Moves by the interim leadership of the All Progressives Congress to settle the rift in three states caused by the defection of the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC is witnessing many draw-backs.
Also, while lawmakers of the Sokoto State House of Assembly had defected to the APC to join Governor Magatakada Wamakko, those in Rivers, Adamawa and Kano states are yet to defect, leaving many wondering whether they would remain in the PDP. However, 23 out of the 24 members of the PDP in the Kwara State House of Assembly are set to defect to the APC next week.
A key factor in the crisis rocking three of the five states where PDP governors defected to the APC is the disagreement over the formation of interim party executives at the state levels and each group is bent on having its way.
A member of the seven-member reconciliation committee told THISDAY in Abuja yesterday that their assignment had become very tough and that they were yet to achieve full reconciliation in the affected states.
“It is a tough one; it’s not been easy but all I can say is that we have a 50-50 chance of restoring normalcy in the affected states. We were in Abuja to continue with the reconciliatory talks and I hope everything will go well at the end of the day, “he said, pleading for anonymity.
THISDAY gathered that the non-resolution of the disagreement among party stakeholders in at least three states of Sokoto, Kano and Adamawa is threatening the planned commencement of membership registration slated for this month.
According to a source, the interim leadership of party had hoped to start the membership registration process simultaneously in all the 36 states of the federation.
Part of the defection deal APC had with the former PDP governors was to delay the commencement of the party’s membership registration to allow a level play ground for both old and new members.
The arrangement is to enable the defecting governors and their supporters to reintegrate properly with the new platform. It was also meant to create better cohesion in the emerging new structures of the party at the grassroots level, ” said the source.
Those opposed to the governors wholesome take over of party structures in their states have refused to accept such terms.
Before the entry of the five governors and their supporters into APC, leaders of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had compiled a list of harmonization committees and was in the process of submitting it to the party national headquarters for ratification.
“The situation has resulted in a dispute because the defecting governors are insisting on upturning the whole arrangement to get their men on board,” said a source.
The matter is a bit more complex in states like Kano and Adamawa where there is an existing rivalry between the incumbent governors and other contenders in the opposition party.
Former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who is leading a predominantly ANPP group has been having a running battle with his successor, Rabiu Kwakwanso over the control of APC structure.
In the protest letter which Shekarau and his group submitted to the Interim National Chairman of APC, he complained about many issues ranging from the move to hand over the APC structure in Kano to Kwakwanso, non commencement of membership registration and formation of state interim management committee.
The former Chairman of ANPP in Kano state, Hon. Sani Hashim Hotoro also said the party members were opposed to the unilateral powers purportedly given to the governor to run the affairs of APC in the state.
He faulted the memorandum of understanding entered into with the five defecting governors, saying such agreement was reached in total disregard to the peculiarities of states like Kano and the preeminence of the founding leaders of APC and their supporters.
Hotoro accused Kwakwanso’s aides of making inflammatory statements on radio, saying that the entire APC structures had been surrendered to the governor and that all the party members of merged parties should take directives from him.
He said the two conditions for truce were that the State Interim Party Committee formed by the three merging parties should be recognized and inaugurated, while Kwakwanso should be asked to liaise with State Interim Committee to work out amicable relationship within all stakeholders in the party.
In the case of Adamawa, supporters of the Governor Murtala Nyako are yet to agree to work with his arch-rival and former CPC gubernatorial candidate, Buba Marwa. The Marwa group believes they have worked so hard to build a formidable party structure in the state and that with or without Nyako, APC can still make the desired impact.
Not even the persuasion or entreaties by the party through the reconciliation committee could resolve the logjam.
THISDAY learnt as at yesterday, that the reconciliatory effort may have run into difficulties with the agitating groups holding tight to their positions.
In a last minute efforts to save the situation, the reconciliation committee last Tuesday summoned all the critical stakeholders from the troubled states to a meeting in Abuja.
The meeting which also had the northern caucus of APC in attendance attempted to work out modalities for resolving outstanding issues, especially the contentious interim state executives.
A reliable source at the meeting told THISDAY that the reconciliatory meeting was a prelude to an expansive stakeholders meeting of the party scheduled for next week in Abuja where modalities and approvals for the commencement of party membership registration is expected to considered.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Muhammed gave assurance that the party would go to any length to ensure that there is an amicable settlement of the rift.
Muhammed who spoke to THISDAY on telephone yesterday afternoon expressed the hope that the crisis would not affect the party’s move to formally commence its membership registration drive.
“We will continue to talk; of course the reconciliation committee will not wind up in just five weeks. It has no deadline. Our membership registration will not be affected by the work of the committee. These people are not saying that they are no longer members of our party, they will all register and we will continue to talk,” he said.
He said the state harmonization/interim executive committees were the ones to handle the registration of members, adding that there will be a special national committee to supervise the exercise.
On whether the success of the membership drive will not be marred by the division in some of the states, Muhammed said nothing would disrupt the exercise since the responsibility of conducting the registration rested on the membership registration committee and not the respective states.
According to him, what is delaying the take off of the registration exercise was mainly the logistics and personnel arrangements.
“What I can assure you of is that we are going ahead with the membership registration and most likely, it will commence before the end of January, “he added.
In Adamawa State, whether to join the governor in the APC or not has created a division in the House of Assembly.
While the Speaker, Umar Finitiri said that many members had shown interest to defect to the APC, his deputy, Barrister Kwamoti Laori said it was not true.
Finitiri said the lawmakers had not defected to the APC because the House was still on recess adding that majority of his colleagues had agreed to stand by Governor Murtala Nyako
Fintiri noted that as soon as the House reconvenes on January 27, many members will join the APC.
However, Laori said he was not aware of such agreement reached with Nyako by the House, stressing that himself and a good number of his colleagues would not defect to the APC and were still members of the PDP.
The lawmakers in Kano State are equally yet to defect to the APC to join their governor. Some of them who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were in support of the Kano governor’s move and were waiting for the right time to openly join him in the APC.
However, another member, Yusuf Safiyanu Gogori said he would not decamp to APC until he receives a directive from his political godfather, Honorable Farouk Lawan who has remained in the PDP at the National Assembly.
In Rivers State, despite their romance with the APC, pro-Amaechi members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have said they remain members of the PDP. In the wake of the political crisis that has been rocking the state, the lawmakers had in several fora said they would abide by whatever decision the governor would take.
They specifically said they would join the governor if he decided to ditch the PDP for the APC.
With the defection of Amaechi to the APC, it was taken for granted that the lawmakers would join the governor in his new political party.
But the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Hon. Leyii Kwanee, told THISDAY that they remain members of the PDP.
Kwanee said although he is a great fan and supporter of Amaechi, he had not defected to the APC.
He also said he was not aware of any member of the state assembly that had defected to the APC.
He however said he was not comfortable with the turn of events at both the state and national levels of the party.
Kwanee noted that the PDP was fast becoming a minority party especially in the National Assembly but said the outcome of the mediation efforts of elders of the party would determine the decision of the lawmakers.
“The party (PDP) as it is today, especially in the National Assembly, is in the minority. The party elders say they are working towards reconciliation. Let’s see what that translates to. In the meantime, I am still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. But we are watching.”
However, the anti-Amaechi members of the assembly think differently. They believe Kwanee is not telling the truth.
According to them, the body language of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers indicate that they were already with Amaechi in the APC but lack the guts to come out openly to declare for the APC because of fear of losing their seats.
Most of the anti-Amaechi lawmakers declined to speak on the issue, insisting that “time will tell if they are telling Rivers people and the world the truth.”
In Kwara State, 23 out of the 24 members of the Peoples Democractic Party in the Kwara State House of Assembly may officially announce their defection from the PDP to the APC when they resume from their Christmas and New Year break next week.
THISDAY checks revealed that, only one member of the house, Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim representing Moro/Bode Saadu constituency of the state had vowed to remain in the PDP.
The Sources said further that a meeting was recently held in the office of speaker, Hon. Razak Atunwa where the twenty-three lawmakers pledged their support to the APC including the speaker.
Meanwhile, there is disquiet in the Senate over Thursday’s comment by Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, that senators itching to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives (APC) would lose their seats.
Both the Senate leadership and members of the opposition APC were swift to dismiss Enang’s opinion yesterday, saying he was on his own.
Although Enang had made it clear during the briefing that he was not speaking for the Senate but only airing his personal opinion as a lawyer and experienced lawmaker, some national dailies (not THISDAY) attributed the comment to the Senate.
However, a statement in Abuja yesterday by Senate’s spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, dissociated the Senate from the comment.
He also dismissed reports which alligned another comment by Senate President David Mark to that of Enang.
Abaribe insisted that any comment which did not emanate from him as Senate’s spokesman should be dismissed as a personal opinion which he said any senator was entitled to.
“In the first place, there is no acrimony in the Senate irrespective of political party affiliation. The Senate is still on vacation to resume on the 14th of January and only after it’s deliberations would any statement on urgent matters of state be issued.
“It is therefore preposterous to attribute the personal opinion of a senator to represent the resolution of the Senate and its highly respected leadership as exemplified by Senate President Mark.
“Senate position as statutory is always relayed by its spokesman. In which case it becomes safe to say that Senate has spoken,” he said.
Also yesterday, Senator Sola Adeyeye (APC, Osun Central), expressed dismay over Enang’s insistence that defecting senators should prepare to vacate their seats, saying he was arrogating to himself the power he lacked.
In a statement, Adeyeye said: “Senator Ita Enang is speaking for himself. He does not even have the mandate to speak for the entire Senate on this matter. We want to make it clear that senators would make their opinions known when they resume from the Yuletide break next week.
“We also want to make it abundantly clear that nobody can detract or subtract from the constitutional rights of Nigerians to freedom of association and the National Assembly is the institution designed by the Constitution, not only to encourage but also to enforce the rights of Nigerians.”
While describing the statement as a blackmail, Adeyeye said: “We warn those attempting to blackmail lawmakers that the tactic will backfire. Legislators should be free to stand by their conscience without any threat of blackmail.
“The laws of the land are clear on movement from one party to another and nobody should assume a position of authority he does not hold,” he added.
Source: Thisday
