Against all odds the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee conducted a smooth convention which produced new National Working Committee of the party. Therefore, committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state has made great achievements and rescued the party from an imminent collapse by charting a new course.
Despite the rancour free convention, the convention left unforgettable scars in the minds of one blocs of the legacy party, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC. Members of the CPC were for accorded undeserved reward and humiliation for their loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since the formation of the APC, two blocs of the legacy party -Action Congress of Nigeria and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) – had produced National Working Committee. Chief Bisi Akande National Chairman of the defunct ACN served as pioneer interim national chairman of the APC, In 2014 former Governor of Edo state, John Oyegun, emerged APC chairman from ANPP block and Adams Oshiomhole emerged as the national chairman from ACN.
Logically, ACN produced two chairmen while ANPP had one and CPC none. In fact, members of the defunct CPC are the worse treated since the APC was formed. Senator Tanko Al-Makura, a two-term governor of Nasarawa state years governor under defunct CPC, indicated interest to contest for chairman of the party. Some member of the party with a sense of history had also been working for the realisation of Al-Makura’s aspiration, thinking he does not only have competence and capacity, but also the moral right to aspire to the coveted office.
Before the convention, there were two separate lists of preferable candidates allegedly approved by President Buhari. One list had Adamu Abdullahi’s name and other Tanko Al-Makura but Abdullahi emerged as a consensus APC national chairman. while Al-Makura was ditched despite being the only equity that Buhari took to the negotiating table, to entitle the CPC partners to have a stake in the APC merger.
Days to the national convention, without any explanation or apology, Buhari woke up and chose a man from the same state and predecessor to Al-Makura; a man, who migrated from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2014, as his choice for APC chairman. This was done to the detriment of Al-Makura, a lone CPC governor.
More painful is the fact that Buhari contested the2011 presidential election on the platform of the CPC. Political and public analysts are of the view that had there not been an Al-Makura, President Buhari would not have been able to boast of any entitlement at all. Yet, he didn’t deem it fit to consider him for the office of the chairman of the governing party, knowing that the man desired to be in that office.
From many of the loyalists of the president to other stakeholders of the party, no one has been able to understand the factors that informed the decision of President Buhari to ditch Al-Makura – what a special reward for loyalty! An unusual reward for staying the cause and standing strong for the Buhari brand and ideals.Al-Makura and like minds will never forget the treatment meted to them by Baba Buhari.
Let we forget, there is confusion in the polity as two lawmakers are now occupying two elective positions following their emergence as national chairman and deputy national chairman (North) APC. Since their emergence as members of the NWC of the party tongues are wagging over their seats at the National Assembly. With regard to Section 183 of the Nigerian Constitution, they have a moral duty to quit. They need to toe the path of honour and resign from the red chamber, having been elected to the executive of the party.
Abba Dukawa,Kano [email protected]
