Alleged candidate imposition: Four notable APC Govs to decamp
…There must be level playing field for all contestants — official
…Party must avoid repeating political mistake of PDP — Stakeholders
…Buhari, 19 governors behind removal of Buni — El-Rufai
By Our Correspondents
Six notable Governors are gearing towards decamping from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the opposition party over what they called imposition of candidate on members of the Party, noting that all contestants must be given a fair chance of contesting, Nigerian NewsDirect reports.
A very credible source in the party who spoke with our Correspondents in confidence said other chairmanship aspirants of All Progressives Congress APC) have united to dump the party.
Speaking further with Nigerian NewsDirect, he said that there must be a level-playing ground for all contestants for the position to ensure equity, fairness and transparency in the internal democratic processes of the party.
Investigation by Nigerian NewsDirect further showed that “the majority of the aspirants to the National Chairmanship position of the party such as Hon. Abdulazeez Yari, who is a former Executive Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Tanko Umar Almakura, the immediate past Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, also a former Executive Governor Of Borno State, amongst significant others are all very influential stakeholders in the APC and united in saving the party from the brink of possible collapse or destruction over a likely wrong imposition of a candidate.”
Meanwhile, critical stakeholders in the ruling the party who spoke with Nigerian NewsDirect have, however, “warned against the likelihood of having a re-enactment of the 2015 Eagle Square – Decamping Drama, during which about 7 PDP Executive Governors, staged a walk-out from the convention arena.
“The outcome of that experience, whose processes, emboldened APC’s defeat of the PDP at the secondary election.”
Another source at the APC National Secretariat Headquarters said, “We have to always have a tie-back to history in whatever we do as individuals who are products of the larger society and in this instance, members of the our great party, the APC.
“In what looked like a simple issue that the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration ignored and gave little or no attention to. It was most shocking and surprising to later note that what former President Jonathan’s party could not pay attention to and waved off nonchalantly later became a huge political experience that largely contributed to the electoral defeat of the then ruling party,” the source added.
He continued, “In other words, we should learn from history and avoid seemingly innocuous mistakes that have huge potentials for creating a dangerous pathway for the fall of the APC ahead of the February 26, 2023 Presidential & General Polls.”
Delving further into the cracks in the ruling Party, another competent source at the APC headquarters, Wuse II, Abuja, explained that, “With the dramatic twist in the Acting National Chairmanship of the party, now given to Abubakar Sani Bello, the Executive Governor of Niger State, the stage is now set for greater drama in what happens within the party before the convention date slated for March 26, 2022, all things being equal without any further change in the scheduled Convention.”
Recall that power tussle has seen Governor Sani Bello take over the leadership of the party from the erstwhile Caretaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni.
Buni was removed and Bello appointed in his place.
The Niger State Governor stormed the party’s national secretariat and parked his vehicle at the space reserved only for the Chairman, a development which generated speculations of possible takeover of Buni’s role in the party.
Governor Bello, who presided over the meeting of the APC CECPC and state Chairmen of the party, also administered the oath of office on the elected State Chairmen after a meeting with members of the interim committee.
It was gathered that the Buni-led interim national leadership of the party presented certificate of return to the Chairmen-Elect of the party across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in February without administering oath on them.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Bello explained that he has been acting as the chairman of the party since Governor Buni travelled out of the country.
Buhari, 19 governors behind removal of Buni — El-Rufai
In a related development, the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday, has revealed those behind the removal of Mai Mala Buni, disclosing that the President with the support of 19 Governors were behind the removal of the erstwhile Caretaker Chairman.
He further stated that Buni would not return as the caretaker chairman of the party as Bello has the support of President Buhari.
He further stated that if Nigerians reflect deeply and compare the ruling party with other political parties, APC remains a better choice.
El-Rufai stated this during an interview on Channels Tv on Wednesday.
He further stated that the APC will win the presidential election in 2023, as well as the majority of the governorship election.
El-Rufai said, “I think Nigerians expect much more than we have done but if Nigerians reflect deeply and compare with the other party, we are still a better choice
“I believe that in 2023, the APC is going to win the presidential election as well as the majority of the governorship elections.”
This is coming at a time the ruling party is having leadership issues, which has seen some throw their weight behind the Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, while others insist Mai Mala Buni remains the caretaker chairman of the party.
