Who should lead the APC?

Come March 26, 2022, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold its long-awaited national convention.

The convention was initially proposed to hold on February 26, 2026, but was later moved to a new date following horse-trading that almost derailed the party.

Since 2014 when APC was formed through a merger of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) led by Ogbonnaya Onu, a faction of All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA) led by former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kawu Baraje, the ruling party has never had an elected national chairman.

Instead, its national chairman, starting from the Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Adams Oshiomhole and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala-Buni, who now holds forth as the chairman Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), have all emerged through a consensus arrangement.

The ruling APC has its work well cut for it ahead of the convention to pick its next national leaders.

The circumstances that culminated in the ouster of its former leadership makes it, more than ever before, in need of a fresh wave of guidance to set the party on the right footing as it hopes for successes in coming elections.

Political watchers have said that among the contenders, a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, former Governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, Senator representing Niger East, Senator Sani Musa, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, and Mallam Salihu Mustapha, a person without any corrupt charge hanging on his neck should emerge the chairman of the party.

Yari
But for Yari, it is said that it will be strange for the former governor of Zamfara to lead the party due to the corruption charges hanging on his neck.

In April 2021, Yari who was for a long time under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s searchlight over his handling of proceeds of Paris Club refunds, since at least 2017, faced another round of interrogation by the EFCC, barely two months after he faced several hours of questioning by the agency’s operatives over corruption allegation in February 2021.

Yari, shortly before his exit as the NGF chairman in May 2019, had issued a letter of “Indemnity and No Objection” approving the deduction of the humongous amount of funds from the allocations of the states.

In a court document filed in 2017, EFCC stated that it received intelligence in January 2017 alleging conspiracy, criminal misappropriation of public funds involving the sum of N19,439,225,871.11 out of the Paris Club refunds made by the Federal Government in favour of the 36 states of the federation.

The commission had in the court filing, sought an order of forfeiture of N500 million and $500,000 allegedly recovered from Yari.

Akume
Last year, the Benue Coalition for Democracy and Benue Youth Forum called on the EFCC to probe the minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs.

The petition followed calls by the Benue State government on anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute Akume, a former governor, over allegations of N4.56 billion fraud.

Musa
Musa’s interest in the leadership of the APC came as a surprise to many who think he is brilliant legislator and should continue to make his contribution to nation-building at that level of participation. His response may not be satisfactory to all, but he is convinced that the APC national chairmanship is where he needs to be next in his political career.

The aspirant has not been accused of any corruption, and many have concluded that the President, Muhamadu Buhari if he truly wants the party to outlive him will have to support the Minna born politician.

Before he was elected a Senator, Musa worked in the public and private sector, and have been a leader in the APC since 2014 and served as a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) from 2019 to date.

As a serving Senator and Chairman Committee on Senate Services, he has also served his people well and it has been an amazing experience.

And of the chairmanship hopefuls of the ruling party, Musa, cuts this figure best.

With no ongoing litigation, no past history of corruption allegations, no records of anti-party record, he is clearly the soothing balm the APC needs to assuage the bulging boil around the party’s head.

Adamu
Seventy-six years old Abdullahi Adamu was a two-term governor of Nasarawa State from 1999-2007. Adamu is a current member of the ninth assembly.

The septuagenarian made the EFCC list in March 2010 and his case ranked among the high profile corruption cases. His name also features in the United States Department of Justice profile of top 16 nationally prominent political figures charged under Farida Waziri, a former EFCC Chairman.

Al-Makura
In 2021, the former Governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura was arrested and interrogated at the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja.