- Big Wigs Mull Mass Defection Into New Party
- As Govs Annex Party Structures Ahead Of 2019
- Salient War Raging Between, Buhari, Atiku and Tinubu
By Lateef BAMGBOSHE, Abuja
While clapping as gladiators in the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, battle themselves over leadership positions, the ruling All Progressives congress, APC, may have inadvertently forgotten to check brewing trouble in the ranks of its own leaders, the outbreak of which may make the PDP scandal a mere rehearsal. Investigations by nationalTRAIL revealed that, apart from the general misplacement of priorities by the APC Government, the unspoken whirlwind of crises within it, may lead to massive resentment by its key stakeholders and possible implosion before the 2019 polls. Indications to an oncoming crisis is being noticed from remarks credited to key players in the party, which suggest that there is a deepening sense of alienation, and dissatisfaction with the way both Government and party affairs are being run. Even the failure of the APC to its Board of Trustees, and attendant appointments into key positions which seem to negate earlier expectations are seen as indicators of trouble in the offing, as the party moves towards 2019. Similarly, reports of in-house quarrels between President Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu over who is the national leader of the APC, on one hand, and between The President and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, over the latter’s perceived presidential ambition on the other present warning signals. Our correspondent reports that, there is a deep seated suspicion amongst these key players, with each of them plotting to undermine the other in the race for the Presidency in 2019, in which all of them are seen to be interested. nationalTRAIL observes that, while President Muhammadu Buhari moves to consolidate his hold on both Government and the party, Atiku and Tinubu seem to have something up their sleeves and may be posing in the dark to upstage him at the last minute, failure to which they may desert him. Already, the Presidency is said to be keeping a close tab on Atiku, against intelligence reports that he may be planning to ditch the APC and poach from it in 2019 to pursue his presidential ambition on the platform of another political party, possibly the PDP. Atiku Abubakar who has the knack for jumping political ship at the slightest provocation, is under watch by the President’s men, who are also said to be working to correct the impression that Buhari is President while Tinubu is National leader of APC. A source close to the President confirmed to us that, it has become worrisome to the President that Tinubu wants to relegate him to the background in party affairs, by proclaiming himself the leader, even when the constitution of the APC states otherwise. Investigations also reveal that, while the President, Atiku Abubakar and Tinubu were locked in a salient
war of supremacy against 2019, some Governors and legislators within the ruling party have began moves to form a new alliance, which may lead to the formation of a new party or picking a weak existing party and reposition it for their own contests. nationalTRAIL had reported of a series of meetings of thirteen Governors with the top echelon of the National Assembly, and other like minds in Dubai, Kaduna and Abuja, at which the moves to pull the carpet from under the feet of the trio of Buhari, Atiku and Tinubu was muted. A source from the meeting confirmed to us that, the arrow heads of the meeting include, Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who is being positioned for the Presidency, Adams Oshimole of Edo State, who may be his running mate, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, also interested in the Presidency with Rochas Okoraocha of Imo State as his running mate, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and Bindow Jibrilla of Adamawa State. Others said to be in consonance with the moves include Abdulfattah of Kwara, Abubakar Mohammed of Bauchi, Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina and Bagudu Bello of Kebbi States, while in the National Assembly, the likes of Dr Bukola saraki, Senate President, Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Ali Ndume, Senate Leader, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adamu, Bala Na-Allah, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Aliyu Wamako, Dino Melaye, and Baba Kaka Garbai may have been coopted. Findings reveal that a total of 74 senators were involved, 163 members of the House of Representatives, and some key members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, most of whom are seen to be dissatisfied with developments in the APC, to the effect that the party seems to be derailing. Reports from across the states which governors are involved with the project indicate that the governors have taken firm control of the APC structures, with a view to relocating them into the new arrangement, even as Tinubu and Atiku, are said to be making inroads into some states, with a view to having them on their sides, when the chips are down. In each of the states so far listed, the governors, ostensibly capitalizing on the economic conditions of the leadership of the party have eff3ctively pocketed party Chairmen, Secretaries, Women leaders and Youth Leaders in their states.
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