News Editor
It is no longer news that governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, will determine choice of the party’s national chairman, secretary and other national executive committee, NEC, members. They also command reasonable power in who becomes the Presidential candidate.
The APC has fixed February 26, 2022 for its National Convention.
But Vanguard reliably gathered that the Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, want to prove a point to those who say they own the APC.
Indeed, the position of the governors is being challenged by some pillars of the party and APC is gradually been pushed to the brink over zoning of the presidency in 2023 and sharing of the NEC and National Working Committee NWC, offices among the six geopolitical zones of the country.
A source, who is familiar with the workings in the APC, said: “When you talk about the party, it is about anybody being in control, it is about interest, it about you wanting Mr. A as the National Chairman and me wanting somebody to be secretary.
“But between you and I, the governors own the party. You saw the outcry over direct and indirect primaries, and you also saw the outcome of the governorship primary in Ekiti State, the king owns the land, the governors are in charge.”
Why Buhari must court Govs
Asked about the president’s influence on the party, the source said although the president wields so much influence the governors control political power.
“The president cannot afford to offend the governors. Structure is everything; a smart governor cannot afford to offend all the local government chairmen in his state. You can afford to offend one or two council chairmen but you cannot afford to offend all of them. That applies to the governors. The governors’ forum of any party is a powerful group whether anybody likes it or not.
“I am sure Governor Gboyega Oyetola will be confident to ask the party to hold a primary in his state because he owns the structure. If a senator says he’s powerful in a state, who made him powerful in that state? It is the governor. In most cases, the party structure is with the governor.
“When a party says it wants to hold its convention, the governor funds the delegates to the convention ground, he foots their bill, takes care of their feeding, transportation and other expenses.
“So, you cannot wish away the influence of the governors. They have power. No minister can match a governor. The president controls the ministers but many ministers do not have a base at home, some of the ministers also take directive from the governor because it is most likely that the governor nominated them.
“The president of Nigeria is very powerful but when it comes to political decision, he cannot go against the governors, so, he must reach a compromise with them.
Politics is about give and take.
So, let nobody deceive you that it will be a unilateral decision by the President, he will negotiate with the governors.”
2023 permutations
Besides, the source said: “And you know, for APC, the convention is about 2023. If you want to zone the president to South, the Chairman has to come from the North.
“If you look at those coming out to be chairman, they are eminently qualified but interest will come to play.
“I cannot tell you categorically who the next APC national chairman will be but I know they have interest and they are interested to the extent that the narrative that some people own the party, they want those people to know that they (governors) own the party. Some people have written how some few individuals formed the party; let me tell you that it was the governors that made it happen. Some people have written how Asiwaju Bola Tinubu formed the APC, it was the Governors that cemented it; they (governors) made it happen.
“The Governors are powerful. And how did we lose Edo State?”
Nevertheless, another source said the governors have respect for President Buhari and would not do to anything to embarrass him. So far, the source said the APC governors have not taken a decision on who among the 12 national chairmanship aspirants to support.
“Before the convention, they will agree on one person and convince President Buhari to agree with their choice. As much as possible, the governors want consensus. They will prefer going to the convention to ratify the consensus choice instead of voting for many candidates.
“Most of the governors know the implication of going to the convention with a divided front.”
12 chairmanship aspirants jostle
The 12 chairmanship aspirants include a former Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Saliu Mustapha; Senator representing Niger East, Mohammed Sani Musa; former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff; former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura; former Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari; and former Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda.
Others are the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume; Mr. Sunny Sylvester Moniedafe; former Borno Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima; former Gombe State governor, Senator Danjuma Goje; Mohammed Saidu Etsu; and a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, Sani Shinkafi.
Meanwhile, posters of Senator Musa posters have flooded Imo as Moniedafe said he did not step down for Al-Makura as six aspirants emerge as front-runners. The six leading aspirants are Saliu Mustapha, Al-Makura, Sani Musa, Danjuma Goje, Abdulaziz Yari, and George Akume.
Al-Makura is said to be one of two aspirants some APC governors have screened to emerge as the national chairman of the party. Al Makura is of the defunct CPC legacy bloc of APC.
George Akume, a two-term former governor of Benue State, is said to be on the radar of some APC governors.
Sani Musa, a 54-year old lawmaker representing the Niger East senatorial district in the upper chamber of the National Assembly is believed to have the support of some strong forces in the party, especially a presidential aspirant that is already making waves across the country.
Saliu Mustapha, 50, a former national deputy chairman of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, is the youngest among APC chieftains jostling for the office of the national chairman of the party.
The Ilorin, Kwara State-born politician is favoured by some critical stakeholders of APC to lead the party to 2023 general elections.
Senator Danjuma Goje, who has been working silently to actualize his quest, is also being rooted for by some APC governors, and stakeholders.
Vanguard
