***Internal wranglings Rock APC and PDP
By: Politics Editor
Political parties are getting set for the formal start of their campaigns for next year’s election, by the end of this month, all being well.
But virtually all the leading parties are either emersed in one crisis or the other, or are smarting from one.
Some of the disagreements arose from internal party struggles for the control of the soul of the parties or from the manner of the emergence of their standard bearers.
In the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the party is still battling to calm frayed nerves over its Muslim/Muslim Presidential ticket, even as Presidential aspirants during it’s last Presidential elections are giving the party additional headache.
The party has since constituted itd campaign council and appointed seasoned journalists and lawyers into its media team, with the hope of staving off criticisms over its controversial Presidential ticket.
But the constitution of the campaign council came with it’s own controversies, with the Director General, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state, fighting hard to convince his northern Christian brothers, that, his acceptance of the position of Director General is not an anathema and without prejudice to his faith.
Lalong had to tender public apology to the body of Catholics over his comments, which was regarded as inappropriate, even as the party insists that, the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as it’s Presidential standard bearers was the best in the circumstances.
It’s spokesman, Festus Keyamo had to often adopt a combative posture in countering criticisms against the ticket, blaming the opposition of promoting a diversionary narrative.
Key stakeholders of the APC, especially those belonging to the Christian faith have mounted criticisms against the Muslim/Muslim ticket, with some of them dumping the party outrightly.
In critiquing the choice of Tinubu and Shettima, some of the Christian APC stakeholders have been moving to stir up the minds of fellow Christians against their own party, even as they threaten to be uncooperative to the party’s programme in the campaigns and the subsequent elections.
The duo of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawan and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have been mobilizing against the choice, by visiting politicians of like minds, to garner support.
Their moves against the Muslim/Muslim ticket seems to have gained acceptance amongst many others, including Muslims, who hinged their reasons on the question of morality and national precedence, which must be upheld.
While the APC leadership would rather see the issue more from the angle of political convenience and the attendant clarification by its Presidential standard bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on competence, the controversy has continued to linger, even with the kick off of the campaigns drawing near.
Coming on the heels of the Muslim/Muslim ticket controversy, is the seeming passive resistance being put up by aspirants who contested with Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the primary election.
The aspirants recently shunned the Presidential standard bearer by refusing to attend a reconcilatory meeting convened in Abuja.
While all the aspirants remained passive and ostensibly uncooperative: citing improper approach, there has been palpable tension in the APC.
Both the standard bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, have been traversing the country, trying to woo reluctant party stalwarts and aspirants, the refusal to attend the meeting called by Bola Ahmed Tinubu points to the fact, that the overtures seem to be yielding little or no results.
National Trail findings reveal that, the agrieved aspirants are insisting on the personal intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, both of whom must make committal statements on their stakes in the incoming Government.
Findings further reveal that, those of the Christian faith amongst the aspirants may be towing the lines of Babachir Lawan and Yakubu Dogara, to the effect that, the arrangement is heavily prejudiced against their faith.
Agsinst the reported disagreement between the camps of APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu and Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s men, over the constitution of the Presidential campaign Council, the crisis in the ruling party may seriously affect the smooth take off, of it’s campaigns.
The continued passivity of key stakeholders, including it’s agrieved aspirants, may spell further doom to the APC in the days ahead.
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is not in less troubled waters, as the festering disagreement between Atiku Abubakar, it’s standard bearer and Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State, has further torn the party into factions: each of which my work against it’s victory.
It is no longer news that, the Atiku/Nwike feud, has opened rooms for further realignment of forces, with the duo of Atiku and Nwike as the main combatants.
Reports indicate that, some elements within the Atiku Abubakar team, have worsened the situation with their utterances, while Nwike himself leads the offensive from his camp.
The Rivers strongman has been double speaking on his possible position on the 2023 election; often times giving the impression that he will work against the PDP during the Presidential elections, but will deliver on others.
Nwike is reported to be currently consulting further with APC agents in the United Kingdom, and may make known his position on the simmering Cris in when he returns.
The fiery Governor’s body language indicates that, he plans to dine with the PDP and wine with the APC, during the elections: a move that may earn him expulsion from the PDP Atiku’s men threaten.
Besides the Atiku/Nwike feud, feelers indicate that, the call for the resignation of the PDP national Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, following Atiku’s emergence as the Presidential standard bearer, may snowball into deeper crisis during the campaigns.
The calls being orchestrated from the southern part of the country has the tendency to demarket Atiku in the South, with attendant furastration of his campaign tour of the region.
Like APC’s Muslim/Muslim ticket, the concentration of key positions in the North, is perceived as a gross injustice to the Southern part of the country.
Spokespersons of the party have often attempted to explain how the case of the PDP is different from that of the APC, but agrieved interests do not appear impressed.
The Labour party is not in less crisis, with reports coming from the states of fueding over Governorship candidates, even as it’s Presidential standard bearer, Peter Obi has come under serious fire, for seeking to fund his campaigns from diaspora donations.
The NNPP has been factionalized following the exit of former Kano state Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, the nto the PDP.
Shekarau’s exit has tended to leave the NNPP in quandary and it’s Presidential standard bearer, Ishaku Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in the lurch.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, is still battling to resolve the crisis arising from the reported expulsion f it’s Presidential standard bearer, Mr Kachukwu.
While state chairmen of the party have been reported to hav void d the reported expulsion, the other parties insist on havening their ways.
Generally, most of the leading parties may kick off their campaigns amidst to internal wranglings and public odium.
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