If APC leaders and stakeholders were to make a choice, and just one choice between a successful national convention and a victorious 2023 general elections, I am sure both sides would be voted for. Some will on one hand vote for personal and selfish reasons to become party executives even if the party would not make it in 2023, while others wouldn’t mind having a party without elected leadership but having APC victorious to remain Nigeria’s leading political party in 2023, which will certainly be in the majority.
The battle for the soul of the party is on the heat with a combination of the old and the new, the tested and not tested, and the tested but not so trusted. To add this to the problems of the party, is the fact that the proposed new National Working Committee of the party is expected to organise the primary to elect flagbearers for the party for the 2023 elections in the next six months.
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Some concerned stakeholders have raised questions on the preparedness of a new leadership to produce competent, popular and acceptable candidates who truly reflect the peoples’ choice to avoid inviting a self-inflicted anarchy to approach the general elections in disarray. Such an action would only give PDP that is keenly watching like a patient vulture, an unwarranted advantage to pick the victory on a platter of gold with utmost ease.
While inaugurating APC Contact Committee ahead of the 2023 election last year, HE Mai Mala Buni, the Yobe State governor and Chairman APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, said the ambition of the party is to go beyond President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms of office. “Our vision is to drive the party to go beyond 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or even 10th term of office to effectively implement the party manifesto, improve the lives of Nigerians and to remain Nigeria’s leading political party”.
If this assertion is to be actualised in 2023 and beyond, APC must, as a matter of policy, sieve the grains from the chaff and differentiate between platform seekers and committed party faithful.
The efforts put in rescuing the party from the jaws of death can equally be channelled and redirected into the 2023 project to extricate it from a possible disaster. The gains made by the party under the Mai Mala Buni-led committee were indeed exceptional and extraordinary. The new approach exhibited by the committee gave aggrieved members new hope and sense of belonging.
It was, therefore, not surprising that the effort of the committee was crowned with the defection of three serving state governors – Dave Umuahi of Ebonyi; Ben Ayade of Cross River and Bello Mutawalle of Zamfara who defected from PDP along with millions of their supporters.
Again, the membership registration and revalidation exercise carried out by the party had not only established its numerical strength which now stands at over 41 million members but promoted internal democracy and handed over the party to the members.
In addition to the achievements recorded, the party also has the advantage of women and youth followership. The caretaker committee had consistently included women and youth in all its programmes. Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State chaired the women and youth committee during the membership registration and revalidation exercise. Similarly, two separate workshops on women and youth inclusiveness were organized to keep them on board and to give them a sense of belonging.
However, the widespread complaint of poor reward system by the APC government is another major case of concern for the party. The Buhari administration is seen to have failed to appreciate those who laboured for the party with juicy contracts or appointments. Such gold diggers have found the party as very unaccommodating. Therefore, there are fears that such characters if given the opportunity to run the party may dispose the primary election to the highest bidders.
In any case, what laws of the party prevent the caretaker committee from conducting the primary simultaneously with the convention for a better tomorrow? The fate of the party is much safer in the hands of the caretaker committee than risking it with some political merchants who would mortgage it for personal gains.
As a card-carrying member of the party, I have strong faith in APC making a difference in the lives of Nigerians and would jealously protect the party than promote selfish interests that would sell off our future.
The National Executive Committee of the party must as a matter of priority and importance consider conducting the convention alongside the party primary to save our chances in 2023.
By Aishatu Muhammadu who can be reached on [email protected]
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