Buhari Goes To London: The Problems He’s Leaving Behind

Amid the windstorm of defections that have almost brought the ruling All Progress Congress (APC) to its knees, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to jet out of the country to London on Friday.

The Presidency’s statement on Wednesday announcing Buhari’s vacation to the United Kingdom read: “President Muhammadu Buhari begins a 10 working days holiday from August 3, 2018,” adding that “In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.”

Buhari also informed the National Assembly that Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, will be in acting capacity as President pending his return from the British capital.

While it is not the first time President Buhari will be traveling to London on vacation, his quest to visit the British capital this time may raise concerns as to why he has chosen to be away from the country at a time that his party, the APC, is facing its biggest political threat since assuming power on May 29, 2015.

The President will be living the country at a time that the ruling party is facing defections of prominent individuals from the APC. In less two weeks, three governors, fourteen senators including the Senate President and at least thirty-four House of Representatives members dumped the ruling party for the PDP and other smaller parties.

Just this morning, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, announced his defection from the ruling party. It was learnt that Mr Bolaji had already since a week ago moved his belongings out of the National Secretariat of the ruling party. His decision to dumped the APC was said to have been informed by the defection of his political godfather, Saraki, from the party.

While in Togo recently, President Buhari had said of the gale of defections rocking his party: “I am not bothered about the defections,” adding that “Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us. I assure you, majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts.” But there have been scares that the APC may crumble in no distant time if the party’s principal officers should keep defecting to the opposition parties at the pace currently being seen.

To make matters worse, President Buhari will be leavng the party behind without a leader at a time that à leader is most needed to stop the gale of defections which may not stop anytime soon as some of those who have already defected, including those in the Reformed-All Progressives Congress (rAPC) bloc have suggested that more defections of key APC members are on the way.

If any indication of rAPC’s threats of more defectors from the ruling party to the opposition, the bloc’s claim that it was “too late” for the APC to correct its past mistakes may actually mean that the ruling party may record more losses during President Buhari’s scheduled 10 working days holiday.

“Just to make the point that it is too late in the day; the train has left the station. Leopards cannot change their spots no matter how much one tries to tame them,” said rAPC’s National Publicity Secretary, Kassim Afegbua, adding that “They are now pleading; ready to submit to all demands. Who does not know that won’t work because examples have shown that political agreements are often observed in the breach.”

At the moment, the APC looks like a party that is crumbling and needs more building blocks and this can only happen with the help of a proactive, diligent and effective political leadership. This however appears to be lacking as President Buhari has barely settled down to chart a way out of the crisis facing the party.

The APC currently needs the leadership of Buhari, as leaving the party at a time like this in the hands of its National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, may spell more tragedy for the ruling party before the expected return of the President on August 13. Although the APC’s new National Working Committee (NWC) recently elected and led by Oshiomhole is by all account strong and proactive, but Oshiomhole is just the National Charmain of the party. He cannot be the rallying point of the party. Only the President is in a position to provide that really.

More so, it appears even perilous that President Buhari is leaving the party for two crucial weeks at a point when members of the National Assembly are on recess. The two-month recess may give federal legislators more room for networking and further mobilisation, meaning that we could see more legislators announcing their defections from the APC in the absence of President Buhari.

Also, serving governors of Benue, Kwara and Sokoto states will most likely not relax in their quest to move their followers, associates and governor-friends with them to the PDP. There are already speculations that the next governor may dumped the APC is Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State.

These defections could create panic in the polity, especially amongst loyalists of the president. This could shift concentration or focus from governance to politics as Buhari’s cabinet members may shift attention to political calculations when they ought to be dealing with issues that pertain to the nation welfare.

But Buhari’s staunch supporters don’t seem to worry about the gale of defections as there is strong believe in his camp that 2019 is already in the kitty and that those that have publicly defected, including the Senate President, are not capable of stopping the president’s momentum

Meanwhile, there are indications from multiple sources that Buhar’s loyalists in the National Assembly are plotting reconvene and impeach Saraki, Ekweremadu and all other Senate principal officers that decamped from the ruling party to the PDP. However, going by the standing rule of the Senate, 72 senators of the entire Senate (two-third) are required to remove any principal officer in the upper legislative camber. The possibility to therefore achieve this feet appears a daunting task as it will be almost impossible for the pro-Buhari senators to get that number.

The federal lawmaker representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume, had late Wednesday appeared during Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ where he called on the Senate President to reconvene the Senate.

Ndume condemned Mr Saraki for shutting down plenary at a time that there are pressing national issues on ground for the Red Chamber to debate on.