By Emmanuel Aziken, Charles Kumolu & Gbenga Oke
IT is decision day for Nigeria’s largest opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC as party faithful troop out today to decide on who would fly the party’s flag in 30 states where governorship elections would hold next February.

Given the trend towards imposition and consensus that once pervaded in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN many would have been taken aback with the stiff competition for nomination that translated in some cases into bloodletting in Lagos yesterday.

The culture of imposition which came from the ACN is, however, not totally missing especially in states where first term governors are seeking re-election. With the particular exception of Lagos where the outgoing governor, Babatunde Fashola is politically challenged by the dominance of his own predecessor, the other outgoing governors in Kano and Sokoto have literally imposed their chosen successors on the party.

In Lagos, Governor Fashola is now believed to be aligned towards one of his political associates and fellow lawyer, Olasupo Shasore against the alleged inclination of his own political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards Akinwunmi Ambode.

Fierce primaries

Besides Lagos where the competition is fierce, other states facing fierce primaries today are Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Niger and Adamawa where there is keen competition for the party’s governorship ticket.

The prospects for the party in Delta State were blighted with the death last year of the beloved Senator Pius Ehwerido, a development that seemingly turned the party into an orphan status in the state.

Attempts by some others to take advantage of the absence of the unifying figure of Ehwerido have been largely unfruitful and it is no surprise that the party is going into the main election divided along three major lines. One tendency is led by the leaders of the defunct ACN with such father figures as Senator Francis Okpozo, ret. DIG Ugbojah and Ms Temi Harriman, another is led by Otega Emerhor and yet another has Chief Adolor Ototie-Eboh.

The situation in Imo State is, however, most extraordinary given the general quietness that has pervaded the issue of a successor for Governor Rochas Okorocha who has put his hat into the presidential fray. As at press time no one had indicated interest in the party’s gubernatorial ticket a situation that has led to assumptions that Okorocha would return to it after his presidential razzmatazz

In Sokoto State what was expected to be a smooth ride for Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives has lately received some bumps with the decision of two party men to challenge him. Senator Dahiru Umar who has spent three terms in the Senate is the most formidable challenger. He is said to have entered into the race after he initially got word from the speaker that he would not be contesting the governorship. Dahiru it was learnt has decided to go the full hog.

The third contestant is Barrister Abubakar Sayinna. Given the full backing of Governor Aliyu Wamakko for Speaker Tambuwal the latter is expected to emerge today.

CORONATION

Today’s exercise is expected to be a coronation of sorts in Ogun, Oyo, Borno, Nassarawa, Yobe, Kwara, States.

What would have been a challenge to Governor Ibikunle Amosun in the shape of the opposition from supporters of Aremo Olusegun Osoba within the party has been eviscerated with the decision of the former governor of the state to seek alternative political platform.

Similarly, Governor Abiola Ajimobi got his liberty to take the ticket after his rivals including the two APC senators left the party for him. They have gone outside the party to wage their battle against Ajimobi’s second term aspiration.

Second term aspiration

It is also expected to be a coronation exercise in Port-Harcourt today following the public endorsement of the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Petroleum, Downstream, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, by the state chapter of the party. The endorsement put a wedge to the ambitions of Senator Magnus Abe who was his major challenger for the office.

Abe who has accepted his loss with philosophical equanimity has, however, demanded a public apology from the publicity secretary of the party in the state who reportedly claimed that Peterside was chosen based on his integrity and other silent qualities. It was a remark that got Abe spinning as he claimed at a meeting of stakeholders from his senatorial district that the remark impugned his integrity as it sought to portray that he lost out because of lack of integrity.

Given the keen contest between the two camps for the ticket, party stakeholders would have to manage every sensibility towards ensuring that the party goes on as a united body in confronting the PDP in the main election.

Lagos: Boldest rebellion against Tinubu

It is perhaps the boldest rebellion against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but the former Lagos helmsman is undoubtedly taking it in his strides. Having poured out financial resources and energy towards keeping Lagos safe in the party albeit, in his own hands, Tinubu goes into the contest with a determination to preserve his reputation and image. The savvy politician it was learned has been reaching out to political stakeholders to support Ambode and calling on them by phone and through meetings.

Monday night Tinubu hosted party executives and stakeholders with a prompting to them not to let him down. The efforts were despite the fact that the structure of the party are fully in his hands.

Despite insinuations that Governor Fashola is backing Shasore, not much of the effect has been noticed on ground. In some of the local government areas, the nearest to the presence of Ambode is Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

“Where Fashola missed it was during the ward elections when he should have put his people there, he should have been the one that Tinubu would have been talking to for support, but now he cannot do it,” a party stakeholder in Amuwo Odofin confided in Vanguard ahead of today’s primaries.

Those opposed to Ambode and in effect Tinubu in a strategic move last Monday wrote the party’s national leadership asking that the nomination be conducted through direct primaries instead of the delegate or indirect primaries as proposed. Their reason is that the use of the 35 local Council Development Areas, LCDAs in the emergence of the delegates would violate the constitution of the country and as such could attract legal issues.

However, their demand is something that as at press time had not been answered and would not likely be answered given the fact that it is the only means by which the anti-Ambode forces could get at him.


Source: Vanguard