APC, nPDP and the U-turn made in heaven?

Leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), whose block ditched the mainstream Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) late in 2013 to join the All Progressives Congress(APC), appeared to add pepper to injury for the troubled ruling party on Wednesday as the landed some doses of demands which may prove difficult to attain. Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, examines the unfolding scenario.

THE ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is at best a troubled house at the moment. Threats of implosion are rearing their ugly heads from across the country and the centre appears difficult to wed. The commotion has been in high decibels and everyone within earshot appears to be deafening.  The high and the low within the party are feeling the pinch and the result is already telling of a dangerous bend for the first opposition party to snatch power from a ruling party in Nigeria.

Though some forces who appeared to have foreseen the emerging cacophony wanted to steer the ship of the party away from the umbrage, the leaders turned the ship full circle and held successive National Executive Committee meetings to upturn the tenure extension plan which looked like an option that could have postpone the evil day.

Right now, the meat is already in the stew and there appears no looking back for the cook.  The crises are rolling in from every corner of the 36 states of the federation. There were recorded deaths and confusion as the ward congresses held across the states on May 5. The effects is already showing in the governors and the high and the mighty shivering over the outcome of the ward congress. In Oyo and Imo states, the APC governors there are fretting, same with a member of the National Working Committee and a Minister who have positioned themselves on either sides of the rope to engage in the big tug of war.

Amidst all such confusion, members of the new PDP block of the APC led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje sauntered into the headquarters of the ruling party. Days earlier, they had submitted a letter of protest to the office of the national chairman. The letter chronicled the travails of nPDP bloc in the ruling party and demanded redress within a window of seven days. During the visit to Chief John Odigie Oyegun’s office, Baraje again reiterated the contents of the letter the nPDP members earlier submitted and insisted that the time to resolve the grievances is now.

The letter dated April 27, 2018 and titled REQUEST FOR REDRESSING OF GRIEVANCES OF THE FORMER NEW PDP BLOCK WITHIN THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC), detailed the sins committed against the nPDP members by the APC.

Is it the right time to ventilate their grievances? That is the question many would ask but that also is the way of politicians. The stock in trade of politically minded fellows is that ‘you cross the river when you get there.’ To nPDP members, the time to cross the river is now. That surely will compound the headaches of the troubled APC.

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To showcase the extend of the troubles, an online medium had indicated last week that the National leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu had threatened to pull out of the party if Oyo state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi losses the control of the party in Oyo state. The governor is engaged in a serial battle for the control of the party with members of Unity Forum.

Baraje enumerated the travails of his members thus: “We the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who moved over from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to form the APC before the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria are desirous of strengthening our party, especially now that new party Congresses have commenced and the Convention and another round of General Elections are imminent.

Obviously, this cannot be achieved without addressing fundamental issues which we wish to raise in this letter.

“We therefore wish, with due respect, to re-state our expectation then and now that the APC we all laboured to build would be one united, inclusive, cohesive and progressive party devoid of divisions, factions, cleavages and tendencies. We envisioned a political party promoting equal rights for all Nigerians and ensuring rapid and even development across the country. Of course there is no gainsaying the fact that the lofty ideals enumerated above cannot be attained without ensuring justice for party faithful and citizens.”

The former National Chairman of the PDP, who later led the nPDP insurrection that weakened the former ruling party ahead of the 2015 election reminded the APC that it remained “an undeniable historical fact” that the movement of the nPDP bloc to the APC contributed immensely APC’s victory in 2015.

With the nPDP were five Governors, who were at the time the sitting Governors of Sokoto, Kano, Kwara, Adamawa and Rivers States. The rank also included former Governors of Kebbi,  Gombe, Osun, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former acting National Chairman of PDP,  a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives,(Aminu Waziri Tambuwal now Governor of Sokoto State), many serving members of the National Assembly  and other politicians. He said that most of the defectors delivered their states to the APC in the 2015 election adding that some of the nPDP leaders were assigned dual responsibilities of overseeing other states.

Such leaders according to him included the then Governor of Sokoto state, Aliyu Wamakko, who  took charge of Kebbi, the then Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso who he said  took responsibility for Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa States, while Senator Bukola Saraki was asked to play major role in ensuring the victory of APC in the North Central.

He said: “These efforts, contributions and sacrifice were made in spite of the fact that the presidential ticket was taken by the erstwhile Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) blocks of the party. It is a matter for grave concern that His Excellency, Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari has never publicly acknowledged our efforts in the face of clear evidence that the total number of votes scored by the APC in States where leaders and members of the then New PDP block held sway made the difference.”

He also reeled out the figures to back the efforts of the nPDP members showing that the votes’ hull was massive with their injection into the APC. He said:  “The stubborn facts are as follows: In Kano State APC scored 1,903,999 in 2015, and in Kwara 302,146. In Sokoto State it scored 671,926, and 374,701 in Adamawa. In Kebbi State, APC had 567,883 votes and 885,988 in Jigawa. It was the same story in Gombe (459,898), Kogi (264,851), 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.”

 

The grievances

Baraje went ahead to chronicle the grievances of his group, which he said, needed to be addressed to ensure “a harmonious APC where justice, equity, fairness and peace will reign.”

He said that resolution of the grievances would also enable APC avoid rancour, reinvigorate the pace of national development and ensure the party face  the 2019 General Elections as one united party.

The grievances include:

1. In the constitution of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) the New PDP block was generally sidelined as virtually no position was conceded to it. The only member of FEC that belonged to former New PDP block comes from a State that contributed virtually no vote to the APC in the 2015 presidential elections.
2. There has been no significant patronage and appointments to executive positions in various government agencies such as Chief Executives and Executive Directors of government agencies and parastatals as members of our block of the party continue to helplessly watch as these positions are shared by the erstwhile CPC, ACN, ANPP and even APGA blocks of the party and those who have no party at all.
3. In appointments into boards of various government agencies, very few former New PDP members were patronised. These are however not commensurate with our contributions to the growth and victory of the party.
4. When members of the former New PDP block showed interest in running for the offices of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, they were subjected to a vicious and relentless political opposition as if they were not legitimate members of the APC family.
5. During the party primaries preparatory to the 2015 General Elections, most of the promises made to sitting members of the National Assembly, who belonged to the former new PDP in terms of a level- playing field were reneged upon or observed more in breach.
6. There has been general lack of consultation, non-recognition and even persecution of former New PDP members and leaders by the party and government. For example, some of our leaders are denied the security cover necessary to visit their constituencies even though they are elected representatives of the people in a government they sacrificed so much for.
7. Harassment, intimidation and persecution of former New PDP leaders by the government, is still an ongoing affair. We do not want to overstate the obvious by cataloguing names of former new PDP stalwarts that are targets of this political pogrom.
8. There is inadequate reflection of programme and policy contributions of members of the former New PDP block in the running of the government.

He also stated that the party cannot grow if a section of it feels that it is being treated as “outcasts and meddlesome interlopers” and their legitimate aspirations obstructed.

The nPDP further submitted: “Arising from the issues outlined above, among others, we request for an urgent meeting with the Leader of the party, and the Party Executive leadership to find lasting solutions to the issues raised so as to prepare the party as a fighting force to deliver more pungently on its manifesto and face the 2019 General Elections with even greater commitment.  The meeting will also enable us to work out modalities to ensure a level playing field for all in the Congresses and Convention of the APC.

“Given the constraining factor of available time and in the interest of our great Party, it is strongly advised that the said urgent meeting be held not later than Seven (7) days from the date of the receipt of this letter.”

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In conclusion, the nPDP’s letter submitted that the intention to write the letter was borne out of the patriotic zeal and the best of intentions for the good of the party. They also promised to work for the victory of the APC and the President, Muhammadu Buhari, who the letter said had only recently indicated his intention to seek a second term as President.

To many, the letter and appearance of Baraje at the APC national secretariat were premeditated attempts to ensure a complaint is laid on the table before the nPDP members retrace their steps to their old party.

Feelers in the polity have confirmed that the leading opposition PDP has readied its red carpet to receive its former “prodigal sons” who have since been forgiven.

It was also understood that the moves to effect a slight change of name for the PDP is being put on the table by some of the returning members who were worried that the name PDP had been battered through the campaigns mounted by the ruling party and its foot soldiers.

Already, a technical committee to look into the possibility of name change and other issues raised by the returning members has been raised by the National Working Committee of the PDP.

Insiders in the major parties believed that the seven day window given by the nPDP for a resolution of its grievances would remain a tall order for a party that is grappling with after effects of a devastating Ward Congress.

What appears certain on the political field is that the nPDP is set to leave the APC, with its leaders having come to a conclusion that their lots cannot improve in the ruling party. Will the PDP remain the direction? That is open to debate, especially with the emergence of the African Democratic Alliance (ADC) last week. As things stand, the options remain manifold, the PDP, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the ADC are plausible destinations.