Despite what could pass for a successful convention late last month, the multifaceted crises rocking state chapters of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) are not abating, Sunday Tribune has learnt.
Apart from installing a new National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee (NEC), the party also succeeded in putting in place nearly all the working committees of the state chapters, save for a couple of litigation-ridden states.
But getting the state executives functional has not deterred those challenging their legitimacy in different courts across the country.
Fouad Oki, a factional leader of the party in Lagos State told Sunday Tribune that his group is not backing down on the running litigation it instituted on the constitutionality of the congress that produced the Cornelius Ojelabi-led State Working Committee.
In the build-up to the March 26 convention, the fear of a judicial coup against the party was so prevalent that the now-defunct Mai Mala Buni-led convention committee had to bar some state delegates from participating in the exercise in Abuja.
The ongoing court cases on the congresses of some state chapters were reportedly considered as having the potential of profound implications, if they should go the way of the fringe members, challenging the mainstream groups recognised by the national leadership.
To avoid grappling with unpalatable eventualities, the party’s national leadership was reportedly advised to keep those “delicate” delegates away, from the exercise.
A professor of Law and former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Mamman Tahir, SAN, who was a member of the Buni committee, was believed to have guided the party out of the many legal landmines ahead of the coming of the new NWC.
Apart from asking very contentious, precarious state chapters to stay away, it was learnt the non-voting approach to the consensus arrangement that produced main national officers of the party, was to further ensure that any unfavourable future judgment against state chapters and delegates that attended the convention, would not affect the entire exercise, and void the installation of the new NWC.
The party, on Buni’s watch, was joined as a necessary party in nearly all the cases challenging the constitutional propriety of Buni as a sitting governor presiding over the affairs of the party.
In more than 15 cases, monitored by Sunday Tribune and filed mostly in the South-South and South-East regions, Buni and his then secretary, Dr John James Akpanudoedehe were joined as necessary parties.
In most of the cases, actions on state chapters and their activities, sanctioned in writing by the Buni committee and bearing the imprimatur of then chairman and secretary, were tabled before courts to be declared as illegal, null and void and of no consequence.
About 12 of them were dismissed at the preliminary objection stage, due to the Supreme Court stance in Akeredolu against Jegede that even when in the wrong, no court can still query a political party on the running of its internal affairs.
With no delegate voting for the consensus national officers, a safe legal habour has now been provided for the new NWC, even as court cases rage in dozens of state chapters over the congress producing the new helmsmen at the state level.
Even in pending cases where Buni’s actions in office face serious threat of being declared illegal, the Adamu led new national leadership would still not have to go since it wasn’t a voting convention and the new national officers were picked by their regions as consensus candidates.
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also in court, seeking an erasure of the governing party, for allegedly falling short on the constitutionally-prescribed number of persons to make up the national leadership.
The suit is targeting the defunct Buni committee and all its actions in the 21 months it operated as a quasi-national leadership of the governing party.
If the constitutional objection is upheld and Buni’s committee is declared as unconstitutional, the new National Working Committee will likely survive, but the NEC and state chapters of the party, would be badly hit.
Despite having their swearing-in during the Bello interregnum, the mainstream state chapters were elected in congresses conducted by the Buni committee.
The Supreme Court is yet to make a definite pronouncement in any of the state chapters’ court cases, with the highest precedent being the Court of Appeal reversal of the lower court judgment, sacking the executive committee loyal to Governor Ganduje of Kano State.
Close to 23 state chapters of the party are in one leadership crisis or the other, for which the Abdullah Adamu peace committee was set up by the Buni leadership.
The interim report filed by the secretariat of the committee, headed by a former deputy governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, didn’t suggest any major breakthrough in state chapters witnessing leadership gridlock.
The faction loyal to Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State, is pursuing an appeal against the judgment of the lower court, recognising the faction loyal to incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
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A major ground being pursued against the second term ticket of the governor is the propriety question of whether he should be a member of the Buni committee that conducted the primary election he won.
There were reports of Oyetola stepping down from the committee at a point. Sunday Tribune could not independently verify the claim and whether it was before or after the party primary, if he so did. Sunday Tribune has also learnt that the new NWC is yet to activate the peace committee Adamu was leading before the equation for national chairmanship changed in his favour.
Oki, a factional chairman, said he had not been contacted by the current national leadership for any peace initiative.
“Nothing is on currently and not likely until the NWC formally assumes office. I am not sure if they have taken over yet,” he stated. He didn’t also leave much room for rapprochement.
Quoting him, “We are in court already. Why don’t you allow the process to run its course?”
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