After many months of foot-dragging marked with several postponements, the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress is holding today March 26 at the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
Today’s convention has been long awaited. First scheduled for February 26, the convention was quickly postponed to March 26 when it became clear that the party was not ready following intrigues and court cases from members. Different camps within the party have been struggling for supremacy as each roots for different candidates for the chairman of the party. The struggle is strident because whoever becomes the party chairman will determine who emerges as its presidential flag bearer.
Until recently, the party was turn asunder before president Buhari stepped in to bring sanity by holding dinner parties with the governors, founding fathers and National Assembly members of APC where he pleaded with them and canvassed for a consensus candidate to avoid the party imploding.
It is important to add that what is going to happen today is not going to have any semblance of election but just to give official endorsement of candidates preselected from each of the six geopolitical zones, a development that prompted PDP to warn INEC not to attend the jamboree.
However, it is clear that with the different interests in the party feeling they have been shortchanged, the possibility of aggrieved interests going to court after the convention cannot be ruled out. The three legacy parties that came together to midwife APC are not in support of Adamu Abdullahi whom President Buhari is fronting as the consensus candidate for the national chairmanship.
Majority of the candidates with their supporters are kicking against the former governor of Nasarawa State as a consensus candidate. They are rather canvassing for a level playing field where the contest will be made open and candidates freely chosen by members of the party as it is done in established democracies all over the world.
If APC scales this hurdle, another bigger hurdle that awaits it is how to choose its presidential candidate as any contemplation of another consensus option will definitely tear the party apart. Alhaji Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who has been distributing money in bullion vans for endorsement within and outside his Yoruba enclave has already given signal to spoil things for the party if not given the presidential ticket.
It is expected that the Vice President Osinbajo who has not officially declared for the presidency will pose a stumbling block to Asiwaju’s ambition. Although Osinbajo’s foot soldiers are all over the country campaigning for support, the Redeemed Christian Church of God where he is a pastor recently went ahead to create a Politics Department within the church to clear way for him, a development that sparked fears in Tinubu spurring him to ask Muslim leaders in Nigeria for the creation of the same.
Going forward, this is going to be a trying and testing time in Nigeria, not only for APC but also for PDP which has been prevaricating and speaking in tongues regarding the side to zone its ticket.
