This is not the best of time for the ruling Nigerian political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party is now polarized beyond expectations as the two supporters of both former Vice President and Chairman of the APC Board of Trustees [BoT] Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and another National Leader and former Lagos State Governor Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu fight over the control of the party structure.
The polarization according to information scooped from party leaders became more visible and widening following revelations and counter accusation on the person of Atiku who was fingered by Tinubu’s loyalist as betraying the party. Atiku was accused of being behind the recent show of shame being put up by the APC lawmakers over the emergence of the un-supported Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and Honourable Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
These two major power blocs in the party are at daggers drawn over the soul of the ruling party,APC . The recent National Assembly leadership elections further polarised the party with the Atiku group having the upper hand as the two are hell bent in gain control over the party structure so that party decisions would always favour them. The two powerful blocs wanted their candidates to emerge principal officers of the National Assembly as it would automatically qualify their candidates to become members of the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) which is the highest decision arm of the party.
Atiku, it was learnt, never supported the NWC’s decison to conduct a mock election within the APC’s senators and House of Representatives members before the actual elections on the floor of both Houses. The mock election was Tinubu’s idea. Atiku then moved to hijack the process by supporting the Saraki and Dogara camp in order to reduce the influence of Tinubu on the party.
This is because most of the current members of the APC’s National Working Committee are Tinubu’s loyalists. Reports say the Tinubu camp have not given up on the fight to control the National Assembly as they are likely to spring a surprise in the days ahead. A member of the party’s NWC recently told a national paper that the brewing crisis is likely to divide the APC as the decisions of the NWC will be keenly contested by both camps.
The Atiku group is also said to be taking the battle to the ministerial nominees list as they have perfected plans to frustrate nominees from Tinubu’s camp. The member said, “It is obvious that with what happened on Tuesday at the National Assembly, two (dominant) power blocks have emerged in the party. “We hope to heal the wounds created by the contests, but there is mutual suspicion between the two groups.”
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesman, said, “Atiku did not orchestrate the emergence of the new leadership in the National Assembly and insinuating that amounts to nothing but political mischief, as he had refused to leave the party or work for the PDP even when the then President Jonathan was desperate for Atiku’s support.
“The visits of politicians and APC leaders including that of the Senate President are common political rituals in Atiku’s Asokoro residence. For the purposes of emphasis, the President has confidence in him and that explains why he had drafted him as an envoy of sorts in the race leading up to the emergence of a Nigerian President of African Development Bank.
Comments
Post a Comment