APC convention: Inside Buhari House of Commotion

With 10 days to the convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), TAIWO AMODU writes on the raging cacophonies among the power centres in the ruling party.

About 10 days to the conduct of a national convention, it is becoming increasingly clear that the tendencies within the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) can no longer moderate their deep-seated animosity against one another.The assurance of a united political family and commitment to genuine reconciliation in fractured state chapters by the national leadership of the party is now known to every party faithful for what it is: a facade to cover up the crack.

Investigation revealed that at the heart of the ongoing leadership tussle in the APC is the battle for who gets what in the National Working Committee expected to emerge at the party’s March 26 convention to elect a new set of national officers.

The power blocs smarting for showdown include members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC) the Action Congress of Nigeria and the remnants of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party now in alliance with the CPC.

The ubiquitous forum of APC governors christened the Progressive Governors Forum, (PGF), which has been perceived as a united bloc is also in disarray, no thanks to the individual aspirations of certain governors in its fold.

The 2023 permutations:

Four dominant erstwhile opposition parties coalesced to form the APC in February 2013, along with the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP0), a splinter group from the PDP. The parties were Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and a fraction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA.

By virtue of the schedule of activities for the 2023 general election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC), the presidential convention to produce the party standard-bearer must be held between April and May. The fate of the presidential hopefuls is tied to the new chairman that will emerge at the March 26 convention, which explains the nerve-racking war of attrition going on inside Buhari House, the APC national secretariat.

With the zoning arrangement unveiled by the APC Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), the battle for the control of the Buhari House is between a former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the defunct CPC, ANPP and NPDP  flanks opposed to his aspiration in the APC. Aside the former Lagos State governor, other chieftains of the party smarting for the APC tickets are Ebonyi State governor,Dave Umahi; former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Conflict of interest

Speculation is rife that two of the governors in the APC CECPC are scheming to be vice-president to whoever emerges at the presidential convention.

Party sources told Midweek Politics that the Niger State governor and acting Chairman of the APC CECPC, Abubakar Sani Bello has his eyes on the vice-president  ticket which informed his indifference to chairmanship aspiration of the senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa. Incidentally his zone, the North-Central is expected to produce a substantive national chairman for the party.

His Yobe State counterpart,Mai Mala Buni, according to party sources «has been working to ensure that he is the consensus candidate of the Progressive Governors Forum for the vice presidential ticket before some of his colleagues pulled the rug off his feet.»

Buni: Pain in APC NEC?

Despite the clear stance of the INEC that the party could not proceed with its National Executive Committee meeting without the endorsement  of  the axed Yobe Governor and chairman of the APC CECPC,  Mai Mala Buni and the displaced national secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, certain governors are still insisting that the virtual meeting of NEC scheduled for Thursday  should hold.

The allies of Governor Bello include Rotimi Akeredolu, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Babagana Zulum, Abdullahi Ganduje, governors of Ondo, Kaduna, Borno and Kano states. It was discovered that by virtue of theArticle 14.1 of APC 2014 Constitution ( as amended)  Governor Buni  is statutorily empowered to convene and preside over the NEC meeting.The section reads:» The National Chairman shall: (i) Be the Chief Executive, Accounting Officer and shall preside over the meetings of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the Party.»

Article 13.3(v)  of the same Constitution  vests the NEC  of the  APC with the power to remove erring national officers.The section reads in part:»The National Executive Committee of the Party shall be the Principal Executive body of the Party and shall perform the following functions:» Exercise control and take disciplinary action on all organs, officers and members of the Party and determine appeals brought before it by any member or organ of the party»

Speaking with Politics Today on Monday on Chnnels TV, Imo State governor,Hope Uzodimma dropped the hint that some of the governors would boycott the virtual meeting as he noted that it was convened in breach of the APC Constitution.He said:»APC is a very serious party.  Everything going on at the secretariat now is going on with the knowledge of Mai Mala Buni. And as soon as he comes back, he will also take over the realms of the party.To remove Buni, a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) must be convened.The right organ of the party to take and implement such decisions is the National Executive Committee (NEC). Have we summoned that committee? Because if we do, INEC will be invited to observe. And if they observe, whatever decision taken will be known to them.”

Fence-sitters and pro-Buni governors in PGF

Governor Nasir El- Rufai’s claim on Channels TV that 19 governors are backing Buni is a fluke. According to findings, some of the governors that El-Rufai claimed to have endorsed the palace coup against Buni are actually fence-sitters with no axe to grind with their Yobe State counterpart.The list includes the Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, who incidentally is a member of the APC CECPC. Others are Kayode Fayemi, Simon Lalong, Abdulrahman AbdulRazak, Abdullahi Sule, governors of Ekiti, Plateau, Kwara and Nasarawa states respectively.

The pro-Buni governors, some of whom have expressed open disdain towards the Niger governor leadership, are Dave Umahi, Yahaya Bello, Hope Uzodimma, Mohammed Badaru  Abubakar, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Bello Muhammad Matawalle, governors of Ebonyi, Kogi, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi and Zamfara states respectively.

Who laughs last?

Indications emerged on Tuesday that Yobe governor and chairman of the APC CECPC and the Secretary of the body, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe hadreceived the blessing of President Buhari to return to their seats.  It was gathered that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AbubakarMalami(SAN) secured the deal after his visit to the president in the United Kingdom.

Akpanudoedehe returned to Buhari House on Tuesday to take charge ahead the National Executive Committee meeting fixed for Thursday.The APC national secretary, who commended the INEC for not according recognition to the Niger State governor to preside over NEC meeting of the APC said: «We are grateful to INEC for her firm guidance in the entire circumstances. »He said that Buni remained the chairman of the party and would soon return to the APC national secretariat to continue with the processes that would lead to the convention.

The caretaker committee is already polarised into pro and anti-Buni forces. Apart from his national secretary, he can only count on the Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola and Honourable Olaide Akinremi, as the other eight members have pitched tent with Governor Bello. The next 10 days to the end of the tenure of the fractured team will be dramatic.