Edo APC, national crisis, another proof of failure of leadership in Nigeria?

While the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is working to ensure that they put all crisis emanating from the suspension of its national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole under control and eliminate all enemies both perceived and real, there seen to be no end in sight for the crisis.

As the National Working Committee (NWC) led by the former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who is Deputy Chairman (South), as Acting National Chairman, tries to consolidate its position by the sack of   the Deputy National Secretary, Mr. Victor Giadom, whose position has been declared vacant, another battle seem to be waiting to begin.

This is because the Chairman of APC in Ado Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr. Michael Akinleye has threatened to institute an action against the appointment of Senator Ajimobi as acting national chairman of the ruling party.

It will be recalled that the NWC has already ratified the appointment of Senator Ajimobi as Acting National Chairman, and sacked Giadom who stood as opposition to the appointment declaring it illegal and also declaring himself as the party’s acting chairman.

Though Ajimobi who is leading the NWC is currently indisposed due to ill health, he is represented by the National Vice Chairman South South, Hilliard Eta and has gone on to inaugurate the committees for the party’s Edo State governorship primary election scheduled for Monday and the appeal panel scheduled to sit on Wednesday.

The decision to inaugurate the committees was said to have been taken in a virtual meeting attended by 16 out of 20 NWC members on Wednesday night.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lanre Isa-Onilu, said the NWC approved the committees for the party’s Edo State governorship primary election scheduled for Monday and the appeal panel scheduled to sit on Wednesday.

He said, “Members of the Primary Election Committee are Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma – Chairman; Sen. Ajibola Basiru (Secretary); Alh. Abdullahi Abass; Hon. Ibrahim Sabo; Hon. Ocho Obioma;  Hajia Amina Lantana Muhammed and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.

“Members of the Primary Election Appeal Committee are Prof. Mustapha Bello (Chairman); Dr. Kayode Ajulo (Secretary); Hon. Umar Ahmed; Nasiru Ibrahim Junju; and Hon. Rasaq Mahmud Bamu.”

He said the NWC also declared the position of the Deputy National Secretary being held by Giadom vacant.

Adding, “The NWC took the decision having taken cognisance of the fact that Giadom had ceased to be an officer of the party since 2018.”

But, Akinyele in a letter addressed to the National Working Committee (NWC) through his counsel Tunde Oke, said NWC’s decision appointing Ajimobi is “outright nullity and contempt of court.”

The APC chieftain informed the NWC that there is still a pending case before the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, praying against any nomination of anyone to fill the vacant position, pending the determination of the suit.

Akinleye argued that until the case is determined, Senator Ajimobi’s purported appointment into any position in the APC is null and void.

Ajimobi’s appointment as APC deputy national chairman (south) had caused rumbles in the party, especially among South West chieftains.

The argument by those opposed to Ajimobi’s appointment is that the position ought to be taken over by an APC chieftain from Ekiti State.

This is because the former occupant of the office, Otunba Niyi Adebayo was from the state.

Adebayo, a former governor of Ekiti State, was nominated as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari last year. He is the current minister of trade and investment.

Ajimobi’s appointment was believed to have been influenced by the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The appointment was said to have caused anger among Ekiti APC chieftains prompting the lawsuit by Akinleye.

Meanwhile, Senator Ajimobi has stated that he will convene a National Executive Council meeting of the APC soon.

The former governor of Oyo State was reacting to his emergence as the APC acting national chairman on Tuesday, June 16.

Ajimobi spoke through his special adviser, communication and strategy, Bolaji Tunji after he took over the leadership of the party.

“We should, therefore, let peace continue to reign until we call the NEC meeting and take a position on the way forward,” he said.

The concern in many quarters with this development is what will happen to decision reached by the Ajimobi led executive if the court voids his appointment as the acting chairman of the APC, will the party not fall into the kind of situation that befell it in Zamfara State after the 2019 governorship election?

This perhaps is the reason some members of the party are worried about President Muhammadu Buhari seeming silence over the crisis, because they believe as the President and leader of the party his words ought to bring some sanity into the polity.

For example, the director-general of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has urged the President to take steps to halt the chaos in order to protect his legacy.

Lukman’s plea which was contained in a memo he issued and made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Thursday, June 18, he Noted that what makes the situation more frustrating is the reticence of President Buhari in the face of what obviously could damage the legacy he would bequeath to the nation.

He said: “While we must celebrate the fact that his leadership style is required to ensure that the party is managed independently and therefore made possible for the exercise of the supremacy of the party based on decisions of organs, ‘old ambition-virus 2023’ may have weakened the capacity of the party to benefit from the commendable leadership approach of President Buhari.”

Lukman said all well-meaning members of the APC should be ashamed of what is currently happening within the governing party, which according to him was “gradually slipping into disintegration with a defective leadership.”

The PGF is the umbrella body of all governors elected on the platform of the APC. There are currently 20 governors who are members of the forum.

Lukman stressed that it was time for all true leaders of the party “to stand up and be counted, arguing that the party which was in total control of the executive and the legislature with tested politicians and leaders in various spheres of human endeavour, have no excuse not to do everything legally possible to save the administration from the distraction which the leadership squabbles within the APC have become.”

He wondered why a political party which parades leaders such as President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and so many others find it difficult to reorganise the party to fulfill the dreams of its founding fathers.

He recommended that a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting be convened to resolve all outstanding issues thrashed out.

Some political watchers have even reasoned that the seeming inability of the ruling APC to resolve crisis within its fold which had led to its failure to field candidates in the Rivers State governorship and legislative election in 2019, its loss of Zamfara State governorship and legislative seats after it had won the election and the fall out of the Bayelsa State governorship election which it lost in the court few days to swearing in of its candidate all gives credence to what has been said in many quarters that the APC was never ready for governance of the country.

Though the party will be quick to dispute that assertion, what it has done since coming to power and how it has managed its own internal affairs across many states seem to give credence to that and also how it will come of the Edo governorship election induced crisis currently rocking the party will go a long way in proving the leadership capacity of those in charge of the affairs of the party.