Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are concerned about the crises rocking the ruling party, which have taken over at least 12 state chapters of the party.
It was gathered on Saturday that the fear of the party leaders increased on July 12 when the Supreme Court delivered a judgment, which resolved the factional crisis in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
A leader of the party, who confided in our correspondent, noted that less than two years to the 2019 elections, the APC had not resolved crises in about 12 of its state chapters.
He listed the states as Kogi, Gombe, Borno, Bauchi, Ondo, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Plateau, Ogun, Lagos and Enugu.
The party chieftain, who craved anonymity, said the APC had not been able to resolve the crisis in its Gombe State chapter since the 2015 governorship election was concluded
He stated, “The state chapter of the party has been in turmoil since we lost the governorship election to the PDP in 2015. Trouble began during the 2015 primary election. The party broke into two factions with one led by Magaji Doho and the other by Karu Ishaya.
“They are backed by two prominent leaders – former governor and now senator, Danjuma Goje, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and also a senator, Usman Nafada.”
It was gathered that the governorship ambition of Senator Abu Kyari, (Borno North) was the basis for the crisis in the Borno State chapter as this had put him on collision course with the state Governor, Kashim Shettima.
In Bauchi State, investigations showed that relationship between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and other Abuja-based political office holders from the state on one hand, and Governor Mohammed Abubakar was not cordial.
In Ondo State, our correspondent learnt that the crisis, which led to the election of Rotimi Akeredolu, as the governor of the state has not been resolved.
The pre-election crisis which made a leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to demand the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has worsened.
The battle for the control of the soul of the APC in Kogi State has pitted Governor Yahaya Bello against most members of the state chapter of the party. More pronounced is his spat with the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Dino Melaye.
Bello is being accused of pushing for Dino’s recall from the National Assembly. The Prince Tony Momoh-led fact finding and reconciliation committee has since submitted its report and recommended that the governor should be more accommodating.
It was also learnt that in Kaduna State, the rift between Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Sheu Sani, had polarised the state chapter of the party.
Also, the crisis of confidence between Senator Musa Kwankwaso who was governor of Kano State and his successor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had polarised the state chapter of the party.
The crisis over the choice of Solomon Dalung as Minister from the state without governor Simon Lalung’s input had not been resolved in the Plateau State of the party.
In Niger, it was learnt that the State governor, Sani Bello is embroiled in a battle of wits with some federal lawmakers from the state over the control of the party structure in the state.
Investigations showed that the Federal lawmakers were unhappy with the manner in which the APC’s candidates emerged for the local government council elections.
In Ogun State, Sunday Punch gathered that although Governor Ibikunle Amosun is controlling the party executive, the governorship ambition of a Lagos based senator, Olamilekan Adeola, (Lagos West) was creating tension in the party as the governor was said to be opposed to him.
Similarly, the Lagos State chapter of the party has also not known peace since the party held primaries to elect flag bearers for the local government council elections. Some party members have called for the expulsion of the APC National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire (SAN) for daring to contest the process leading up to the emergence of APC candidates for the polls.
The Enugu State chapter of the party is also having leadership tussles of its own with two factions claiming ownership of the APC structure in the state.
It was, however, gathered that the APC had concluded plans to resolve all the crises before the end of the year.
Investigations showed that its NWC had decided to henceforth liaise with the party’s governors while taking critical decisions affecting the party.
Towards this end, the party leadership agreed to ensure that governors received copies of all communications emanating from the National Secretariat to state party chairmen/executives.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi told Sunday Punch on Saturday that the party’s leadership is not sleeping on its oars in its bid to resolve all outstanding issues.
Abdullahi said, “These issues are very important to us whether we like it or not, we have to resolve them. And we are also aware that time is of the essence; we are doing everything to resolve them”
Credit: Punch
