Politics
APC CHAIRMAN: Shettima as the Reluctant Bride
APC CHAIRMAN: Shettima as the Reluctant Bride
By: Inuwa Bwala
Experiences often show, that, God catapults people into positions of leadership, not because such persons have ambitions, rather, those who showed no interest in such a position.
The stories of how the late Shehu Shagari, the late Umar Musa Yar ‘Adua, the late Mala Kachallah of Borno and Mohammed Goni in Borno, Peter Odili of Rivers and Peter Obi in Anambra, and numerous others emerged as leaders, readily come to my mind.
Very often too, such leaders emerge from desperate circumstances, when the best hands needed to be brought on board to salvage a situation. Such leaders who emerged in challenging circumstances, without any prior ambition, often give very good accounts of themselves and always Excell.
Such is the leader the ruling party in Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress, APC needs. Ahead of its planned National convention, the APC is at a labyrinth, so to say, as to who fits into its permutations for 2023, as National Chairman. Already, there is a coterie of aspirants who have indicated an interest in leading the party in the coming years. Amongst them are politicians, with genuine and patriotic intentions, but there are also those, who seek to use the party to advance their personal political interests.
There are those whose pedigrees speak volumes about their real intentions, and there are those who seek the office for vendetta against political foes, or as a refuge for hibernation, after having squandered their goodwill.
I have been musing about who could fit into the permutations of the APC ahead if 2023 elections, taking into account the fact that, unlike before, the contest in the next elections is not going to be a tea party.
I know as a matter of fact that, the party’s numerous think tanks are working behind the scene, trying to work out an acceptable choice in the face of the anticipated intrigues that may play out in 2023. Every curious onlooker could guess, that, the delays in the dates for the congresses and convention might not have been unconnected with the crisis of choice, in who takes over from Mai Mala Buni.
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There are strong pointers, as it is, that the Chairmanship position may be zoned to the north: the North East in particular. Except if otherwise, the Vice Presidency will be zoned to the northeast region.
Should that happen, there are those who think that the party should evoke the doctrine if necessary, which will permit Mai Mala Buni to continue beyond the mandate initially given to him to save the APC from imminent collapse, no thanks to Comrade Adams Oshimole’s disastrous outing. But the fear of likely legal war makes allowing Buni to continue a bad option which is the likely incumbrance.
Those who feel that my former boss and former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff could be a good alternative to Mai Mala Buni, are skeptical, looking back at his scandalous handling of the affairs of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as it acting chairman.
That remains a big minus for him. Besides that, Sheriff’s alleged connivance with others, and the Shabby manner he treated President Muhammdu Buhari in past outings makes him a leprous choice. If Sheriff were not a Governor and in control of the ANPP, when he worked for the PDP in the past, to the detriment of his own party, he might have been charged for anti-party activity and possibly sacked from the ANPP.
It is against the background that, should the party Chairmanship position be zoned to the North East, that my mind quickly went to the immediate past Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima.
I have been a witness to Kashim Shettima’s commitment and dedication to the emergence of an APC President. In the two elections which he midwived in Borno, the APC scored the highest average votes in the country, during the elections.
He has no negative tendencies towards the President nor the party, going by his pedigree.
What counts for Kashim Shettima, even more than his fidelity to the party’s goals is his shrewd intellectual acumen which places him ahead of other contenders. Shettima is highly intelligent and perfectly understands the dynamics of Nigerian politics. He does not have a history of failure, neither does he keep malice. He is very unlikely to have any suspicious motive against the party.
Above all, he is a team player, who played various roles in mediating between contending interest in some serious national debates.
I may not be able to exhaust everything that makes me feel Senator Kashim Shettima is better suited to lead the APC, but suffice it to provoke a debate amongst party members on the subject matter.
I have not had the privilege of meeting him in recent times, hence my dilemma, as to whether he may agree with my position. But I feel the biggest challenge is, who could come to tell Senator Kashim Shettima, to step forward and bell the cat. So far, he is the beautiful but reluctant bride: who may not have the ambition but should be compelled to make sacrifices for the party and the country.
Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the camp of the ruling APC in Gombe State received a boost as over 1, 000 opposition political leaders and members from Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state, on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The opposition leaders and members are from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party (LP).
They were received by Mr Inuwa Garba, member representing Yamaltu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in company of Mr Adamu Lambam, APC chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG.
Speaking during the ceremony in Lubo community in Yamaltu Deba LG, Malam Tasiu Isa, the Chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the council said joining APC was to strengthen the good governance being delivered by the party.
Isa said that Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and President Bola Tinubu have done well for the people through the execution of live-changing projects.
“We, the executives of the SDP from this LG and all the ward executives are joining the APC today and we are more than 500 officials.
“If we join our supporters and members, then we will be talking of thousands of SDP members; we are convinced that APC is the party to be because the party has good governance as evidence,” he said.
Isa commended Rep member Garba for his people-centric approach to representation, saying that Garba’s leadership style was complementing that of Gov. Yahaya.
For Mohammed Hinna, Labour Party chairman, Yamaltu Deba LG, joining APC remained the best option for any patriotic Nigeria who wants to see a better future for the country.
Hinna said with the efforts of President Tinubu and Gov. Yahaya, it would be difficult to remain in opposition, “if you truly a political leader that has the love of the people at heart.”
Mr Adamu Lambam, the APC chairman for Yamaltu Deba said more opposition leaders and members have been joining the APC at the council because of the good governance being delivered by Yahaya in their LG.
Lambam said that the party would continue to welcome anyone who wants to join the APC, adding that “APC is the people’s party because of the developmental strides of Tinubu, Inuwa and Garba.”
Reps member Garba said with the defection, the structure of opposition parties in the council has been weakened and “this is good for APC ahead of 2027.”
Garba said that the performance of Tinubu and Yahaya would make campaigning for APC ahead of 2027 election easier for them when the ban on campaign is lifted in August.
He appealed to members of the APC to remain united while mobilising more members at the grassroots by informing them of the many good things that Mr President and Yahaya have done.
Mass defection hits Gombe State NNPP, SDP, LP as over 1, 000 leaders join APC
Politics
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
Faults Akpe’s Nomination, Says Governance Now A Family Enterprise
A chieftain and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Barr. David Perebo has expressed deep dissatisfaction over Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri segregational, sidelining mode of conduct of the party ward and local government congresses.
Condemning in strong terms of the segregational mode of conduct of the APC ward and local government congresses across the state, the chieftain described the congresses as witch-hunt of a selected group of stakeholders, leaders in the party.
The APC member condemned the governor deliberate segregation of key stakeholders in various wards and local government areas are geared towards generating division.
Pursuant to the marginalized mode of conduct of the congresses, ward and local government executives of APC in Sagbama addressing the press, expressed dissatisfaction over non-inclusion of critical stakeholders who stood firmly as an opposition in building the party in Bayelsa state.
The party executives said Senator Diri inability to conduct all inclusive congresses in various wards, local governments across the state, has proven beyond shadow of doubt of the governor incapability to manage affairs of the party in Bayelsa state.
Governor Diri who couldn’t manage insignificant affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leading to Mr George Turnah factional leadership in Bayelsa, has transferred the same attitude from the PDP to the APC barely four months of defection.
The statesmen said the governor has deceptively taken total control of the APC leadership structure in various wards and local government areas across the state, by installing his followers who defected to the APC from the PDP, while excluding old APC members who built the party.
Diri who preach all-inclusiveness in leadership, has deceptively taken over the leadership structures of Brass, Nembe, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, while allowing Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and David Lyon to nominate the Chairmen of Ekeremor, Ogbia and Southern-Ijaw as compensation.
Furthermore, the governor whose intentions failed woefully to use his relative, Mr Gesiye Isowo as at then Bayelsa PDP Secretary, as Bayelsa APC Caretaker Chairman before any official defection to the APC, has perfected preparations to use him as Chairman of APC in Bayelsa State.
Senator Douye Diri has perfected preparations to produce the Bayelsa APC Chairman, Secretary, including other relevant positions to take total control of the party structure in the state, as deliberate steps towards producing a governorship candidate in the next gubernatorial election.
Unknown to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku who are rumoured to have governorship ambitions in 2027, Governor Douye Diri will never support any of them as successor, rather he is nurturing a relative from Nembe extraction whose father is from Sampou to succeed him as Bayelsa Governor.
In the same vein, the APC chieftain has condemned the decision of the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri over nomination of his maternal relative from Ayamasa town, Pastor Peter Pereotubo Akpe as Deputy Governor with motives to revolve the government as a family enterprise.
The chieftain who that stands for justice, fairness, and transparency in governance, has expressed intense dissatisfaction over Governor Douye Diri’s nomination of his relative as deputy governor against Bayelsans.
The sudden passing of the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo whose cause of sudden death still uncertain, created room for timely replacement of the office of the deputy governor according to Section 191 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said the governor has privatized governance of Bayelsa as a family enterprise with Akpe nomination as deputy when expected to choose from other competent Bayelsans.
Senator Diri has virtually privatized governance of Bayelsa by appointing only relatives in sensitive positions: Chief of Staff now Deputy Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Domestic, Director of Transport, and other government house appointees.
The aggrieved party stakeholder said successive administrations since 1999 has credibly and transparently distributed political appointments across the three senatorial district, but the reverse has been the record in Senator Douye Diri administration.
The governor take decisions without putting into consideration of those who consciously built his political reputation. He defected to the APC without considering the feelings of leaders working closely with him.
Bayelsans has witnessed that the governor has no conscience and empathy, enveloped with greed and ingratitude against those who helped in building his political career and reputation; such as former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Dr. Timi Alaibe, Senator Seriake Dickson.
Senator Diri political trajectory has been driven by pettiness, rumours, propaganda, capitalizing on illiteracy, poverty and stomach infrastructure syndrome of some Bayelsans, while privatizing and managing resources of the state as a family enterprise.
In self-delusional, deceptive pretense of building peace, unity, he brought in opposition members to replace those who fought (some lost their lives) for his emergence, instead of acknowledging, and compensating them for their support and sacrifices.
Douye was very selfish to abandon Jonathan, Alaibe in PDP, especially Dickson who believed and trusted him as successor. Yet, he embraced the people who fought against those who worked for him in the election.
The way and manner the governor had shown ingratitude to Jonathan, Dickson, Alaibe, and others, same thing he will do to Lokpobiri, Ogbuku, Lyon, and other leaders in the APC.
Douye doesn’t understand that those who are praising him, are doing so for political patronage (monetary terms), and desert him after office.
Signed:
Barr. David Perebo
APC Chieftain Writes From Yenagoa
Bayelsa: APC Chieftain Condemns Marginalized Congresses, Alleges Diri’s Plan To Use Isowo As State Party Chairman
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
By Comrade Philip Ikodor
The National Progressive Hub (NPH), a leading support group for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on all Nigerians to rally behind President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for a successful second term in office come 2027.
In a statement, National Coordinator/Convener, Honorable Bukie Okangbe, praised the APC administration for its efforts towards nation-building and economic stability. Okangbe highlighted the NPH’s previous support for President Tinubu, including a National Security and Endorsement event in 2022 that contributed to the party’s successful general election outcome.
The NPH is gearing up for a Grand Endorsement event for President Tinubu’s second term, scheduled to hold on February 26th at the Musa Yaradua Center, CBD, Abuja. The event will also feature the inauguration of 36 state coordinators, including the FCT, and address critical national issues.
“We invite everyone to join us at this significant event,” Okangbe said. “Your presence will be a testament to our collective commitment to Nigeria’s progress and the APC’s vision for a better future.”
The event promises to be a landmark occasion, showcasing the NPH’s dedication to the APC and President Tinubu’s leadership.
National Progressive Hub (NPH) Urges Support for President Tinubu’s Second Tenure
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