But Buhari’s men are not resting on their oars, they seem to be squaring up to the challenge. They have been pushing and pulling the President in political directions to emphasise his claims of being a born-again democrat. That was why the President was in Edo on two occasions before the governorship election, as well as, in Ondo to campaign for Governor-elect Rotimi Akeredolu.
Beneath the grand design was how to ensure that Buhari maintains absolute
control of the party structure to ensure that the presidential aspirations of
such bigwigs like Atiku Abubakar do not pose some threat to the President’s
‘interest’.
Although the plans to replace Oyegun seems to have been played down,
Buhari’s influencers succeeded in replacing the party’s former spokesman with
Senate President Bukola Saraki’s loyalist and former Minister of Youth and Sports,
Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi. It was a feat that also exposed the hidden plot to avoid
a midterm convention stipulated by the party’s constitution, during which such
replacements through election by all the delegates should have taken place.
Despite the suspension of Timi Frank, the deputy publicity secretary, APC
has not found peace in the makeshift National Working Committee, where gaps
exist due to the appointment of former members into the Federal cabinet and the
Presidency.
From subtle preference for Oshiomhole to take over from Oyegun, the
President’s political matchmakers are now looking to the Southeast to give APC
a much-needed third leg to stand on a truly national party. This stimulation
has led to the recent rash of defections from PDP to the ruling party in the
Southeast, particularly Anambra, where a governorship election is on the front
burner.
The President’s handlers believed that the cap fitted Oshiomhole, instead
of Tony Momoh, who was initially touted as the best urbane alternative to Oyegun.
But as the Presidency toys with the idea of appointing the former Labour
leader, Adams Oshiomhole into the cabinet to confront incessant labour disputes
that have characterized the administration’s hammer thumb approach, the inner
men are looking to the east to get a pliable hand to drive the party machinery.
How far the new gamble would go to put the APC structure firmly in the
grip of Buhari and his men depends to what extent they are able to fend off the
growing Turaki appeal in the geopolitical zone, in addition to the growing
climate of ethnic consciousness among the youth.
The bitterness within the traditional APC base is said to have been
exacerbated by Buhari’s indifference to recognise and reward chieftains that
suffered for the party and worked for the electoral victory. The delay in
approving appointments into boards and parastatals, as well as, abandonment of
party stalwarts that lost elections, particularly governorship, is also being
cited as sources of low acceptability rating of the President in the party.
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