With its registration midweek, the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have entered another phase of challenge that may test its stability, cohesiveness and capability to wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) amid jostling by elective office aspirants in the fraternizing parties for the mega opposition party’s tickets for the 2015 elections in the states in the South West.
Expectedly, the most prized ticket is that of the governorship, which has become a major issue of contention in Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states, where gubernatorial aspirants have emerged in other parties in the partnership of which the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is dominant.
The tussles are coming amid an alleged understanding and agreement that respective parties be allowed to produce candidates for elections in areas, where they are known to be strong as reached at the national level during the merger talks.
But informed stakeholders denied the existence of any such agreement, which they noted, conflicts with the provisions of the new party’s constitution that upholds primary election as the only due process through which candidates must emerge.
Aside the ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are the two major parties in the merger, with a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okworocha and Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) being also members.
Although it is an open secret that some of the incumbent ACN governors are interested in second term, Saturday Sun investigations revealed that challengers have emerged among aspirants in the party’s counterparts, who would not accept the party, which currently controls five of the six states in the geo-political zone lord it over them. The indignation is fuelled by the perceived culture of hand picking candidates for which the ACN was notorious.
In Oyo for instance, a former Commissioner for justice and Attorney General in the state, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, has signalled his intention to contest the 2015 governorship. Shittu, who contested, but lost governorship election in the state on the platform of CPC is believed to have activated campaign machinery for a 2015 bid. He told Saturday Sun in Ibadan yesterday that: “By the grace of God I will contest the governorship in 2015. The question of one party and another dictating is out of the question. We are now one party and determined to ensure sustenance and strengthening of internal democracy. That implies that rather than imposition of candidates for governmental elections, the APC has made adequate provision in its constitution to ensure that candidates emerge only through primary elections.”
However, the recent registration of the APC poses serious challenge to the second term ambition of the Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, as indications emerged that other political parties that merged with the ACN to form the mega party may also present governorship aspirants for the election which holds next year.
Already, Aregbesola has been endorsed for a second term and has emerged the candidate of his party, the ACN before the registration of the new party.
With the present development in the political system in the state, it is not certain whether or not Aregbesola would enjoy similar gesture he enjoyed in the ACN as some members of the other two parties that form the party have also signified interest in his position.
Before the registration of the APC, the CPC and ANPP had declared that they would contest the election next year and had been moving round the state to canvass for support for their flag bearers ahead of the 2014 Governorship election before the merger and subsequent registration of the APC, with the candidates of the party also soliciting for support.
Governorship candidate of the CPC, Mr. Olalekan Banjo, who had started his campaign for the governorship election since last year said he was still in the race on the platform of the APC. He said he had made consultations with the leadership of the party in the state and held meetings with various interest groups in the state on his ambition to rule the state, declaring that he would not step down for Aregbesola for any reason. Mr. Banjo, a lawyer maintained: “We have met with those that matter in the state and within the APC in particular and I have been directed to go on with my ambition. Therefore, I will contest the election at the primary level if Aregbesola also signifies intention to contest”. He expressed his preparedness to unseat Aregbesola next year, stressing that he has all it takes to take over from him.
Also, the governorship candidate of the ANPP, Mr. Fowowe Oladimeji, who spoke through a member of his campaign organisation, Mr. Olugbenga Babalola said he would continue with his campaign, despite the endorsement of Aregbesola by the ACN. According to him, “the APC is different from ACN, the APC is a new political party and we shall not compromise our stand on truth and justice in this party. So, we are ready for the governorship race and every other person interested in the post can also signify”.
But, the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the ACN before the registration of APC, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi said the newly registered party would not make a mistake of changing Aregbesola as the party’s governorship flag bearer. He said: “As far as the political tempo and tenor of Osun State is concerned, the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the rallying point for APC. You don’t change the winning team. If APC wants to win in Osun State, there is no way it won’t present Aregbesola for governorship election because he is the man of the moment.”
In Ekiti, Dr Muyiwa Kayode, a former CPC governorship candidate has joined the vanguard of contenders giving Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the incumbent governor, a run for his money. A financial analyst and economist, he was the gubernatorial candidate of the CPC in 2011, who joined active politics about five years ago under the Labour Party, but left for CPC later due to what he regarded as dirty politics being played by some key players.
Another major contender is within the ruling party itself and is Hon. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB), the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budgets.
However, the ANPP, according to its Ekiti State Chairman, Alhaji Azeez Awolokun, was still studying the situation in Ekiti and has no candidate yet.
The story is, however, different in Ogun State, where the chances of Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for another term in office seem to have been brightened by the coming of the mega party.
The governor, it was learnt, has had the second term ticket conceded to him by aspirants in the ANPP and CPC due to what one of them, Comrade ‘Wale Okunniyi, who ran for the last governorship election under CPC, said were the laudable achievements of the state government, particularly in the urban renewal programme.
Sources told Saturday Sun that many of the CPC chieftains, who would have opposed the governor were, in fact, his points men and who worked assiduously for him to become governor in 2011. Okuniyi said if APC must win the next gubernatorial elections in the state, it must get its act together and its members must close ranks with one another and rally round the governor for the party to win the 2015 election.
Source: Sun
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