Split is a mild word to express the doom that will befall the All Progressives Congress (APC) if wise steps are not taken urgently to halt the final crash of the ruling party. At the moment, the real fear is saving APC from eternal dive. BODE OLAGOKE writes
After his controversial victory, Dr Bukola Saraki, Senate President has proved to be a master of intrigues this time around he chose to adopt a fence- mending approach by visiting some party leaders. Part of the moves was his meeting with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
However, his decision to visit Obasanjo and not Tinubu is interpreted as extremely political and strategic. Blueprint sources said that the goal of meetings was to set agenda for the Saraki and to ensure the party embraces him despite his alleged insubordination. According to the source, the meeting also centred on how to handle some sensitive issues at the National Assembly.
Obasanjo, according to the source, suggested some way out on the logjam and how to be a successful Senate President. But there is fear that the party leadership might not have forgiven Saraki completely despite its statement of pardon issued recently.
The visit of Saraki to Obasanjo aside being suspicious, knowing public perception of Obasanjo it is doubtful if the APC will allow Saraki operate air of authority of a senate president. Similarly, Saraki does not cut the personality of puppet. These make both positions hardliners. Predictably, such antecedents usually make matter worse rather than soften it. Worse still, just when things appeared to be looking up, at least in public estimation, National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun declares that the “civil war in the party has ended”, but the party would be happy if Ekweremadu resigns, fuelling, what pundits called an invitation to intra- party bickering.
Oyegun, during an appearance on Channels television ‘Roadmap 2015,’ called on Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu to resign and make the party happy. He said ‘’If he wants to resign, we would be very glad, but for now, as at today, our mission is to get the senate settled to get them at work. We are in charge; we are in control. There’s no question about that.
A familiar scenario played out at the weekend, Senators Ahmed Sani-Yerima and Danjuma Goje, who spoke with journalists in Abuja declared that the plans by the leadership of the APC to fill the remaining four principal-officer positions with ranking members of the Senate Unity Forum was totally unacceptable.
The Senators Unity Forum consists of loyalists of Lawan, who lost the Senate Presidency bid to Saraki. It was gathered that the APC leadership had allegedly been trying to arrange Lawan as the Senate leader and Senator George Akume as his deputy. The pro-Lawan group, which has the backing of former Gov. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was also said to have picked Professor Olusola Adeyeye (Osun) as the Senate Chief Whip, while Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State would be his deputy.
On his own, Senator Sani-Yerima, a former Senate Deputy Minority Leader, and Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, insisted that the pro-Saraki like Minds senators would resist imposition of principal officers on the chamber. Sani-Yerima maintained that the election of the four principal officers was the exclusive right of the zonal caucuses in the Senate. He said the move by the APC leadership was illegal, adding that “there can never be imposition of candidates on the chamber by the party leadership” He said, “As far as I’m concerned, the party cannot impose leadership on us.
It is unconstitutional and against the rules of the Senate. However spokesperson for the pro-Lawan senators, Kabir Marafa, described the argument of the pro-Saraki senators as incorrect and argued that the choice of other principal officers who are not elected on the floor of the Senate remained the sole business of the party leadership.
He said, “It is not possible for the executive of the party at the zonal levels to determine who will be made the Senate Leader, the Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, and the Deputy Chief Whip.
It has never happened and it won’t happen this time around. “The party executive must determine all the occupants of the four principal offices. The party will write the Senate President. That is the tradition. It cannot be done at the zonal level. We must follow due process.”
Another source of bitter feeling for the APC Blueprint learnt is the Ekweremadu’s dimension to the issue. According to Oyegun ‘ The aspect of an Ekweremadu may be an aggravation, but we have to continue to work until things resolve themselves and things would resolve themselves’’. ‘’We want to do it in such a way that at the end of four years, most Nigerians would say thank God we voted APC , thank God we voted Buhari.
The civil war in the party has ended”. Though the PDP has vowed that it would ensure Ekweremadu served out his term and challenged the APC to face reality and get on with the business of governance rather than crying over spilt milk, there was no sign to confirm Oyegun’s view that the civil war in his party had ceased. In fact he has fueled it by his declaration. As if their plot has produced the desired fruit, while the PDP rejoiced over the development, APC remains divided.
As Blueprint checks proved while emerging from the meeting, both Obasanjo and Saraki laughed as they whispered to each other. Expectedly, none of the parties (Obasanjo and Saraki) wanted to divulge the details of the meeting, which began at 9:10am immediately after the Senate President, arrived the palatial home of the former President and ended 11:10 am. But, there were some activities that took place prior to the secret meeting.
The visit, attended by only members of New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and some senators loyal to Saraki added credence to the insinuation that the nPDP was plotting big in the event the APC fails to resolve its crisis. Meanwhile, all eyes are on the party it forge ahead and consolidate on its electoral fortunes.