tenure elongation who said the party might be heading for the worst crises springing from the congresses.

Convention Committee
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of its national convention further degenerated at the inauguration of the convention planning committee when members loudly protested the composition of the convention sub-committee, in Abuja.
Some of the protesters who said their names were initially on the published lists publicly accused the presidency of replacing about 50 names from the original list. Those affected most were majorly members of the aggrieved nPDP) in APC.
Even some National Secretariat staff equally protested angrily almost to the point of fisticuff with the accreditation committee, complaining that they were not carried along in the process. Scheming out members of the nPDP perhaps indicates the value the party places on the members, and ultimately what fate awaits them. It may have been a precautionary measure against granting access to elements that may likely use it to hold the party to ransom.

Implications
There are veil threats of defections from members of the nPDP and others who felt short-changed by the manner the processes that led to the congresses were manipulated.
Alhaji Baraje in a thinly veiled threat said: “It is not as if we were rebelling. But let me warn that every politician, individual and as a group, we have aspirations. And every politician will go to where his aspiration will be fulfilled. That is the warning”, he said.
Days before the convention, muted threats have suddenly become blaring sound. For instance, Senator Shehu Sani, whose problem with Governor Nasir el Rufai is legendary has openly stated that cracks in the APC will increased to gulf following the inability of leaders of the All Progressive Congress to address the internal crisis rocking the party in the past three years. He, like many others, has threatened to leave. Sani is a grassroots man with huge following.
The senator, who has consistently criticised the policies of his own party said the party has been in prolonged crisis since 2015 and listed states like Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Kogi, Rivers and many others affected.
The Senator said the congresses added to the crises because the party already had “a very shaky foundation because there was no reconciliation and peace among aggrieved members. So, APC stands on the foundation of injustice as it is to its members. It has not treated its members very well, it has failed to live up to its promises and pledges of a transparent internal democracy as a party,” he said.
In the same vein, the PDP, which has been repositioned ahead of the 2019 general elections and is credited with some reasonable level of internal democracy going by the conduct of its ward, local and state congresses, appeared poised to take advantage.
The party chairman Board of Trustees, Dr. Haliru Bello, few days ago expressly stated that the party was working assiduously to profit from the “visible crack” within the ruling All Progressives Congress. He said the PDP was carefully utilising its exit from mainstream governance at the federal level as ample opportunity to rebuild and thus generate a better public image to be presented before the general elections and is willing to offer its platform to former members willing to rejoin the umbrella.
“If the APC is desirous of fulfilling the aspirations that every group wants in APC, well and good; if not, people will find where their aspirations will be met. This is the time to talk to one another who are politicians and across the country in different political lines. We are talking”, Baraje concluded in the interview.
At the PDP convention in 2013, grumblings, agitations and protest snowballed into breakaway faction and eventually broke the hitherto invincibility of the party. Five governors, 20 serving and non-serving senators, about 44 members of the House of Representatives and many others congregated at Yar Adua Centre to spite the PDP.
Where the aggrieved APC members cool their heels on June 23?

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