By Mideno Bayagbon
(mideno@thenewsguru.ng)
For those who thought it was a settled matter in the All Progressives Congress (APC), that its presidential flag bearer would come from the South, in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election, a rude awakening greeted them last week. Two new, but related twists, surfaced sending shock waves into the camps of aspirants. The two events amount to what former President Olusegun Aremu Okikiola Obasanjo would describe as K-Leg to the aspirations of Southern candidates.
First, the new Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, came out to announce, against the reported instructions by President Muhammadu Buhari and perceived agreements of party leaders, that NO, the party has not concluded on which part of the country its flag bearer will emerge from. Before now, it was assumed, as a concluded matter, that the party’s candidate will emerge from the South.
Secondly, from being whispers in dark crevices, the light shown on the rumour that Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan, is the hidden hand of the Fulani North which it intends to unveil as the dark horse, the consensus candidate of the power bloc whose ascendancy came with the foisting of former Nasarawa State Governor and Senator, Abdullahi on the party as chairman.
Before now, the brash, poorly performing governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, was the only one from the North, who had indicated interest in, and indeed tried to canvass votes to contest for the candidacy of the APC. Most of the other aspirants were from the South. This appeared in line with the convention in the party whereby offices and positions are rotated between the South and North. The Southerners who lined up so far include Professor Yemi Osinbajo; the Jagaban, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the Transportation Minister. There are also Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; former Abia State Governor and now Federal Minister, Ogbonnaya Onu; Labour Minister, Senator Chris Ngige. There are also former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade with his oversized ego, are also posturing for the past. So was former Governor and now Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
Lurking in the wings is Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who most thought was the hidden hand of the mafia around the President, who they had wanted to impose as the consensus candidate of the party. Of course, there is Goodluck Jonathan, our former President who, most are surprised, is even considering contesting for the position, against popular opinion. The Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio and Minister of State, Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, as at last week, were carefully still weighing their options and were still consulting. They too, may join the crowded field of aspirants from the South. It is becoming a comical circus out there in the APC.
Most people were first introduced to the new twist in the APC flag bearer race when Senator Orji Uzor Kalu came out smoking with anger that the two other zones in the South, that is the South West and South South were fielding candidates for the race when it should be clear that there should be a concerted effort and agreement to get the position zoned to the South East. Kalu who was jailed for corruption but was sprung out on technicalities, huffing with self righteous indignation, withdrew his hat from the ring. Accusing the Southern aspirants of bad faith, he carefully threw in the spanner in the wheel: if they won’t allow the South East run alone for the position, then it should be flung open to all.
Hidden in all this make belief anger, if you ask me, is an attempt to position himself for a Vice Presidential slot to a Northern candidate. Not just any northern candidate, but one from the North East. Senator Kalu copies Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s argument, that the North East, like the South East, has never produced a Nigerian President. And surprise, surprise! Who is from the North East interested in the position? The soon-to-be unveiled Senate President, Ahmed Lawan! It would be recalled that both himself and Kalu were roommates at the University of Maiduguri, before Kalu was expelled for presenting dubious certificates. But now, Orji Uzor Kalu in pretending to fight for a President of Nigeria of Igbo origin, is attempting to eat his cake and have it. Selling his people and still attempting to make all believe he is fighting for them.
In all of this, it is clear the manipulating hands, who have seized power in the APC, are not relenting in their wish to foist on the nation whoever they want as the President of Nigeria. They have been very frontal, calculative and daring in their push. First, it was to be former President Goodluck Jonathan. The reasoning then was that the nation was on the brink of an implosion arising from the insensitive, parochial religious and ethnic zealotry championed by President Buhari. They felt there was the need for a unifying figure to be enthroned to avert it. Jonathan, then riding high in public opinion, was to be the ideal candidate for this reason, and for the fact that he can only serve a four year term. Then power will return to the Fulani and conservative wing of the North.
With public opinion seriously now against a Jonathan coming back as candidate of the APC, with all the implications for the party, a rethink then threw up a Godwin Emefiele. A fawning Emefiele has been the good boy who made their easy access to the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the last seven years, possible. They rewarded him with automatic renewal of his tenure and ensured that his was the first reappointment President Buhari made after he was sworn in for second term. Over the years they have backed him to be another Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to usurp supervising authority over most of the economic sectors. That is why Emefiele as CBN Governor has often attempted to lord it over several ministers. Now, it is Ahmed Lawan who is poised to make a formal declaration this week.
The South, as usual has shown its true colours: leaderless, spineless, unorganised and void of strategic thinking and thinkers. With Tinubu checkmated and Osinbajo of no great political consequence yet, what can a Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi do to counter this bold move to damn all consequences and have the Fulani North retain power for another eight years?
Senior party officials spoken to seem to believe though that Lawan being positioned as the dark horse is part of the game the party is playing with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. Both are delaying announcing the zone its presidential candidate will emerge from. The thinking being that if the PDP zones its candidate to the South, the APC might just reconsider, depending on the perceived strength of the opponent’s candidate, to zone its own to the North. That is where a dark horse Lawan will fit in.
But most people do not buy this. They say any attempt to get the North to rule for another eight years will not be acceptable. The people of the South and indeed all Nigerians who have endured the gross, incompetent misrule of the Buhari years might just rise up in anger and the consequences will be anybody’s guess
