Against all odds, All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee has conducted smooth convention which has produced new National Working Committee of the party. Therefore, the ruling governing party Caretaker Committee led by Governor Mala Buni has recorded great achievements and rescued the party from an imminent collapse to chart a new course.
Despite the rancour free exercise, the convention leaves unforgettable painful scar in the mind of one block of legacy party, CPC members for being accorded with undeserved reward for loyalty and humiliation by the President.
Since the party established two block of the legacy party, Action Congress of Nigeria and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), produced National Working Committee of the party. Chief Bisi Akande National Chairman of the defunct ACN served as pioneer interim national chairman of the APC, In 2014 former Governor of Edo state, John Oyegun, emerged the chairman of All Progressives Congress from ANPP block and also Adams Oshiomhole emerged as the national Chairman from ACN.
Logically, ACN produced two chairman while ANPP one and CPC none. In fact those members of the defunct CPC were the worst treated since the APC formed. Senator Tanko Al-Makura who was only 8 years governor under the defunct CPC indicated interests to contest chairman of the party and some members of the party with sense of history, had also been working for the realisation of his aspiration, thinking he had not only had competence and capacity, but a moral right to aspire to the office.
Before the convention was held, there was two different lists of preferable candidates suffice approved and duly signed by the President. One list with Adamu Abdullahi name and other Tanko Almukura but Abdullahi emerged as a consensus APC National Chairman, while ditched him in spite, he was the only equity, that Buhari took with him to the negotiating table, and ultimately entitled the CPC partners to a stake in the APC merger.
Days to the National Convention, without any explanation or apology, Buhari woke up and chose a man from the same State and predecessor to Al-Makura; a man, who migrated from the opposition PDP in 2014 at the deterrent of lone CPC governor as his choice for party chairman.
One other block whose disappointment comes with an eternally painful scar, was the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) under whose banner President Buhari contested 2011 presidential election. Political and public analyst viewed that had there not been an Al-Makura, President Buhari would not have been able to boast of any entitlement at all, Yet, he didn’t deem it fit to consider him for the office of the chairman of the governing party, he knew that the man desired to be in that office.
From many of the loyalists of the president to other stakeholders of the party, no one has been able to understand, factors that informed the decision of President in ditching Al-Makura. What a special reward for loyalty! An unusual reward for staying the cause and standing strong for the Buhari brand and ideals, Al-Makura and mine alike would never forget that treatment muted to them by Baba Buhari.
Let We Not Forget, there is confusion in the polity as two lawmakers; are now occupying two elective positions following their emergence as national chairman and deputy national chairman (North) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), respectively. Since their emergence as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party tongues are wagging over their seats at the National Assembly. With regard to Section 183 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999, they have a moral duty to quit with law barring an public servants to retaining another paid employment. They need to choose the path of honour to resign from red chamber having being elected to the executive of the party.
Dukawa writes in from Kano abbahydukawa@gmail.com
