Trouble Hits APC Over Political Power

 

Despite its growing acceptability within the country’s political circle, all appears not to be well in the house of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a crisis over power sharing and control is brewing in the party.

When contacted, the Director of Press to Kano State governor, Baba Dantiye, said fears about Kwankwaso’s commitment to working with other leaders were misplaced. In his words: 

“His only concern is the salvation of this country. It is not about his interest; he is committed but it will be unfortunate if they feel that way even before the committee starts its work. His Excellency has an open mind and is ready to work with everybody.”

Investigation by PUNCH showed that some of the 5 governors, who defected to the APC from the PDP were locked in a supremacy battle with some leaders of the three political parties that merged to form the APC.
The parties that merged to form APC are the Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change.

To forestall problem, however, the party has set up reconciliation committees in some of the affected states.

The governors who left the PDP for the APC, included Dr. Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Muritala Nyako (Adamawa); Abdufatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).

The tussle for power in states controlled by the fast-growing APC is mainly between the governors and those who are against their total control of the state party structure.

It was learnt that the problem had manifested in Kwara, Kano, Sokoto and Adamawa states among others.

The defected PDP governors that are said to be engaged in power struggle with old APC members include Nyako, Kwankanso, Wamakko and Ahmed. As for Amaechi, he is total control in Rivers State.

In Kwara State for instance, members of the parties that merged to form the APC have described the leader of the PDP defectors, Senator Bukola Saraki, as someone who loves a one man show. Saraki is the political godfather of the state governor.

A former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Belgore, is the leader of the APC members opposed to Saraki’s take-over of the party, and this is expected.

A member of the Dele Belgore group, Rev. Bunmi Olusona, said in a statement titled: “Issues before the John Oyegun mediation committee,” Olusona stated, “We aver that we do not need Bukola Saraki to win elections in Kwara. In fact, the coming of Bukola Saraki is a huge burden on the Kwara APC.

“We now have a daunting task of convincing Kwarans that we remain a part of their hope for change.”

Funny enough, these same people lost Kwara State to Bukola Saraki in the 2011 elections.

Anyway, Mr Yemi Afoloyan, a former state Secretary of the Saraki-led PDP faction, in a chat with PUNCH  said claims that Saraki was a despot were untrue.

He described Saraki as a grass-roots political leader, who stepped into the shoes of his revered father, the late Chief Olusola Saraki. 

Yemi Afolayan said: “One of the best things for Kwarans and the APC in the state is the handing over of the APC’s structure to Saraki. We have the election winning machinery and we win and deliver wherever we go. We have come to the APC with an election-winning machinery and we are sure the machinery will not fail.

“It will deliver anytime. Saraki has not said he is going to the APC to take over everything. He believes in egalitarian society. The door is open for integration of all the stakeholders and shades of opinions.

“What is paramount in the mind of our leader, is the continued transformation and development of our dear State of Harmony.”

In an attempt to douse growing tension between supporters of the Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau-led former ANPP members and the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the national headquarters of the party has set up a reconciliation committee headed by the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari.

Yari and Masari were given the task of drawing up a workable arrangement to accommodate both leaders and their followers, and to prepare the ground for the party’s mobilisation.

Masari and others will also help to resolve the crisis in Sokoto State.

It was also learnt that there is a tussle between Governor Nyako and a former governorship candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in Adamawa State, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa.

But Marwa has expressed confidence that the national leaders are dealing with the challenge. 

In a short message to Punch, he said, “These teething problems will come up but I am aware that the national hierarchy of the party is attending to the issues and hopefully, will be resolved very soon. APC stands for internal democracy any day.”

In his reaction to the issues, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, said the apprehension among some people was understandable but added that all issues will be resolved.

Below are Mr Rotimi Fashakin's words:

“All these apprehensions will be taken care of. We understand the apprehension of people but we are going to make sure there is real equality and that no person is unduly marginalised in the scheme of things because we must build a party where opportunities for all abound.”