By Lateef Adegbite
The die appear to have been cast between the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the other independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, registered 16 political parties for the 2023 Presidential elections.
The Leadership of the APC, are not bothered that Kingsley moghalu, a former Deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has emerged the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Presidential Candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano tate as the New Nigerian Peoples’ Party, NNPP, Candidate while Adewale Adebayo, a business mongul, was the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Presidential Candidate, and Ardo Ibrahim, the Young Progressive Party, YPP, flag bearer but more concerned about who emerges as the rival PDP Presidential Candidate.
It is not surprising why Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa state led National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC, with the support of the President Muhammadu Buhari, is footdragging in holding the party special Convention to elect its Presidential Candidate for the 2023, general elections.
Recall that Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa state led APC, National Working Committee, NWC, had fixed Sunday May 29, for its special Convention to beat the INEC, deadline of June 1st, to elect its Presidential Candidate, for the 203, general elections.
The Electoral Umpire under the close watch of Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor, had given the political parties Leadership at various meetings the impression that it will not extend the deadline for the party primaries and submission of elected of the list of elected Candidates for the 2023 general elections to the Commission. This may have forced the PDP and some other registered parties to hastily conduct their primaries to elect their parties Candidates for the various elective offices.
Many believe that the Leadership of the Electoral Umpire may have seen that the leading Opposition Party, PDP, had fixed Saturday, May 28, 2022, and Sunday, May 29, 2022, to convey its Special Convention to conduct it Presidential primaries, that it extended the deadline for the exercise and submission of the list of elected Candidates for the 2023 elections, from June 4th to June 9th 2022, which the PDP, did not find funny. The APC waiting game appears to be over as the APC leadership have taken advantage of the INEC extended deadline to fix, June 6, 2022, for the party Presidential primaries to elect the flag bearer for the 2023, general elections.
They may have watched how Mohammed Hayatudeen, a former Deputy governor of CBN, withdrew from the Presidential race and urged his supporters ‘’to vote for Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President, during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration, who had contested the 2019, Presidential election on the ticket of the PD, but lost to Buhari.
Perhaps, to ensure that the PDP Electoral Committee organise a hitch –free Presidential primary, where money would not play a dominant role in the emergence of the party Presidential Candidate, may have informed why the Economic and Financial , Crimes Commission, EFCC, under the close watch of Abdulrahedd Bawa’s men, had stormed the PDP, Presidential primary ground unannounced to monitor the conduct of the primary.
The APC Leadership may have been encouraged to do a rethink in the conduct of its Presidential primaries its from the PDP, with the withdrawal of Aminu Tambuwal, a former Speaker of House of Representatives and governor of Sokoto state, believed to be a top contender for the PDP presidential ticket to pave the way for Atiku, instead of Nyenson Wike, governor of Rivers state, and his political ally. The Sokoto state governor, may have stepped down for Atiku after’’ due consultations’’, in what Reno Omokri, a former Aide , of former Presidentt Goodluck Jonathamn had described as a show of ‘’northern solidarity
Tambunwal’s withdrawal from the PDP Presidential race was a master stroke and a big blow to Wike, who may have learnt first lesson from northern politicians. Reno Omokri, Aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan had described Tambuwal’s action as ‘’northern solidarity’’, show of Love and unity of northern politicians’’.
This may have given the former Nigerian Vice President, had an edge over Wike, who was very optimistic of winning the PDP Presidential ticket. Atiku, who had been described as a party Elder by the Rivers state governor, while appearing on Channels Television, by Wike, had polled 371 votes, during the PDP primaries to the Rivers state governor’s 237 votes and Bukola Saraki, a one-time Senate President, and former governor of Kwara state’s 70 votes, out of the 700 registered delegates, accredited to vote at the Moshood .K. Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, amidst tight security, provided by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and other security agencies to avoid a breakdown of Law and Order.
Atiku, who had secured the highest number of delegates votes was said to have been declared the party flag bearer for the 2023, general elections, and given the party flag, which was a symbol of Authority. Omokri, who could not hide his feelings had said that if the southern politicians could not learn anything from the genuine brotherly love and unity displayed by the northern politicians in the PDP primary’’, they would never learn again. There are those who believe that the Sokoto state governor had played along with his Rivers Counterpart to pay him back in his own coin. Wike was said to have supported Atiku, in the 2019, PDP, presidential primary against Tanbunwal.
The northern solidarity may have informed why Senator Sam Ohuabunwa, Diana Oliver, the only PDP, presidential aspirant, including Pius Ayim a former Secretary to the government of the Federation, during former President Jonathan’s Administration and Emmanuel Udom, a Banker and governor of Akwa Ibom state, could not make any appreciable impact in the PDP primary. Mrs. Oliver, and Ohuabunwa, had polled one vote each, while Ayim, from the south east of Eboyi, secured 14 votes to Governor Udom’s 38 vote votes. Senator Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, north east geopolitical region, may have lost out in the PDPD primary because of the towering image of Atiku. He had polled 20 votes.
Peter Obi, the former Anambra state governor, may have read the handwriting on the wall about the northern solidarity and that it would affect his chances of being elected the party flag bearer that he withdrew from the Race, three days ahead of the Presidential primary, dumped PDP and joined the Labour Party, LP, where he would have little or no opposition to clinch the Party Presidential Ticket to test his popularity for the 2023, general elections. He may not have participated in the PDP Presidential primaries, but he has congratulated Atiku, for winning the PDP Presidential ticket in the keenly contest election.
The emergence of Atiku, the Adamawa state born politician, as the PDP, flag bearer, may have emboldened the Adamu led APC, NWC, to encourage the party Presidential aspirants to make deals to ensure a smooth conduct of the primaries without the aggrieved Candidates heading to Court to challenge the result of the primary.
. There are indications that a powerful group within the Presidency and party Leadership, are working on Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state and Chairman, Nigerian Governor’s Forum, NGF, Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state and one one -time National Chairman of the APC, and some other Presidential aspirants, to step down for Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, described as the only APC aspirant that can match Atiku, naira for naira.
A party source told The Value News that the duo, who are regarded in political circles , as Tinubu’s godsons , are already giving consideration to the requests despite being pushed by another set of cabals in the party from the north to resist the pressure.
They would want the Vice president, particular, to follow the footstep of Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state and minister of Transportation and Godswell Akpabio, a former minister of ministry of Niger Delta and one time governor of Akwa Ibom state, who are not ready to step down for any other aspirant, after paying N100 million fee, each to purchase the party Presidential nomination forms to go ahead and contest the primaries.
. It is not surprising why political analysts see the APC Presidential primary as going to be a replay of what happened in the PDP primaries, where Atiku had won, other aspirants, convincingly. Mohammed Badru Abubakar, governor of Jigawa state, may havegladdened Tinubu, the APC, National Leader’s heart whe he satte was in the state to woo the delegates for their votes that he knows that the Katsina state born Nigerian President would want to hand over to his friend, referring to the former Lagos state governor, after the 2023, general elections.
There is no gain saying the fact that the 2023, general elections, would be a direct contest between Atiku, who says he wants’’to save the Nigeria from the misrule of the APC which had dragged the country economical backwards over the last seven years and bring about fundamental changes’’ and Tinubu, who has promised’’ to reclaim the nation’s glorious past’’.
