Ogun APC falling into old trap

In its bid to achieve genuine reconciliation ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Ogun State chapter of the APC has descended into deeper confusion as some analysts argue that the ruling party in the state may fall into the same trap that consumed the PDP in 2011. OLALEKAN OSIADE looks at the contending issues.

OGUN State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had been at loggerheads with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), fighting to ensure that his anointed candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, emerges as the gubernatorial candidate of the party and his successor to the exalted office. But going by the crisis rocking the party, which has continued unabated despite concerted efforts to put the ruling party on course, Amosun’s dream may be a tall order.
A similar scenario like what is playing out now occurred in the same state in 2011 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to muster his strength in his home state, by putting forward retired General Adetunji Olurin as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a position the then Governor Gbenga Daniel kicked against as he equally tipped one of his commissioners, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, as the PDP candidate. The war within the party led to its defeat with the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) coasting to victory after the gubernatorial election that produced Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the state governor.
In Ogun State today, just like the ACN took advantage of the PDP crisis in 2011, the PDP is also waiting in the wings to reap from the trouble of the APC. Though the PDP has its own challenges with Senator Buruji Kashamu and Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s factions claiming control of the party, this is minor, compared with the APC crisis. The PDP issue might eventually be put to rest via a court order and the recognition of a faction by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But same could not be said of the APC, whose members are moving to the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), just like some PDP members moved to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in 2011.
Before the PDP crisis ensued in 2011, Obasanjo had earlier in 2003, ensured that his then party, took over the rein of governance in his homestate, ensuring that the likes of his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), Jubril Martins Kuye, Dimeji Bankole and Buruji Kashamu became notable figures in the party.
However, these ‘cooks’ were so many and too powerful to work together, leading to the spoiling of the broth in 2008, a situation that is yet to abate, even till date.
No sooner had Daniel won a second term in office as the governor of the state than the contending forces emerge as to who his successor would be. Before then, Iyabo, who was Daniel’s Commissioner for Health had won an election to represent Ogun Central in the Senate; a feat many analysts argued was made possible by Obasanjo’s hard tactics.
A lot of PDP members believed that Daniel did not want Iyabo in that position, but being baba’s daughter, the party’s machinery was rolled in to ensure that she got the PDP ticket and eventually galvanised the electorate in her favour. It was said that Daniel had no choice than to give in to baba’s pressure in order to ensure his own return to the government house.
But immediately Daniel returned to power in 2007, a show of wits began between him and the former president, who had just failed in his alleged bid to get a third term in office, as such became an ordinary citizen, though with the influence attached to a former president.
The duo could no longer hide their disdain for each another and the scramble for the control of the PDP in Ogun State led to the factionalisation of the party with the Obasanjo camp working with Buruji Kashamu, to rid the then governor of his control of the party.
The problem, which snowballed into a major crisis for the state government led to the balkanisation of the state House of Assembly as forces loyal to Daniel were up in arms against lawmakers that were perceived to be against the interest of the Ogidi Omo, a nickname that was given to OGD at his entrant into Ogun State politics.
The crisis, which initially was between Obasanjo’s faction and that of Daniel led to more crisis that could not be managed and Daniel’s men, after losing at the court, had to dump the PDP for the PPN in order to achieve their political aim. Today, the same crisis has moved to the APC with similar features.
As a stalwart of the APC in Ogun State, Otunba Dayo Olorode put it, “it is not strange in Nigeria to start politicking ahead of an election year, so it is expected that events happening this year might reshape the political landscape of Ogun State.
“What is happening now could determine whether there would be a new political party that would govern the state or whether the APC will continue to possess the followership it presently enjoys”, he said.
The Ogun APC crisis is said to be an offshoot of the challenges at the party’s national heirarchy. It is almost eight years now that Amosun took over the reins of leadership from the PDP but there had been cracks within the leadership of the APC making many to ask whether the APC, which put up a good fight as an opposition party and prides itself as a progressive group would be able to pull through as a ruling party.
Today, in Ogun State, it is not strange to hear people discuss issues that revolve round the leadership crisis within the APC as many are eager to know what are the problems affecting the party and whether there could be solutions to save the party that calls the shot in the state.
The APC had been through thick and thin since its formation in 2013. In the beginning, many Nigerians were skeptical about the success of the merger that led to the formation of the APC as many thought the alliance would not have any headway because they were seen as strange bedfellows, but some of the leaders of the legacy political parties, proved pundits wrong by collapsing all their machinery into one organ, which did not only succeed in its membership registration and National Executive Council election, but also went ahead to participate in the general election and defeated the PDP.
For the APC to become a legal entity, the groups that formed the party had to deregister their old parties; the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP) led by the current Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by Senator Bola Tinubu, the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) led by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
Olorode, in his summation of the issue, said: “In Ogun State and by extension, Nigeria, democracy is not always as simple as people are made to believe. It is beyond a game of numbers. It involves quite some money and whoever has it in surplus will control other politicians and voters.
“This has manifested times without number and it might continue to happen for a long time to come as long as people see politics as a means of livelihood.
“Amosun’s war against his perceived ‘enemies’, such as the National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu and the party’s chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had become a battle of wits. Tinubu calls the shot regarding whom among politicians in Yorubaland takes what position but some popular politicians in the zone could not be assured of their loyalty.
“The frosty relationship is becoming more pronounced as Amosun is said to be working with some former Tinubu boys to reclaim the mandate from Dapo Abiodun, who emerged after a rescheduled primary, which is still a bone of contention.
“Those behind the bloc are yet to be unveiled but they had engaged in hanky-panky activities to undermine Tinubu’s influence in the South West where he had been enjoying political influence and power since 1999”, Olorode argued.
As the 2019 general election draws near, the Amosun group believes it could secure major parts of the state from those he called “forces outside the state”, even as many of his supporters claimed that they want to reduce the influence of Tinubu and that of former Governor Olusegun Osoba.
However, some politicians are of the opinion that Tinubu and Osoba had empowered many political leaders in the state who are ready for a showdown with Amosun but they are quick to point out that Amosun had stepped on so many toes through his style of picking candidates for political positions.
They argued that the impunity with which he announced his list of candidates had crushed the ambition of so many politicians and that those whose political dreams were cut short through Amosun’s monopolistic leadership style are now fighting back.
Like one of Amosun’s loyalists recently put it; “whoever is not pleased with his style should break away and move on to another party. But, the governor will put all recalcitrant fellows in check and whip them back into line”.
But other parties, such as the ADC and the PDP are not leaving anything to chance as the contending parties are all poised for a showdown in the March 2, 2019 governorship polls.