Leadership APC: A Popular Party Haunted By Fear Of Candidates’ Imposition Olaolu Oladipo — March 9, 2014 No doubt, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a popular party in the South West. For some time now, it has tested and proven to all that the imposition of candidates on members is a veritable way of ensuring success at the polls. OLAOLU OLADIPO in this piece looks at the challenges this time tested format will pose to the fortunes of the APC ahead of the 2015 polls. The dominant political party in the South West geo-political zone is no doubt the ruling platform, All Progressives Congress (APC). Being an offshoot of the late Obafemi Awolowo political school of thought that has as its cardinal point, delivery of welfare programmes to the teeming members of the public in its catchment area. For the uninformed, Awolowo was the dominant figure in the politics of South West and by extension, Nigeria in the First and Second Republics. While alive, the two parties, which he presided over, i.e Action Group and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) both espoused complete development of the human personality as their core objective. The five cardinal point of the old AG was Free Education, Free Health Services, Integrated Rural Development, Gainful Employment. All actions, policies and programmes of governments elected on the platform of the Awolowo led platform were all tailored towards the attainment of the above objectives. The successes recorded by the governments in the past, especially in the area of free education, where millions of citizens of the area secured mass education have continued to endear the people of the region who find it easy to connect with anybody who espouses the philosophy. With the coming of the current Fourth Republic, it was easy for the people of the South West to locate and relate with the then Alliance for Democracy (AD). Apart from the fact that the main promoters of the then fledging party were known as apostles of the late sage; leading lights of the new party were members of the pro-democracy group National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). Coming out of the struggle for the enthronment of the democratic order, the commanded the respect of the broad segments of the society in the region thus the AD won overwhelmingly in the zone in spite of the limited time it had to come on board. Owing to the paucity of time, the leading lights had to rely on the old method of picking candidates on consensus. In the end, a new crop of leadership emerged from the vestiges of the old order, prominent among whom is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was elected the governor of Lagos State. Owing to the numerous contradiction within, the old AD lost grounds to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003. Rising from the pangs of defeat, Tinubu soon quickly re-orgainse the Awolowo House political order, with the Awoists garnering five out of the six states in the region with the exception of Ondo now under the control of the Labour Party (LP). Since his efforts to reclaim the region from the INTEGRATIONISTS, the politics of the undisputed leader has been under close scrutiny. While some credit him for his organisational and mobilisational skills, his critics have never shied away from accusing him of relying more on imposing candidates for the political offices on the party, they (the critics) are of the believe that such actions run contrary to the believe and philosophy of possessing democratic credentials being espoused by the AWOISTS. Commenting on the continued scourge of imposition in the party, a highly placed member, who pleaded not to be mentioned, as “I am not supposed to talk on behalf of the party” said the policy had served the party well, the APC like the others before it. Though the source, a member of the interim state executive council of the APC “Asiwaju has done well with the imposition of candidates. Whenever we confront him on the imposition, he use to tell us that though primaries might be good and democratic, it usually leaves bad blood which might not heal before elections.” According to him, “He (Tinubu) use to tell us that when we dissipate so much energies fighting ourselves, what do we have left to confront our political enemies?” Anyway, the new platform; the APC has provided a new vista of hope to the young and ambitious politicians in the zone who are daily trooping in into the party to vent their aspirations. In virtually all the states, new crop of politicians are emerging to challenge office holders to a space in the already saturated political terrain. For instance, in Lagos, the immediate catchment area of Tinubu, the next few months will provide a new scenario in the ever dynamic political landscape of the state ahead of the polls scheduled for February. Known and relatively unknown faces are daily putting themselves forward to lead the state and replace the incumbent whose tenure is expected to lapse next year. So far, seven eminently qualified citizens are set to be jostling for the ticket of the party. One of the relatively unknown personalities is Akin Ambode a retired civil servant who retired as accountant general of the state. He left the service not long ago. Another dark horse in the race is Hakeem Muri-Okunola who is in charge of the Land Office. Those already established in the political filament of the state include the current speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, two serving senators, Ganiyu Solomon and Gbenga Ashafa. Serving commissioner for works and infrastructure, Mr. Femi Hamzat. Others believed to be in the race include a former deputy governor of the state, Otunba Femi Pedro who recently defected to the APC after a truce was brokered between him and his former boss. Though Tinubu holds the ace regarding who will eventually emerge as the flag-bearer, but the inputs from the incumbent Raji Fashola will be needed if a synergy is to be forged in terms of the party retaining the control of the state. Observers however, state that Fashola might have his trump card in the battle ahead. The scenario is almost similar in the neighbouring Ogun State, where the incumbent governor, Ibikunle Amosun is locked in a battle of wit with the leader of the party and former governor, Olusegun Osoba for the control of the APC in the state and by extension the governorship ticket. While the incumbent is desirous of staging a comeback, Osoba seems disposed to the emergence of another candidate in the person of a banker and businessman, Fola Adeola to replace Amosun as the occupant of Oke Mosan Govenors’ Office. Those loyal to Osoba are clamouring for the conduct of a congress where the candidate will emerge, while those loyal to the governor are urging that in view of the fact that the governor is the incumbent, he has the right of first refusal to be nominated and that the rigours of party primaries are too much for the party to bear. This is further driven home by the fact that the PDP, which was displaced from office is still lurking around just as the LP is said to be waxing stronger. In Oyo state, where it has become a jinx for the incumbent to stage a return to Agodi Government House, Governor Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi is said to be battling opposition from within, in his attempt to secure the ticket of the party. He is currently pitched in a battle of wit with a faction that style itself as THE LAMISTS. These are members loyal to the late leader and former governor, Alhaji Lam Adesina who are said to have been shut out of government patronage and recognition in the last four years in power. One of their leading lights, Senator Femi Lanlehin is said to be interested in picking the ticket of the party just like Ajimobi. To settle the logjam, they are calling on the party to organize a party primary where the candidate will eventually emerge and that the current battle of wit will be permanently solved. Observers are however counselling that reason prevail owing to the fact that politics is fluid in the state. The only state where the problem of agitation seems subdued is in Osun State, as Governor Rauf Aregbesola seems to be the only person on the horizon at least for now. Ekiti is almost sealed for Governor Kayode Fayemi whose only known co-contender for the ticket, Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele has moved to the LP to pursue his aspiration. Ondo State is yet another jigsaw with things not too clear ahead of the polls with the never ending problems of factionalisation within its ranks. With the fast approaching polls coming, the next few weeks will test the political sagacity of the leadership of the APC in the way and manner its candidates will emerge.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 08:00:24 +0000
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