As the All Progressives Congress (APC) commenced nationwide congresses to elect new executives, a clash of the titans of an epic proportion in Adamawa state, between individuals’ ambitions and collective party interest, is being envisaged which outcome will determine the chances of the party in 2023. MUAZU ABARI writes
Battle for party structure
The APC congresses in Adamawa will turn out to be a political battle to watch, a battle that will distinguish between selfish political ambition and collective party interest, a battle that will prove whether the party has truly reconciled, learnt any lesson from its 2019 defeat and ready to reclaim the state in 2023 or not.
What makes the congresses more interesting and worrisome at the same time is the inordinate governorship ambition of most gladiators and power blocks within the party who all desperately want to flag the party gubernatorial ticket in 2023.
They are leaving nothing to chance to control the party structures in the state knowing fully that whoever carries the day in the congresses would have an easy ride and likely to emerge as the party flag bearer in 2023.
The gladiators and fears
Already so many political juggernauts as well as new breed politicians such as ex-governor, Bindow jibrilla, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Abdulaziz Nyako, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, Senator Elisha Abbo and young political turfs like Hon.Wafarnihi Therman, Alhaji Ahmadu Hamman (Dan maje Adamawa), Alhaji Ahmed Dollars have since indicated their interests to battle themselves for the gubernatorial ticket of APC in 2023 with the possibility of many others likely to join the race as time gradually ticks into general election year.
The fear in most quarters is that these congresses, coming at this time when so many contenders have already indicated interest to fly the party guber ticket in 2023, will spell doom and disaster to the party and its chances if not handled with caution, sacrifice and compromise.
Many Adamawa APC faithful still recall with regret the sad repercussions of putting selfish and personal interest above collective party interest in 2019 when ambitions of individuals and desperate politicians made the party to lose the state to Governor Umar Fintiri’s PDP.
Argument for and against Bilal’s exco
Now, the argument before Adamawa APC is whether to retain Ibrahim Bilal led state exco or replace them with new ones. However, party stakeholders are yet to find a common ground on this.
There is growing sharp divide on this with some calling for the retention of the current exco while others insist on replacing them with new faces ahead of 2023.
Those who are kicking against the retention of the current exco principally hinge their reason on the fact that under Bilal led exco, APC lost the state to Fintiri and other elective positions to PDP hence the need to bring new persons that can deliver the state to APC in 2023.
They also argued that the Bilal-led exco have overstayed their welcome in the affairs of the party, hence the need to bring new faces that will inject new ideas into the party.
Conversely, those who favour the retention of the Bilal-led exco faulted this argument and exonerated the exco from the 2019 defeat, stressing that it was caused by selfish political ambitions of most party critical stakeholders who did not see beyond their ambition in 2019, hence they worked against the party in the general election after losing the ticket to Bindow in their bid to teach him a bitter political lesson.
They also argued that despite APC loss in 2019, the party has succeeded to win state and National Assembly positions and achieved total reconciliation and has continued to wax stronger by the day under Bilal leadership.
Those who hold this view further argued that many prominent politicians in the state mostly from PDP and other opposition parties have been attracted in the APC. Such politicians as Senator Elisha Abbo, ex-governor Bala Ngillari, Senator Abdulaziz Nyako, Senator Grace Bent, Hon. Emmanuel Bello, among other high profile politicians who moved into the party, most of whom were instrumental to Fintiri’s victory hence the need to retain the exco.
According to them, apart from the exco’s commitment and roles in bringing the party back to life after losing the state in 2019 which has made it a party to beat today in the state to the disbelief of many pundits, Bilal leadership qualities, grassroot connection, experience in party administration and management have not only put him far ahead of those jostling to succeed him but will further brighten the chances of the party hence the need for all stakeholders to rally round the exco to continue with their good work of taking the party to victory in 2023.
One of those kicking against the retention of the present exco is Senator Elisha Ishiaku Abbo. In a media interview recently, Abbo rejected calls for the retention of the Bilal-led exco and threw his weight behind the composition of new exco.
He said, “We had Bilal in 2019 but Senator Bindow jibrilla, Hon. Adamu Kamale and Senator Binta Masi all lost election in the state and in his own local government of Michika under the leadership of Bilal.
“Many APC lawmakers were unable to return. I think it is high time we changed him and brought a more competent, agile and superficial party man who knows the politics of winning elections in Adamawa state. For me, if there is going to be any headway in our party, we must make clear changes in the party
“Bilal’s ineptitude made the entire APC officials in Michika local government together with its wards exco leave the party to PDP for him. We cannot continue to allow people like him to run the party if we want to reclaim the state in 2023”
On his part, another gubernatorial aspirant Alhaji Ahmadu Hamman (Dan maje Adamawa) threw his weight behind the retention of Bilal led exco if the party must avoid the mistakes of the past that led to the party’s downfall and take over the state in 2023.
Speaking in an interview he said,”Bilal-led leadership will lead the party to a victorious outing in 2023 because of his high political pedigree, acceptability, outstanding leadership and excellent records of service. If congresses are allowed to hold, there will be sharp divisions among contending forces and elements.
“Against that background mending the party to face the general elections will be difficult, more so, the exco were elected and sworn in for a 4-year tenure but they were stopped midway. If we were to be fair to them, we should uphold their tenure in consideration of the fact that, they were disbanded without serving out their terms.
“We are still smarting from our defeat in the last election the major reason for that defeat is that we went to elections sharply divided. Let us wholeheartedly endorse all the exco from wards, local governments and the state levels in order to avoid any rancour and ensure a peaceful transition, this will greatly enhance our chances.”
Warning against imposition
On his part, another APC gubernatorial hopeful Senator Abdulaziz Murtala Nyako warned against imposition of candidates in the forthcoming congresses, saying that there will be a great consequences if the party imposed candidates and instead called on all stakeholder’s to allow internal democracy to prevail if the party really wanted to reclaim the state in 2023.
“If you look at the figures presented by INEC in 2019 gubernatorial election, you will understand that APC will, insha Allahu, win the next election as the votes garnered by APC and ADC are in excess of votes garnered by PDP by well over 70,000 votes. If we come as a united front, am sure we will come out of the election victorious.
“I have absolute respect and confidence in Prof Maman Tahir, Nuhu Ribadu and Mai mala Buni who played major roles in our return to the party. One key demand we make is that justice, fair play and rule of law must be upheld and they all agreed. I have taken time to interrogate speculations of likely imposition but I found out that the claim is a mere rumour but I want to advise and warn against imposition of candidates in the forthcoming congresses, let’s internal democracy prevail because there will be grave consequences for the party if candidates were imposed”
A political group known as APC consensus group in a press statement in Yola signed by the spokesman, Abubakar Mahmud also throw their weight behind Bilal’s exco when the said.
“Who else is more capable than Bilal among those struggling to replace him? We need to realise that the work of a state chairman is not a tea-party especially when you are in opposition, it’s replete with so many intriguing issues. So it will be suicidal to put the leadership of the party at this time in the hands of an inexperienced politician. We have to scout for a man who has special interest on the party and is passionate about it and above all, has the capacity, experience to take the party to victory in 2023.
“Bilal embodies all these qualities and many more and his achievements are there even for a blind man to see. We are solidly behind him and will deliver him “
Summary of findings Investigations carried out by Blueprint revealed that most party members in the state seems to favour the retention of Bilal-led exco while those kicking against the idea are mostly those who have their eyes in the gubernatorial ticket of the party and their supporters who preferred new exco to enable them take over the party structures in the state ahead of 2023.
However, most analysts believe that putting the collective interest of the party above individuals’ ambitions is the surest way for the party to reclaim the state in 2023.
