The lingering crisis rocking the Ogun State All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to abate. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines its implications for the party, ahead of next year’s polls.
In spite of the recent victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, the party still has some challenges in the Southwest. The party has to put its house in order to avert electoral doom. There are indications that all is not well with the APC in Ogun and Oyo states.
The leadership crises in Ogun State chapter, for instance, have polarised the party. The situation is similar to what happened to the PDP when it was preparing for 2011 general elections. The PDP went to the poll as a divided party and this was the factor that helped the APC to sweep the polls.
The disagreement in Ogun APC is very critical and it may provide a leeway for the PDP to realise its ambition of regaining the control of the state. The rivalry between Chief Olusegun Osoba, who is regarded as the APC leader and Governor Ibikunle Amosun has polarised the party and created disaffection among their supporters. Both camps have refused to sheathe their swords. The fight is over the control of the party structure. Unless this is addressed effectively, it may have dire consequences for the APC in next year’s elections.
A chieftain of the APC, who craved anonymity, said only a divine intervention can make the two factions to work together for the progress of the party. He said the deep-seated animosity started in 2003 when Amosun mobilised the PDP to uproot the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Osoba, who was the governor, from the State House. The mutual suspicion between them was rekindled when they found themselves in the same party, prior to 2011 general elections. A source said the friction was evident during the preparation for the governorship primaries. According to the source, the Osoba group vehemently rejected the choice of Amosun for governorship. It took the intervention of eminent personalities and traditional rulers before Osoba could agree.
Amosun emerged as the party’s governorship candidate. But, Osoba was given the privilege of picking candidates for the three senatorial seats, nine House of Representatives tickets, and 23 out of 26 House of Assembly tickets. Besides, Osoba picked the running mate for Amosun.
But, the disagreement reared its head again, shortly after the inauguration of Amosun as governor. There was a sharp disagreement over the choice of commissioners and other members of the state executive council. The Osoba group alleged that the governor sidelined those he met in the party by single-handedly appointing members of the executive. To pacify them, Amosun picked some of his special advisers, chairmen and members of Boards of parastatals and agencies from Osoba’s group.
The governor’s move did not however, douse the cry of marginalisation. The Osoba group felt short-changed during the last local government election. They alleged that they were not given enough chairmanship and councillorship slots. The sharing formula, according to them, was lopsided in favour of Amosun and his supporters. This prompted pro-Osoba legislators to form a group known as “Ma t’agba mole” (Don’t step on elder). They said Osoba was not accorded his proper place in the scheme of things. On his part, the governor has always said that Osoba is his leader and that there is nothing going on in the party and government that he is not aware of.
What fuelled the crisis, according to a party stalwart, was the recent exchange of correspondence between the governor and members representing Ogun State at the National Assembly. He said both letters were loaded with missiles. The stalwart said: “At the onset, there was a clear indication that Governor Amosun is only a sitting duck, who has little or no control over the party structure. Amosun, in his letter stated that the serving Ogun APC senators and House of Representatives members have “scant regard for me and my office because you believe that I played no role in your emergence as party candidates at the primaries and general elections in 2011.
“Amosun was at the mercy of party elders when seeking the ticket. He was so blinded with his ambition that he could have signed even his own death warrant, just to get the slot he was interested in. And he eventually got the governorship ticket. Why would those he had no hand in their emergence as candidates at the general elections look up to him and revere him as their leader?”
The chieftain noted that the crux of the matter was that the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) picked Amosun because of lack of a strong candidate to face the PDP. Having ran on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2007 election and, with the demise of Chief Dipo Dina, the ACN strongman in the 2007 gubernatorial race, the doors were wide open and Amosun did not have to go through the ‘mills’ before being selected as the standard bearer.
It was learnt that a letter dated January 23, 2011 written by Amosun to the party leaders infuriated members of the National Assembly. Amosun had assessed their electoral prior to 2011 elections. He said some of them lacked political clout and wherewithal to win elections.
But, analysts believe that the issue fuelling the crisis is the second term ambition of elective office holders. A member of the party, Alhaji Azees Ajetunmobi, said the crux of the problem in Ogun APC is the bid of the members of the National Assembly to retain their position in 2015. However, other aspirants loyal to Amosun believe they have performed below expectation and they must be replaced.
Ajetunmobi claimed that Amosun has not anointed anyone for any office. “What he wants is a level playing field where the current elected office holders, including himself, can contest against other aspirants within the party. The incumbent office holders do not want election, but selection,” he added.
Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East) faulted Amosun’s claim of creating a level playing field for all contestants. He made reference to the party congress, which produced parallel executives, Kaka said: “All the rigged-in executives from wards to the national level will, first of all give way to genuinely elected representatives, starting from the unadulterated lists of delegates up to where it gets to. Thereafter, if there is room for good primaries, so be it.”
Kaka added: “I was the first person to say that there is no automatic ticket for anybody, including Amosun. I said it a long time ago. That was what created the enmity and other things”.
Conscious of the implications of the crisis, Amosun has extended the olive branch to aggrieved party members. He said no politician would want to go into the general elections with a divided house. So, the current atmosphere of division and acrimony, he observed, does not profit anybody.
Amosun promised to settle the rift between him and Osoba. He said he is neither in competition with Osoba whom he described as his leader.
Kaka believes the solution to the crisis lies with the governor. “If the governor did the needful rather than sending emissaries to beg Osoba, peace would have returned to Ogun APC,” said.
The senator listed conditions for peace. They include reorganising the party structure, ensuring all-inclusive government, ensuring that each of the 20 local councils has a commissioner instead of the current scenario where some councils have three or four commissioners, while some councils have none. Describing the moves by Amosun to reconcile with Osoba as a blackmail, Kaka said the solution was for the governor to retrace his steps.
The former deputy governor highlighted some of the ”sins” of Amosun. He said the governor failed to hold consultative meetings, since the inception of his administration three and half years ago. According to him, the governor had carried out all programmes and projects of the APC–led government without consultation with stakeholders. He said all he did was to do things in the name of the party, but without any of the stakeholders being able to defend it in the face of criticism by opposition. The people who worked for the party’s victory in 2011 were relegated to the background, he said.
On speculations that the Osoba group had perfected arrangements to defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) founded by the Afenifere group, Kaka said the faction was being wooed by various political parties and admitted that the SDP remained the most appealing.
He said: “Platform is platform and there is no party that is a no-go area for us. Why are they worried? Somebody came from a party and joined the defunct ACN and got elected. If they could move, why can’t others move?
“But, so far, so good, the SDP is the most appealing and our state executive are formalising the process of getting things done. Don’t let me talk emphatically. But, it is the most appealing as far as our group is concerned.”
However, Ajetumobi cautioned against the hard line position of both factions. He said the current talk of non-forgiveness, non-harmonisation, non-reconciliation is unhelpful to the cause of democracy and internal democracy within the party, except, if both groups have hidden agenda.
Ajetunmobi urged all lovers of democracy to go for primaries adding the losers should congratulate the winners and vice versa, because in a contest between members of the same family, there are no victors, no vanquished.
‘The APC national executive has taken steps to reconcile and unite the warring factions in the troubled chapter. The council had set up a high-powered seven-man delegation to resolve the crisis and unite the two groups. Members of the reconciliation committee include, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Chief Audu Ogbe, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.
The committee, it was gathered, prevailed on Osoba and his loyalists to have a rethink on their plan to ditch the party and put forward a proposal of 60: 40 per cent sharing formula while the aggrieved National Assembly members will be guaranteed return tickets.
It could not be ascertained whether the proposal was accepted or not by both groups. But a statement by Senator Kaka suggests otherwise. He said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar led a high-power delegation to meet with the governor but they met a brick wall.
Kaka said his group has not closed the door against reconciliation. “There is nothing impossible under the sun and since we are God-fearing people, we will give peace a chance and give God the opportunity to direct us to the right path, he said. He stressed that the group would not rescind its decision, if alleged injustice perpetrated in the state chapter of the party was not addressed.
But, the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Sola Lawal, assured that the leadership tussle between the Amosun and Osoba, which has polarised the party will soon be a thing of the past.
Lawal, who spoke against the backdrop of the reconciliation move by the party’s national executive council said there is no cause for any fear as the party’s house will soon be put in order.
