Key APC rivals to watch at Convention: Lai vs Abdulrasaq, Amaechi vs Abe

An uneasy peace looms large in the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party holds its much-awaited convention in hours.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari has stepped into the APC crises in an attempt to steady emotions running high in the ranks of the party leadership, there still exist unhealed wounds heading to the historic convention.

The Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, stirred up a hornets’ nest on Thursday when he said he was not aware of a pact on consensus candidates the President reached with APC governors.

“As for your question on whether the President (Muhammadu Buhari) has anointed anyone, I have no knowledge of that. But the President is well within his rights to have a prefer candidate… if his candidate wins, fine; if his candidate loses, fine,” Fayemi had said.

However, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, later issued a statement to deny Fayemi’s assertion which was on record.

Prime among the issues in the APC in the buildup to the convention was parallel congresses held in many states.

The Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) under the chairmanship of the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, upheld the results of congresses held by the faction loyal to governors or the most senior party stalwarts in places like Delta State without APC governors.

Though a national reconciliation committee was set up to calm frayed nerves in the party, the committee achieved little in resolving the crisis.

As the APC holds its convention on Saturday, Daily Trust sheds light on 10 major factional APC leaders to be on the lookout for at the Eagle Square in Abuja, venue of the event.

Lai Mohammed vs Gov Abdulrazaq

The APC in Kwara State is polarised between a faction led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and another backed by the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. The two factions held parallel congresses at ward, local government and state levels.

While the new board chairman of the National Broadcasting Commission, Bashir Bolarinwa, emerged as the APC chairman of Mohammed-led camp, Fagbemi Adeniran, anointed by the governor, was recognised as the APC chairman in the state by the caretaker committee.

On different occasions, the minister and the governor had traded words. Nigerians, especially APC members, will look forward to seeing the two leaders at the convention tomorrow.

Amaechi vs Magnus Abe

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abe are also among top APC chieftains to pay special attention to at the convention.

The two belong to different factions of APC in Rivers State but the camp of Amaechi, the former state governor, was recognised by the caretaker committee. At the APC State Congress, Amaechi and Abe’s camps produced Emeka Beke and Golden Chioma as the state party chairmen respectively.

Ahead of Saturday’s convention, the faction loyal to Abe had alleged that Amaechi, presented names of dead persons and defectors as delegates from the state.

Aregebsola vs Oyetola

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the state Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, are another set of APC chieftains’ people will pay special attention to at the convention.

The duo have locked horns over leadership of the party in the state and led two different factions. The rivalry played out prominently in the days leading to the governorship primary in the state when the two camps were locked in war of words. In the end, the minister’s anointed governorship aspirant, Moshood Adeoti, lost the party ticket to Oyetola, who is seeking a second term.

Ganduje vs Shekarau

There is also an intense battle for the leadership of the party in Kano State between an incumbent Senator, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

A High Court in Abuja had earlier recognised the faction led by Shekarau but the judgment was upturned on February 17 by an Appeal Court in Abuja, which authenticated Ganduje-led camp.

The governor extended a hand of fellowship to the Shekarau-led faction. But to show that the tussle is not yet over, Shekarau camp, which has Ahmadu Haruna Zago as its state chairman, vowed to proceed to the Supreme Court. Whether Ganduje’s move has had any impact or not will be a thing to find out on Saturday when the two party stalwarts show up at the convention.

Amosun vs Abiodun

There is no love lost between the APC factions led by former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and the incumbent Governor, Dapo Abiodun.

Their long battle started in the run-up to the 2019 governorship election in the state when Amosun backed Adekunle Akinlade against Abiodun. Their differences widened last year during the APC congresses as factions loyal to them held separate congresses.

Following the inauguration of Derin Adebiyi, backed by Abiodun, as the Chairman of the APC in the state in Abuja on February 3, Amosun in a terse message 24 hours after, informed his loyalists that the struggle continued.

“To all our party faithful, thank you for your steadfastness; we are APC. APC is ours. The journey continues. Victory is certain by God’s grace. On APC we stand. Thank you and well done to all of you,” he had said.

Yari vs Marafa vs Matawalle

At the convention, many people will be interested in the outing of the trio of Governor Abdulaziz Yari, Senator Kabiru Marafa and the incumbent Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, who have been at loggerheads over the leadership of the party in Zamfara State.

Aside from legal battle, the three factions – perhaps the most dramatic of the rivalry in the APC at the state level – had bickered over the sponsoring of political thugs in the state.

In January, Chairman of the Yari-led faction, Lawal Liman, expressed fear that the state was being turned into a political “theatre of war” following an attack on the chairman of the Social Media Forum of Marafa faction, Malam Shamsu Shehu, allegedly by political thugs around Government House.

Marafa’s faction also condemned the attack and urged security agencies to fish out the culprits otherwise they would be forced to take necessary action.

However, Matawalle’s camp, through its publicity secretary, Yusuf Idris Gusau, said the allegation was baseless and made by those who have lost relevance in Zamfara politics.

Appearing on Arise TV on Friday morning, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) and a former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, who also heads Media and Publicity at the convention, Ibim Semenitari, agreed that there were still grey areas that needed to be sorted out.

But Bamidele was confident that even if there are issues, “24 hours is a lot in politics to resolve them” before the convention.

As the clock ticks on, many await the Saturday exercise with bated breath. (Daily Trust)