WILL THERE BE APC AFTER 2019 ?

It is on record that the Nigerian ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) was a child of necessity going by how it was formed in 2014 as four opposition political parties, namely, Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which was executed to wrestle power from the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) being led by then President Goodluck Jonathan.

Although APC eventually won the presidential poll and a larger number of members of National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) in 2015 with President Muhammadu Buhari, the joy was short lived as dirty political football soon began at the National Assembly where simple majority elected want-away Bukonla Saraki and Yakubu Dogara emerged Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively as against the whims and caprices of the APC leaders and elders, mainly the Southwest political leaders caucus being led by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The surprised emergence of Bukonla Saraki as Senate President rattled the entire APC loyal to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s caucus of APC in Southwest and the Presidency who wanted Saraki and Dogara out, but the two National Assembly leaders retaliated with what many described as move-firstly with budget padding and budget delay, and later on with a whole of lots of political face-off between the Legislature and the Presidency which had bad effect on socio-economic life of the country.

When such was lingering on, there came an allegation that the Presidency plotted the removal of Senate President, accusing him of falsification of Assets Declaration and the case lingered on until he finally won the criminal case at the Supreme Court.

Apart from the accusation against Senate President, it also took six good months for President Muhammadu Buhari to nominate the prospective ministers for the legislative screening by the Presidency to the National Assembly at the detriment of Nigerians who believed that President Buhari-led administration would start to hit the ground running in earnest based on what he campaigned for – good governance, corruption-free Nigeria, better economy, among others.

When President Muhammadu Buhari finally submitted the list of minister nominees, Nigerians were a bit surprised since the names of the like of Bismarck Rewane, Professor Charles Soludo, Professor Pat Itomi, among other world-renowned technocrats and economists were missing on the list.

“Sai Baba, Sai Buhari” slogan which brought in APC and Muhammadu Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria soon waning as many issues began to pile up against good governance and socio-economic development, darting with ill health of the president which forced to leave the shores of country at will and telling doom on our economy, good governance which was worsened by Dapchi girls abduction, another big blow to the nationhood after Chibok girls that served as the beginning of failure to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the country.

Mass Fulani herdsmen killings across the country, but more rife in Benue, Taraba, Nassarawa and Plateau which is painting the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari administration in bad light and gave room for serious criticisms against APC and a political loop hole for sentiments that may dampen the light and eventually contribute to the proposed defeat and exit of APC government in the country.

The seemingly bleaks that are associated with future of APC and possible re-election of Muhammadu Buhari as President of Federal Republic of Nigeria prompted the insistence of Presidency and Tinubu’s caucus who later reunited with President Buhari after political misunderstanding that characterised the Ministerial appointment which infuriated Tinubu as he was sidelined in the appointment of government functionaries, to root for another National Chairman of the APC after the tenure of Chief John Oyegun.

Serious political game was played at the National Congress APC in Abuja where the purported game changer – former Governor Adams Oshiomole came in as the National Chairman. A lots of things seemed to have changed since the emergence of Oshiomole as direct primaries were ratified by National Working Committee and National Executive Committee of the party, beginning from Osun State Governorship election 2018 and now spreading to all party primary elections ahead of 2019.

These moves, coupled with another bottled up issues, including presidential ambitions, are now forcing out lots of the then APC chieftains, first Atiku Abubakar, ex vice president left to contest in People’s Democratic Party. This was followed with a barrage of defections from APC to People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Musa Kwakwanso, former Governor of Kano State and serving Senator left; serving Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and the latest was Bukonla Saraki, the Senate President who left to contest for presidency under the umbrella of People’s Democratic Party.

The political ambience of the country therefore getting interesting with the barrage of defections and cross defections, mainly from the ruling party – APC which makes many people think Muhammadu Buhari and his APC might not get second ticket, citing lots of reasons which might not be unconnected with the perceived corruption and mass killings by criminals among Fulani, Buhari’s tribe as well as seeemingly bad governance.

With all these political reasons, coupled with old age and ill health of Mr. President, many people believe that APC might lose out in 2019 general elections, except strategic political moves were made by APC to bring Nigerians’ choice for presidency as Nigerians want young and vibrant people that will truly bring real change as promised by APC while coming to power in 2015.

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