2019: APC, PDP engulfed in post-primary crisis

All is not well with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ogun State, less than five months to the governorship election in the Gateway State. Correspondent ERNEST NWOKOLO reports that while the fringe parties appear set for the race to produce a successor to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the same thing cannot be said for the APC and the PDP.

The die is cast in Ogun State. The journey to next year’s general elections has began. While the fringe political parties appear set to participate in the race to produce a successor to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, barely five months to the governorship election, the same thing cannot be said for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

The fringe parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), the Alliance for Democracy (AD), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have picked their governorship candidates, after seamless primaries. In contrast, the APC and the PDP are yet to settle for the candidates that will fly their flags at the election.

The two main political parties are still embroiled in crisis, because each of them conducted separate parallel congresses that produced two candidates for each of them.

In the primary conducted by the Muhammad Ndabawa-led electoral committee sent to the state by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC on October 3, Prince Dapo Abiodun was declared winner.

But after the contest, Ndabawa said Abiodun’s emergence as the APC governorship flag bearer would be “subject to ratification by the party’s NWC”. He added that he is not aware that parallel primary was conducted by a committee set up  by the Ibikunle Amosun-led state chapter. It was at the second primary that the governor’s preferred candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, emerged winner

In line with the provisions of the party’s guidelines and constitution, Ndabawa said his committee is the “authentic body constituted by the NWC” to conduct the exercise in Ogun State”.

Since emergence of two candidates, Abiodun and Akinlade,  for the same APC governorship ticket, it has been all confusion and uncertainty in the minds of the people, regarding who is the authentic candidate; as each camp insists that it is legitimate one.

Many stakeholders have accused Amosun of plunging the party into the current crisis, by single handedly picking Akinlade in a manner that shut out other contestants. The governor conrtinues to maintain that his man is the candidate of the party.

Spurred by the claim that he built the party from the scratch, the governor described those backing the other candidate (Abiodun) as “profiteers” seeking to reap from where they did not sow.

As at late last week, Amosun was still adamant that he would have his way and that Akinlade emains the APC candidate. But, like a bull, Abiodun entered the ring and routed the governor’s annointed candidate and thereby checked what many party members considered as the state chief executive’s inclination to capture everything for himself.

Prior to the arrival of Abiodun on the scene, the governor’s camp had bullied Senator Olamilekan Adeola, who had the backings of stakeholders from Ogun West for the plum job, to the extent that the latter had to shelve the idea of contesting for the Ogun governorship and return to Lagos, where he succeeded in retaining the ticket for the Lagos West senatorial race.

In bid to break what appears like a deadlock, Amosun has  been shuttling between Abeokuta and Abuja to influence the emergence of his candidate, by upturning the decision of the NWC panel on Abiodun.

It is not yet clear if the governor and Akinlade camp are having any success in that direction, as evidenced in the discordant tones emanating from there.

While on one hand, he kept flying the kite that they may toe the path of his predecessor,  Gbenga Daniel, who herded his supporters and anointed candidate, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, to the Peoples Party of Nigeria(PPN) when the PDP denied them the ticket in favour of General Tunji Olurin in 2011. On the other hand, the camp also continued to assure its supporters that Akinlade’s name has been accepted as the party flag bearer.

At a stage, the Abiodun campaign organisation had to dispel the alleged falsehood, accusing a key member of Amosun administration of being the purveyor of it.

However, a chieftain of the party in Ogun Central, Bode Mustapha, said Dapo Abiodun assured that all is well with Abiodun and his candidacy.

Mustapha who said Abiodun remains the authentic candidate of APC in Ogun State, regretting that many who had no knowledge of the true situation of things are swallowing falsehood as if it is an opium that Akinlade is the party’s candidate.

The Egba chief gave the advice on Sunday at Iperu residence of Abiodun while addressing thousands of party members and supporters from the 20 local government areas during a solidarity meeting, noting that the ‘war’ is over and advised all party members to come together and rally round Abiodun for the greater task ahead; which is winning the governorship election.

Mustapha said the oil magnate and real estate operator from Ogun East senatorial district, would carry everybody, including the governor’s camp, along in the race to ensure the victory of the party.

He said it is only when they come together to secure the ultimate victory in 2019 that they would also have cause to celebrate the joy of electoral victory together.

However, it is hoped that the governor and his camp would look at the bigger picture and work for the unity and continued progress of the party.

The source said Governor Amosun may have weighed the options and concluded that pulling out of the APC won’t pay him as was the case with Daniel and his supporters.

But, while there appears to be a flicker of hope that the APC may resolve its post-primary crisis, a similar disagreement within the PDP remains intractable.

The Sikirulai Ogundele – led  group produced Ladi Adebutu  as sole candidate during its primary conducted by the Capt. Mike Williams Hart- led committee, a faction  loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu  has  Adeleke Shittu from Ijebu-Igbo, in Ijebu North Local Government Area, as its  governorship candidate.

Not contented with having Shittu as its candidate, the faction loyal to Kashamu also secured  a Federal High Court order  sitting in Abeokuta,  directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Uche Secondus-led national leadership of the PDP to accept and process the list of candidates and delegates submitted to them by the Engr. Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP for the purpose of the 2019 general elections.

The implication of the court order is that the candidacy of Ladi Adebutu who emerged from the primary conducted for the Sikirulai Ogundele – led faction of PDP may be hanging in a balance.

But, the faction has since gone to same court, asking it to set aside orders directing INEC to accept and process only list of candidates and delegates authenticated by the Dayo-led executives for the 2019 elections, citing lack of service on defendants and lack of fair hearing.

The Counsel to Ogundele faction, Emeka Etiaba (SAN),  who filed the application on 10 grounds,  he argued that the orders (obtained by faction loyal to Kashamu) are “a nullity, having been obtained by false representation, concealment of facts and fraud,” leaving party members confused as to which of the factions is the authentic PDP governorship candidate for the 2019 election.

Besides, while the national body of PDP has expelled Senator Buruji Kashamu and Dayo who leds a faction of the PDP, making it politically illegal for them to conduct primary on behalf of the party, another court judgment recently declared their expulsion unlawful.

Certainly, these are not the best of times for Ogun APC and PDP, as it is not certain who will fly their flags in next year’s general elections, about five months to the governorship election.