All Progressives Congress (APC) held its maiden National Convention as a party. New leaders were selected, but with it are intrigues, horse-trading that left many questions that desire answers. The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders can for now boast of having pulled off albeit successfully its maiden national convention. But the conduct and the processes failed to introduce anything new. It was not a marked difference to the old order of simple affirmation to select leaders. Notwithstanding, the hurdle was crossed irrespective of some manifest deficiencies in the method and in the preparations for the convention. There is no doubt that a few in the party will work out from the arena happy. That is to say that the days ahead would properly situate the party as one that has either wholly embraced democratic tendencies or a party that is merely a cheap of the old order. Yet, the party has come to stay ultimately. Before the convention, the party was seen as one that is headed to an uncertain destination from, which it may not return intact. There were intrigues and horse trading that raised questions of how cohesive its leaders can be in the face of aggregating
individual and group interest. True to speculation, cracks reportedly emerged over zoning and who and which group would ultimately control the soul of the party at the end of the convention. Such sublime considerations created cleavages and of course exposed APC as a party that is weaved around individuals from whose grip the party’s governors wants to loosen. The situation threw up choices that were backed by different groups. The belief was that whoever controls the chairmanship would decide who the party’s presidential standard bearer for 2015 election will be. Accordingly, the governors particularly the G5 governors (ex-PDP governors) were said to have insisted on producing the National Chairman in the person of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva and the secretary in the person of Malam Kashim Imam. This was even after cornering the convention committee and zoning out of some persons, especially former Interim Deputy Secretary of the party,
Nasir el-Rufai. Instructively, the candidates they pushed were all former chieftain of the PDP. Their insistence observers posit may have pitched them against the legacy parties that merged to form the APC before their coming. Perhaps, that could have solidified the alleged arguments of the legacy parties ably marshalled by former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. The pro-Tinubu camp which eventually prevailed at the convention had reportedly argued that it will be suicidal to allow the PDP elements to hijack the party ahead of the 2015 election. The truth is that the outcome of the
convention and the result has raised questions as to what further role will the likes of Senator Bukola Saraki and others play in the party? And again were the legacy parties suspicious of the real motive
of the G5 governors? In the same vein what is the fate of governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso?
He is being touted as the choice of the G5 governors as presidential candidate of the party in 2015.
Also will Tom Ikimi remain in APC, after what was seen as a clear rejection of his person and his aspiration? He was one of the few that mid-wifed the merger. Ikimi picked nomination form to contest the position of chairmanship, but he was not even given the honour of being mentioned
as one of the contestants at the convention. He was not also announced as having withdrawn from the race, thus raising doubts that the leaders of the party may have clobbered the Ishan man out, not to
even attend the convention. Instead the organisers announced that they were left with only one candidate after the withdrawal of Sylva from the race. The other questions are; Was the convention democratic? Why did the organisers not allow all aspirants to show and test their popularity? Is the north comfortable with the outcome? The ultimate downside of the convention is the signal that the young Turks in the party who are positioning to take a bold shot at the presidency, may not be accorded a level playing field at the primaries, not only at the presidential but also at other positions.
From the start of the convention, it became obvious that the party had settled for a consensus, particularly when there was no coordinated effort to control who enters the arena. Not only that, some states still protesting their state and ward congresses were virtually ignored. At a point, a free-for-all fight ensued between accreditation officers and some state delegates like Abia, Imo, Ogun, among others. But of all the complain, the night before that nomination forms were restricted and issued to already pencilled down candidates that eventually emerged. For instance, the new National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni, was not known of having picked nomination form. erstwhile Interim National Secretary, Tijani Tumsa as having been returned unopposed following to withdrawal of his only challenger, Malam Kashim Imam. Buni’s emergence as secretary it was learnt was engineered by his state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam. He had allegedly insisted that Buni was his choice notwithstanding that he was not in the ballot in the first place. The leadership of the party differed to
him, though it was said that Tumsa was prevailed upon to drop out by former Chairman, Akande.
Well, those were the teething problems often associated with a burgeoning party. The good news was that the convention has come and gone with its razzmatazz, yet more work need to be done to assure
Nigerians that a credible alternative party is around the corner.
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