APC NWC: As Taraba draws battle line with party over quest for National Secretary Position

Patrick Okohue

When the All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed few months to the 2015 elections, at a time many had given up hope that there was a solution to the political dominance of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which at that time was nearing 16 years of continuous rule, with some of its leaders predicting it was going to be at the helms of the nation’s political affairs for over 60 years, not many gave them hope.

The APC despite that it was a conglomeration of many political parties some of which were the leading opposition parties at the time, and with the seasoned politicians that joined ranks with it to upset the PDP, many Nigerians were still surprised when after the 2019 election, they did what some had thought impossible, unseat the PDP at the centre.

However, since coming to power many people have accused the APC of making the same mistakes that the PDP made which opened it up for defeat.

It has had to weather many storms in its short life and its victory at the 2019 election came as a relief to many of its followers who had reasoned that that with the many defections from the party and the manner of leadership being showcased by some of the leaders at its forefront, that things will be difficult.

Though the party has had another victory at the election, another crisis which threatens to eat deep into its fabrics is again brewing and it may require the political wizardry with which some of its leaders have distinguished themselves to ensure this does not take its toe on the party.

When after the election and the National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni emerged as the governor of Yobe State, many well meaning members of the party had expected a smooth transition of power to the second runners up at the last convention that produced the executive committee.

That same procedure was adopted when the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Abubakar Audu died half way into his victory at an election in his attempt to get re-elected after being out of office for some time,

he was replaced by the first runner up at the party primary Alhaji Yahaya Bello and also when the former National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi resigned that position and defected to the PDP, he was replaced by the first runner up at the election, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

Now, there are insinuations that the APC leadership are no longer comfortable with that arrangement in the present circumstance and there are moves to rather replace Buni with another person from Yobe State instead of Taraba State where the second runner up for that primary, Muhammed Bello Mustapha.

This however is not going down well with members of the party from Taraba State who allege that they have been marginalized over time in the affairs of the party, now they are ready to take up arms against the party if it again bypass it and take the position of the National Secretary to another state.

It will be recalled that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in May appointed Victor Giadom as the party’s acting national secretary, after Buni resigned his position following his election as governor.

The party said Giadom, who was until his appointment the party’s deputy national secretary, would remain in the position until Yobe State nominated a replacement for Mala Buni.

But the people of Taraba State will have none of that and even groups within the North East to which the position was originally zoned who believes that in the spirit of fair play and justice the right thing should be done.

A coalition of APC Support Groups in the North East has called on the leadership of the APC to be fair in its decision on state which will provide the next National Secretary of the party, urging leaders of the party to stop cheating Taraba State.

According to the group, it would be unfair to zone the position of the party’s National Secretary to Yobe State despite the deficit of positions in other APC loyal states from the North-East zone.

The group said with the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State as Senate President, Taraba State should be allowed to produce the next National Secretary of the APC.

The Coalition Coordinator, Abdulhamid Yazeed in a statement said, “We are appealing to the NWC of APC to rescind it’s decision that Yobe should bring replacement for the former National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni who was elected governor of Yobe State, Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan should pacify Borno and Yobe to concede the office of the National Secretary to Taraba State in appreciation of the supports it has gotten from Taraba State.”

The APC group also noted that it is going to be injustice should Yobe State produce the National Secretary after clinching the Senate President zoned to the North East.

“Yobe State has just produced the Senate President with overwhelming support from all the North Eastern states and Taraba does not have an APC governor at the moment.

Taraba do not have any representative in the Buhari government and in the APC leadership despite its support for the party.

“It is also on record, that President Muhammadu Buhari enjoys an overwhelming followership in Taraba State.

Ever since Mr. President joined partisan politics and contested the 2003 presidential election, the Taraba State electorate has massively voted for him in a consistent pattern, up to the 2019 general elections.

In the last election we gave the President 48 percent of the total votes cast, but Taraba State APC is grossly marginalised even in the party.

“We are worried about the non inclusion of Taraba State in the political arrangement of the APC.

Currently, Taraba State does not have any representative in the National Working Committee of the APC as has been the case from the party’s inception, due cognizance should be accorded to Taraba State for the office of the national secretary now.

“In particular, we passionately appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Leader of our great party, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and all other APC top echelon,

to kindly consider the candidature of Barrister Mohammed Bello Mustapha from Taraba State on the basis of not only his personality, capabilities and sterling pedigree, but fairness and equity that our party is known for.”

Furthermore, the group bemoaned what it described as marginalisation of Taraba State in terms of federal appointments to reflect federal character as enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

“Even in governance, Taraba State has been grossly marginalised, the state for Nine months does not have a minister in the last Federal Executive Council, the state does not have Chief Executive of any Federal Government agencies since the APC took over in 2015,” the group added.

“We strongly believe in the capacity and disposition of Mr. President and the APC hierarchy, to uphold the tenets of fairness and equity, therefore we wholly ascribe the unusual exclusion of Taraba State from the constitution of the previous federal administration, as an oversight which should be corrected immediately.”

According to the group, despite not having any member of the National Executive Committee of the APC and being marginalised in the last nine months of the last tenure by not having any member in the federal cabinet, there is also nobody from Taraba State heading any federal agency at present.

They listed the positions and benefiting states in the North East to include Adamawa State, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss G Mustapha; Universal Basic Education Council (UBEC) Executive Secretary, Prof Hamid Bobboi ; NFIU Boss: Hamman Modibbo; SA Domestic to the President: Sarki Abba.

Bauchi State; CG Customs or Customs Boss: Col Hamid Ali (Rtd); TETFUND ES: Prof Suleman Bogoro; INEC Chairman: Prof Mahmud Yakubu; GMD NNPC: Dr Maikanti Baru; DG NOTAP, Dr Danazumi Moh’d; MD Nat. Insurance Commission: Mohammed Kari; Chief of Air Staff: Air Marshall Sadiq B Abubakar.

Borno State; NSA, Gen. Babagana Monguno; Chief of Army Staff: Gen Y T Buratai; Chief of Staff to the President: Abba Kyari; AMCON MD: Ahmed L Kuru; Chairman/CEO, Federal Character Commission: Shettima Abba; NSWFA MD: Halima Baba; MD NEDC: Alkali Mohammed; EFCC Boss: Mr Ibrahim Mustapha Magu .

Gombe State; DG NITDA: Dr Isa Ali Fantami; ES National Lottery Trust Fund: Bello Maigari.

Yobe State; DG NEMA: Mustapha Maihaja; DG NOA: Garba Abari; ED Nigeria/ São Tomé Development Commission: Fr Almajiri Gaidam; Executive Vice Chairman, PCNI (Presidential Committee on NorthEast Initiative): Mr Tijjani Tumsah.

Taraba State has only Secretary to the Commission FCC (Federal Character Conmission), without Executive Power, because he isn’t the CEO.

Also states holding party position include NATIONAL SECRETARY, Hon Mai Mala Buni- NWC (Yobe); NVC/ZONAL CHAIRMAN N/E , Comrade Mustapha Salihu= NWC (Adamawa), NATIONAL YOUTH LEADER, Sadiq Abubakar Sadiq -NWC(Gombe); DEP NAT. AUDITOR, Barr Chul -Non NWC (Borno).

National Ex-Officio N/E, Mamman Isa Azare, Non NWC (Bauchi);TARABA State they said has nothing and the same goes for other position.

The group noted that Mustapha, a constitutional lawyer, who contested for the position of secretary at the party’s convention in 2018 but stepped down in favour of Buni after an agreement by leaders of the party from the North-East where the position was zoned to.

They also argued that it would be unfair for the position to be zoned to another state since Taraba had been largely excluded from federal appointments despite the massive support of Taraba indigenes for Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 polls.

The state chapter, which said it had endured marginalisation in Buhari’s administration, said it “may be forced to pull out of the party if they feel we are not wanted despite delivering bulk votes for Mr. President in the 2015 and 2019 elections”.

However, speaking on the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the party would carefully study what Taraba State APC had said and would soon issue an official statement.

“We will look at what they have said and come out with a statement,” he said.

Quote

We are appealing to the NWC of APC to rescind it’s decision that Yobe should bring replacement for the former National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni who was elected governor of Yobe State, Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan should pacify Borno and Yobe to concede the office of the National Secretary to Taraba State in appreciation of the supports it has gotten from Taraba State