Bode Olagoke
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) following its just concluded convention took another dimension yesterday as most of the aggrieved leaders of the party refused to attend the inauguration of the new National Executive Council (NEC).
The notable absentees included a former governor of Borno state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, and former foreign affairs minister Chief Tom Ikimi.
It had been rumoured that Sheriff and Ikimi planned to defect to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of grievances that arose from the election of the new NEC.
Ikimi had picked a form to contest the chairmanship of the APC but could not be seen at the convention, which sources attributed to pressure from other APC leaders to drop his ambition.
Also, Blueprint saw Amaechi storming out of the convention venue due to what party members called his dissatisfaction with the choice of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as national chairman.
Meanwhile, a political associate and the immediate past interim national vice chairman (North-east) of the APC, Dr. Umar Duhu, has accused two leaders of the party, former Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and former Lagos state governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of hounding him out of the race for party’s national working committee (NWC) membership.
In a statement he personally signed and issued to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Duhu alleged that the duo schemed him out of the race because he was an associate of Sheriff.
“I was the only candidate standing and cleared by the screening committee, but Bitrus Lawal’s name was smuggled in by Buhari,” Duhu said. “Buhari and Tinubu witch-hunted me not because I am not capable, but they said because of my close association with Sen. (Dr.) Ali Modu Sheriff.
“What wrong has Sen. Sheriff done to Buhari? After Sheriff had assisted Buhari severally in the ANPP days to secure the presidential ticket?
“Is this the way Buhari will want to be the president of Nigeria with this unfair and fraudulent act of subverting other people’s political aspirations?
“Since after this charade called convention, I came to the conclusion that Buhari will never make a good president for this country.”
He added that Buhari’s association with Tinubu, whom he described as the “most fraudulent politician”, would weaken him rather than promote him.
He said: “Both Bitrus Lawal and myself were supposed to be his children and he should not have segregated. I and many others denied victory by fraudulent means will see how Lawal will garner votes for Buhari in the North and North-east in particular.”
Duhu said if Buhari’s “gang-up” with Tinubu was to actualise the proposed Muslim-Muslim ticket, the APC should better wind up and forget winning election in 2015, adding that 2015 is the chance of the North-east to produce the president of this country.