APC and a broom’s incapacity to sweep internal impunity

The ruling party appears incapable of preventing internal impunity by checking the excesses of governors who want to, against the rules, establish individual fiefdoms in their domains.

The All Progressives Congress (APC)’s broom symbol is quite significant because it was very useful in mobilising the electorate to sweep the President Goodluck Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) out of power in the 2015 general elections.

To the APC, the broom is an instrument of removing unwanted filth that the PDP had been projected to mean in the consciousness of many Nigerians and a symbol of its pledge to clean the stable although many would argue to what extent the broom has been made to fulfill that promise in the public pace.

Two and half years after the broom succeeded in sweeping the PDP out of power, the APC, in the management of its internal structure, is yet to translate the essence of the symbol in cleaning itself of the spate of impunity that the former ruling party, which once had garrison commanders to whip its supporters to line, was known for.

From Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kogi, Rivers, Bayelsa, Lagos, Ogun, and even Osun, there are cries from aggrieved members of the APC who felt short-changed in the scheme of things as the party is increasingly finding it difficult to manage its success internally.

For instance, former Vice President and leader of the party, Atiku Abubakar has expressed reservations about the running of the party under the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun leadership.

In the same vein, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also a key leader of the party, who appears to have distanced himself from party administration in recent times, is not exempted from among those aggrieved with the running of the platform.

Atiku who is rumoured to be plotting an exit from the APC had been having a running battle with elements within the party close to President Muhammadu Buhari in both his home state of Adamawa and Abuja.

Citing the inability of the party to constitute key organs of like the Board of Trustees (BOT), convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Convention as stipulated by the party’s constitution, Atiku described the APC as not only undemocratic but a bullying party.

Although the party’s top echelon, which has put in place mechanism to hold a non-elective convention before the end of the year, blamed the absence of President Buhari for its inability to hold NEC meetings, there is a lot of disquiet that the leadership is losing grip.

Recent outcry by chieftains of the party in some state chapters has further heightened the fears that the APC is not really keen on purging itself of accusation of bullying and lawlessness that was once associated with the PDP which has re-launched itself in the country’s political landscape with last month’s resolution of its leadership crisis.

In fact, Rights Activist and Senator representing Kaduna Central District, Shehu Sani has warned that the APC could end up suffering the fate of the PDP if the perceived anomaly is not corrected before the 2019 general elections.

HOWEVER the APC appears to have woken from its slumber, as it is believed to be preparing to curb the culture of impunity across the 36 states of the federation.

Penultimate week, the Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee (NWC) gave assurance that it would take punitive action against whoever is found culpable of breaching the party’s constitution.

The party particularly bared its fangs against loyalists of some of its governors in states like Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos who were accused of flouting the party’s constitution.

Among the decisions were the nullification of the suspension of the party’s National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire who was accused by the local council branch in Mushin, Lagos of engaging in anti-party activities.

The decision actually pitted APC’s national spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi and Lagos chapter spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, against each other. While Igbokwe maintained that there was nothing wrong in the suspension of Banire who was accused of stepping on the toes of Tinubu, Abdullahi said the suspension was done in breach of the party’s constitution.

The party also went on by insisting that Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa should continue in office as the chairman of the Kano State chapter of the party despite the fact that a faction to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje opted for Abdullahi Abbas.

In a statement by Abdullahi, (APC spokesman), the party maintained that there was no iota of truth in the report of the removal of Doguwa, an ally of the immediate past governor of Kano State and Senator representing Kano Central District, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who has parted ways with Ganduje.

According to the party in the statement, “We wish to state that in respect of Kano, no such decision has been taken by the NWC. Although, we are aware of issues in the Kano State chapter, efforts to find lasting solutions to the problem are ongoing.

“In view of this, the status quo is maintained until the ongoing process is completed. Party members, stakeholders, leaders and indeed the general public are advised to disregard the false reports (that Doguwa has been removed).”

The party also blocked purported moves by Governor Yahaya Bello to sack the Hadi Ametou-led executive council of the Kogi State chapter of the party.

The decision was taken after chieftains of the party from Kogi, led by Senator Alex Kadiri and Dino Melaye, stormed the APC National Secretariat to register their anger after an online publication alleged that members of the NWC had been compromised with huge sums of money to do the bidding of Governor Bello.

Kadiri who spoke to reporters after his team met with members of the NWC behind closed doors, said it had been resolved that the executive of the APC at all levels in Kogi State will not be dissolved.

He argued that this was because there are procedures for the dissolution of party executives at the state and national levels that must be followed.

He said, “We also disabused our minds over the fact that people have accused some persons of moving funds from Kogi to Abuja. We do not have facts to give you on this. And the chairman has assured us that his hands are clean on this matter. We believe him.

“That the Tony Momoh led reconciliation committee has actually submitted its report and the report will be considered by the NWC at their meeting tomorrow. APC members in the state are anxiously waiting for the outcome of that report.

“It is that report that has made the leaders of APC to be calm and not to do anything that will disrupt the party. And it is not our intention to destroy this party. But we have always said this that politics is a game of interest and relevance.

“If your interest is not being protected and people do not find you relevant, then there’s no point being there. And we are satisfied with the position of the national chairman that he will never do anything to frustrate the leaders of the APC in Kogi State.”

And apparently heeding the demand of aggrieved chieftains of the party from Kaduna State, the party also promised to investigate reported cases of violence during the party’s state congresses to elect delegates for the planned national non-elective convention.

While noting that most of the state congresses were peaceful and conducted in compliance with the guidelines of the party, the APC particularly finds cases of violence in Rivers and Kaduna States quite disturbing.

Sani who accompanied Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and several other chieftains of the party, had in a petition demanded an outright cancellation of Kaduna delegates list.

The aggrieved group who accused Governor Nasir el-Rufai of high-handedness, comprises Alhaji Isa Ashiru, Alhaji Yaro Makama Rigachukwu, Alhaji Tijjani Ramadan, Mr. Matamaki Tom Maiyashi, Alhaji Idi Farouk, Hon. Husseni Dembo, Chief JD Ephraim, Hon. Ibrahim Bello Rigachukwu, Hon. Jibrin Adamu, Vice Admiral Ikwo Ibrahim (former Chief of Naval Staff), Hon. Auwal Gote, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed and the Acting State Chairman of the party, Danlami Wadi.

ALTHOUGH the party, from the above, appears to be challenging the impunity of some governors who want to take total control of the party for their own selfish politics, it is not yet clear whether the Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC is capable of wielding the big stick to check the leaders of the party at the state level.

An insider within the party described the recent measures to curb the governors as just mere academic exercises since the NWC is at the mercy of these highly influential chief executives who have been funding the party since the end of the 2015 poll.

Already, the decision by the NWC to align itself with Doguwa did not go down well with Ganduje who is said to be reaching out to fellow governors to explore avenues of cutting the NWC to size.

Bello who is said to be piqued by the party’s position has gone ahead to conduct Kogi’s delegates’ congresses where his loyalists expectedly cornered the three delegates seats per each of the twenty-one local councils of the state last week Saturday.

Incidentally, the trio of Ganduje, Bello and el-Rufai are part of the 24-member Restructuring Clarification Committee, mandated to collate views of various interest groups in the country on the burning issue that is listed in the party’s manifesto.

It is also left to be seen if the party leadership that is yet to turn in its findings could muster the courage to move against the governors who have now formed the integral part of the monthly regular joint APC NWC meetings that hold at the party secretariat in Abuja.