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Last Tuesday, at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC in Abuja, the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) members was extended for 12 months starting from June 30. JOHNCHUKS ONUANYIM looks at the events that preceded the tenure elongation and why it was made possible against agitation for a new NWC

When last Tuesday, the All Progressives Congress National Executive Committee (NEC) announced the extension of the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) of its party for 12 months, it was a relief to some persons and agony of another one year of hopeless situation, deprivation and non effective party administration to others. These were expressed in different arguments at different fora and discussion groups.

To announce the tenure elongation was the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Bello, in the company of the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said: “At the end of the National Executive Committee meeting today, a major decision was taken in line with the constitution of our party. We are all aware that the tenure of the current NWC and the executive members ofxthis party both elected and appointed comes to an end June this year. Considering the time left for the party to conduct all the Congresses and convention and considering that our leader, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has been charged with responsibility of reconciling all aggrieved members of our party, we cannot afford to approach general elections with more dispute and crisis. So, relying on Article 13 of our constitution, which empowers the NEC to carry out the function of the convention, the NEC has decided to extend the tenure of the current NWC and other executive committees at various levels for another twelve months, starting from June 30.

Yahaya Bello, a staunch believer in the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC, had severally announced the governors support for Oyegun and declared no vacancy in the APC National Headquarters in Abuja.
The Kogi State governor’s support of tenure elongation for the APC NWC members was understandable. Like they say, one good turn deserves another.

Odigie-Oyegun and the NWC members had protected Yahaya Bello in his days of trial. The Kogi State governor emerged as governor in controversial circumstance.

The governorship candidate of APC, Prince Abubakar Audu, had died during the Kogi State governorship election in 2016 and a vacancy was created for who to replace him. The choice of candidate to replace the late Audu was between the Audu’s running mate, Hon. James Faleke, and the first runner up of the governorship primaries that brought Audu, Yahaya Bello. The APC NWC members pitched their tent with Bello against Faleke that was the candidate of the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Tinubu.

The Faleke camp did not take this decision of the NWC in good fate as it had approached the court and the case terminated at the Supreme Court in favour of Bello. Since then, the gulf of unity and peace widening between the Kogi State governor and the supporters and sponsors of Faleke.

Also, the APC NWC had protected the Kogi State governor against onslaught from some members of the party led by the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senatorial Dino Melaye. Melaye was an astute member of APC during its campaign in 2015 before the party got its victory by winning the general elections.

So, the victory of the NWC obtaining tenure elongation for one year was executed on the fact that an enemy of my enemy is a friend.

The political class that wanted the tenure of the present APC NWC to come to an end in June had made political enemies for themselves and were not diplomatic in their approach that Oyegun and the other NWC member must go. It was believed in some quarters that Asiwaju Tinubu was in the forefront that members of the NWC should go.

Tinubu, by the feelings and account of some persons, has made political enemies for himself by the way he flaunts his influence and the political space he has occupied in the South-West.

A former governor in the South-West has expressed concerned over Asiwaju’s influence in the geopolitical zone. The former governor, who governed from 1999-2003 before the political misfortune that made his party, AD, to lose five states in the zone to the Peoples Democratic Party, believes that Tinubu should also have some respect for them as colleagues. According to him, the former Lagos State governor has occupied much political space in the zone than necessary. Nobody becomes anything politically except he is connected to Tinubu.

At the national level of APC, Tinubu does not have the confidence of any party stalwarts except that of the President, Muhammadu Buhari who is a leader of the party. Unfortunately, the President does not act on his discussions with Tinubu without subjecting them to analysis of the cabals in the Presidency.

It is being alleged that the Presidency cabal is made up of Mamam Daura, Babagana Kingibe, Zango Daura, Madawaki Daura Isa Funtua and the father of the Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello. Whatever implementation – political or economic- that must be made by the President must have the blessings of this team. Tinubu did not have the confidence of these persons in the plan to dissolve the APC Working Committee. They considered the plan to dissolve APC leadership as anti-Buhari.

In the days of the Peoples Democratic Party, it was the President that decided who must be sacked as NWC member and not any other individual. And individuals (especially governors on the platform of the party) who wanted any NWC member to be sacked must convince the President. With this method former President Goodluck Jonathan sacked Dr. Bamanga Tukur as National Chairman. Jonathan also sacked Prince Vincent Ogbulafor and former governor of Bauchi State, Mau’zu, respectively as PDP national chairmen.

In the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he sacked the present Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, as PDP national chairman. Audu Ogbeh conducted the primaries that brought Obasanjo to power for second term.

The PDP presidents had one reason or another to save the party chairmen even when one person kicked against it.

In Oyegun’s situation, the President and the cabals had not seen any reason to sack him, except that some persons wanted him out to bring in another anointed person.

The problem of Tinubu with Oyegun dated far back to 2015 when Tinubu lost the choice of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives. Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, and the House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogora were not the choices of the National Leader of the party. Their emergence as National Assembly leaders has been seen as the weakness of APC National Chairman to continue to lead the party. And this was the beginning of Oyegun must go campaign.

In 2016, Oyegun and other NWC members committed another heinous crime against the national leader of APC. The NWC did not join Tinubu to endorse his preferred candidate for Ondo State governorship election to emerge as APC candidate. Tinubu had anointed Dr. Olusegun Abraham as the governorship candidate of APC in the State but this did not come to pass as the incunbent governor of emerged in the primaries conducted by APC National Working Committee. It was a war of wit between Tinubu and Oyegun as all kinds of allegations bribery and incompetence were made against Oyegun and NWC. That primaries also affected the relationship of Tinubu and his former commissioner and APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN.

Banire’s offense was that he advised against the recommendation of the APC governorship Appeal Panel in the Ondo State primaries.

The three member committee headed by Mrs. Helen Bendega had recommended for the cancellation of the governorship primaries in Ondo State, but this was advised against by the APC National Legal Adviser and the party upheld the advice and it was described as another incompetence on the part of APC NWC.

Like it is being said that an enemy of my enemy is a friend. In the hierarchy of the APC leaders, Tinubu cannot find anybody he could relate properly with that would agree to his intention that Oyegun and the NWC should be sacked. The Senate President, the Speaker and some governors did not and would not work with him that the APC NWC should be sacked because he wanted their jobs.

Those with Tinubu that the NWC members should are those who have something  against their state nominees as NWC members. Such persons are the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. Okorocha was one of the four persons that voted against tenure extension for the NWC. It is being alleged that he wants to replace the National Organizing Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, with someone who could pave way for his son-in-law and Chief of Staff to emerge as APC governorship candidate in Imo State. Driven by this ambition, it was easier for him to work with those canvassing for the sack of NWC members.

Another factor that played a major role for Oyegun to win was the choice of who would replace him. It was alleged that the preferred candidate of Tinubu to replace Oyegun was the former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Oshiomhole, to Presidency cabals and the APC governors, is one person no one can control. Their perception of him is that he is someone that can do anything and dam the consequences. He was not the right replacement for Oyegun as Oyegun is a better and lesser ‘evil’.

Ambition was another thing that helped the situation. All the executives of the party from the ward to the national level were given tenure elongation. For their own interest, some state chairmen voted in favour of tenure extension, which is against the interest of their governors and political mentors. In politics, they say: No permanent enemy but permanent interest.

Also, one cannot overlook the argument enunciated by the proponents of tenure elongation as reasonable and realistic. For a coach to change a winning team for critical match can be counter productive. The proponents of tenure elongation believe that major national elections are too close for the party to appoint new leadership. The party would be going for governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun State in six months, time and that would have been less than three months new executive would have been sworn in. To them, the arrangement might not give the party the expected victory in 2019 general elections.

Those who wanted a change of guard in the APC national leadership did not do their work properly and were not diplomatic about it. They were driven by ambition and hate therefore couldn’t convince majority decision makers of the party.