APC Rumpus: A Leadership Faux Pas

With the political situation at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national office in Abuja and its National Working Committee (NWC) fast becoming raucous and the party embroiled in festering leadership crises, it has become imperative and near inevitable for a change of baton and enthronement of a new leader. 

The suspended chairman, Adams Oshiomohole, a two-term governor of Edo in South-south Nigeria, has been having a running battle with key stakeholders and chieftains of the party from the outset in 2018 when he took over. His leadership was foisted on the party by powerful interests, away from the tact and diplomacy of elder statesman and ex-governor John Odigie-Oyegun, which many old horses denounced and also threw out of the ship. The resultant effect was a growing sense of unease among governors and elders.

As soon as the former national labour leader took over the driver’s seat from his fellow Edo man, he tried to fly-by-wire to short circuit the process of getting the party on the winning streak, moon or landslide victories at all levels of the 2019 polls. Trust the labour leader-turned politician, unabashedly, got down to brass tacks in a commando style always clad in his civilian khaki uniform characteristic of labour leadership especially while calling out workers for a work-to-rule or national strike.

In some instances and situations in some states, Oshiomohole succeeded while he performed abysmally in others leaving the party to count its losses particularly in Zamfara, Bayelsa, Rivers to mention a few. Rather than APC deepening internal democracy, dictatorship and imposition of candidates through direct and indirect primaries, and in some, no primaries, held sway. It got to a head when Oshiomohole looked those who installed him in the eye and suspended them from the party including ex-Ogun Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, Ondo Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and others.

At the presidential rally at MKO Abiola stadium in Abeokuta late 2018, aggrieved party members hurled abuses, insults and pure water sachet at Oshiomohole who was standing neck-to-neck with President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Mr Dapo Abiodun, the APC governorship candidate for Ogun now governor among other dignitaries.

Part of Oshiomohole’ misadventures was launching vitriolic attacks and diatribe on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, asking President Buhari to probe his former boss in the military for his alleged involvement in the multi-billion dollars power sector investment and privatization, bringing the duo on a collision course; his presecessor, Oyegun and some royal personage, clerics and highly placed politicians.

By nature, Oshiomohole is hamfisted, choleric, fractious and has hair-trigger temperament. Amid whirlwind of leadership crisis and politics of succession sweeping the party and the now bare APC secretariat hitherto festooned with Oshiomohole’s banners and pictures, injunction and counter-injunction for his removal and retention, the party cannot be the same again as he cannot enjoy the confidence and support of key stakeholders. Oshiomohole appears to be trapped in the quicksand of his recklessness, brashness and one-man riot squad approach to leadership. 

APC is now left buggered with chances of reconciliation of aggrieved members by the Chief Bisi Akande-led committee, if not foreclosed, at least, it will be an uphill task. To some senior party members and close allies of Mr President, who is the leader of the party, Oshiomohole remains the problem and therefore, reconciliation remains a lot of bugger as he continues bristling with indignation to sitting governors and past governors and lawmakers. In a climate of insipient war, as long as the principal actors (suspects) are still in the saddle, mutual distrust, suspicion and bitterness will continue to linger thereby weakening the fabric of the party with some at injury time ready to wreak revenge and fatal havoc.

In the annals of party hierarchical structure, organization, politics and leadership succession, the Africa National Congress (ANC) of South Africa and the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) with their idealistic values are good examples to follow. From Nelson Mandela to Jacob Zuma and others, there is no short circuiting the process. And in any set up or political arrangement, change is not only permanent but is the game changer. In any marriage particularly if has broken down irretrievably, divorce or separation or sack of either spouses is inevitable.

For a true reconciliation and rebuilding of the broken walls of APC, emergence of a new leadership is a sine qua non. Party politics and organization is about consensus building, negotiation, dialogue, not brashness, braggadocio or breathing down on fellow party members.

Luckily enough, APC is endowed with men and women of moral probity, strong characters, political sagacity and wisdom. The current crisis situation has, no doubt, thrown up some credible people who can lead the party to victory ahead of 2023 polls as President Buhari exits office.

They include Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun governor, Chief Victor Giadom (Rivers) and current Deputy National Secretary of APC, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and former Zamfara Gov. Abdulaziz Yari among others.

For Yari, the odds against him are legion – he is generally regarded as controversial, his abysmal performance as governor and alleged corruption charges and the loss of the state to PDP in the last election and others are his albatross. And as long as the office of national chairman of APC is zoned to the South-south, Yari is out of the picture and the same goes for debonair politician Ibikunle Amosun, a close ally of Buhari, who is also believed to be nursing an ambition for 2023.

For Giadom, he is eminently qualified to run for the office but for his alleged non-ambivalence and resignation from the party or his position.

The three-term senator, lawyer, urbane and debonair politician who had served as the Executive Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during President Buhari’s first tenure, is a man to watch.

Although he is not too ambitious to lead the party, but definitely he must be a willing horse; his sterling qualities stand out: brainy, a team player, political strategist, former Senate Leader, a consensus builder par excellence , a good listener who is also amenable.

As a lawyer and grassroots politician from Cross River, he is likely to be more circumspect in dealing with party leaders, members, the various publics of the party as well as the opposition parties.

In conclusion, fixing the leadership lacuna in APC will shape Nigeria’s politics in 2023 and beyond as well as help stabilize the party. Although, opposition parties for now may been shunted and shoved to the sidelines, APC’s internal ructions, if not well managed and speedily too, and handed over to a new crop of leaders of dedication and levelheadedness, the party might kiss the dust and go the way of PDP under Goodluck Jonathan just before the general elections in 2015 with exodus of partisans and bigwigs to another party. It is still in good nick for the ruling party to get its act together.