Different strokes as APC awaits March 26 convention

The wave of uncertainty that beclouded the February 26, 2022 national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has subsided as the ruling party picked March 26 as the new date for the exercise.  The party is run by a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), which was inaugurated on June 25, 2020 and chaired by […]

The wave of uncertainty that beclouded the February 26, 2022 national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has subsided as the ruling party picked March 26 as the new date for the exercise.

 The party is run by a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), which was inaugurated on June 25, 2020 and chaired by the Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, sequel to the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC). 

The national convention of the party is expected to throw up a new crop of NWC, which will run for an initial term of four years. 

Expectedly, the new NWC would contend with the herculean task of conducting primaries, including the presidential primary and fielding candidates for various offices before the 2023 general elections. 

Already, aspirants for various offices have sprung up, with each of them campaigning vigorously ahead of the convention.

Daily Trust on Sunday, however, reports that some aspirants, especially those for the chairmanship seat, have lost confidence in the party and the caretaker committee following its failure to brief them on peculiar issues.

New date for convention and zonal congresses

Because of its failure to organise an elective national convention on February 26, the party picked March 26 for the exercise. 

The party has also fixed zonal congresses for March 12, which are expected to hold in all the six geopolitical zones in the country – North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-West, South-South, and South-East.  

Addressing newsmen recently at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja after a closed-door meeting that lasted several hours, the secretary of the caretaker committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, said the preparation for the convention would commence on February 24, 2022.

He said the zonal congresses would hold before the national convention slated for March 26.

“After deliberation and agreement with the CECPC, we have agreed and approved that the activities of the national convention will commence from February 24 and terminate on March 26 at the Eagle Square,” he said. 

The fears 

Despite the announcement of a new date for the convention, there are fears that crises would threaten the proposed exercise. 

Pundits are arguing that the party will not be able to resolve the crises that will spring up after the zonal congresses in two weeks before the convention, as crises are part of the political process.

Recall that the APC is still battling to resolve the contentious issues that trailed the ward, local government and state congresses held last year. 

A chieftain of the party who craved anonymity in a telephone chat with Daily Trust on Sunday said, “All of us, members of the APC, are afraid because what happened during our state congresses, for many months now, has never been resolved.

“Some factions are in court, some have even defected based on what we saw in Lagos. So if the zonal congresses come with such brouhaha or crises, it will be difficult for the interim committee to resolve in just two weeks to the convention.

“That time, the party was not polarised like today. Now, we have about four factions in the APC that are going to participate in the congresses, and the fallout of it is what the Buni-led committee can’t resolve in two weeks.

“So we are afraid that the March 26 new date for the convention is not a reality; it is uncertain. 

“And if you look at what is happening now in Nasarawa State because of the adoption of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the next APC national chairman, Al-Makura is likely to fight back, and that one will reflect in the North-Central zonal congress of the APC.”

Crises in state chapters

There are still unresolved crises in many state chapters of the party. 

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that some factions of the party, which are in court, as well as those that were not recognised by the caretaker committee during the inauguration of state executives at the party’s national secretariat recently in Abuja, are still a threat to the party. 

The Zamfara State chapter of the party is still in crisis, with pending cases in court.

The state governor, Bello Matawalle, a former governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, and Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, are all battling for the control of the party’s structure in the state, leading to several pending cases in court.

In Sokoto State, a former governor of the state, Aliyu Wamakko and Senator Abubakar Gada are in court over the state congress held last year. 

There is an ongoing battle for the soul of Sokoto APC between Wamakko and Gada, which is threatening the party’s chances of winning future elections in the state.

Similarly, the faction loyal to the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed in Kwara State had advised the party’s top echelon against going ahead with the zonal congresses and convention as scheduled without nipping in the bud the contentious issues.

The vice chairman of the faction, Chief Sunday Oyebiyi, said, “Holding the convention of the party without first reconciling the factions in the states is like one deceiving itself; it is not advisable.

 “Some of the state branches of the party have filed cases in court; the leadership of the party should obey court judgements.”

Similarly, the secretary of an APC faction loyal to a former governor of Osun State and current Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Mr Lani Baderinwa, said going ahead with the exercise without resolving the existing crises would spell doom for the party. 

Baderinwa, who said his faction should have been recognised, having “complied more” with the procedure laid down for the conduct of the exercise, said anticipation of resolution of the issues must have caused the postponement.

“As at today, I learnt we have crises in Osun and 21 other states. I don’t think it is right to go into the convention in that manner; otherwise, we may have a rancorous show.

“I believe the anticipation of resolution of those issues made them to postpone it by a month, thinking that probably, within the period they should be able to resolve the issues,” Baderinwa said.

In Rivers State, the Senator Magnus Abe-led faction, which claims authenticity over the faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said it was not right to hold the convention without resolving the lingering crisis.

Golden Chioma, the chairman of the faction, said, “You know it is not right. There were ominous signs that we were heading to that kind of situation. The signs were there on what and what to be done. People bought forms, but they never knew where they did the congress. They never saw the forms they paid for.

“The party did say that the congress should be by consensus. That was never followed in Rivers State. The minister of transportation feels that he has all the money and connections in the world that all smaller members should die. Is it fair?”

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that other state chapters of the APC like Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta and many others are enmeshed in crises that have 2023 political undertone.

The governors 

With zonal congresses coming before the convention, pundits say division among governors on the APC platform is imminent as many of them would have axes to grind in the outcome of the former. 

Before the botched February 26 convention, state governors who are members of the APC were divided over the timing of the exercise and other contentious issues.

The Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai had confirmed that governors on the party’s platform were divided over the issue of convention.

After the governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, Governor El-rufai, who spoke with State House reporters said, “Yes, we were divided over the timing of the convention. 

“There were some governors who felt we should put off the convention until we resolve all the issues about congresses in some states. As you know, there are issues in some states. 

“Some governors held the view that we should wait until all these are resolved,” he told State House reporters.

Pundits say the failure of governors to reach a consensus on key issues before the March 26 convention would threaten the exercise as they represent an important arm of the party in decision-making processes.

It is left to be seen whether the party would hold its convention as planned or still move it to another date.