April 03, (THEWILL) – The All Progressives Congress (APC) successfully elected members of its new National Working Committee (NWC) during its National Convention held at the Eagle Square, Abuja, after initial postponements and controversies, penultimate weekend.
At the convention, former Governor of Nasarawa State and member of the National Assembly representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Abdullahi Adamu, emerged as National Chairman of the party.
Also, a former Deputy Governor of Osun State and former Senator, Iyiola Omisore, was elected National Secretary. The duo and 75 other newly elected NWC members took their oath of office at a ceremony held penultimate Sunday at the same venue in Abuja, with President Muhamadu Buhari and the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in attendance.
On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, Adamu and other members of the executive of the APC assumed office.
Speaking after he was handed the mantle of leadership by the former Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, Adamu who admitted that he never knew he would occupy the party’s top seat a month before the party’s national convention, said he was ready to do his best for the party and that he was determined to live up to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s trust.
“A month ago, I didn’t know I would become the Chairman of APC. Here I am today, receiving the instrument and authority from the outgoing Chairman. Only God can do this. It is not my personal wisdom or my charisma. It is not by my personal doing. There may be elements on the way, but all these were made possible by the endorsement of Almighty God.
“Let me thank President Muhammadu Buhari who gave us a lot and so much that happened during the convention. First, my address goes to God Almighty, then to our leader and father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari and other eminent leaders of this party that put heads together to make this possible. May God reward them,” he said,
Speaking about the enormous task ahead, Adamu urged other members of the NWC not to begrudge him whenever issues come up in the course of working for the collective good of the APC.
“We have a major event that is going to test the waters on how stable we are as a party. That is the forthcoming general election. For me, by the time we start working, our main task will be how to handle the election as a party and win it. We will have the honour of the integrity and the legacy of the current President on the ticket. We will work day and night. We have less than 12 months to face the general election. So everybody should buckle up.
“The little I have heard about the President is that he has a complete allergy for failure. So failure will not be in APC from today. We will work for success together. To my colleagues, if there is any issue, don’t begrudge me, let me know,” he added.
Buni also charged the new NWC on the need for teamwork and encouraged them to build on the gains that his administration has recorded so far.
Political analysts and watchers of political developments believe the task before the new APC NWC is enormous.
It would be recalled that Adamu was the head of a reconciliation committee set up by the former managers of the party to placate members who were aggrieved as a result of what transpired during the ward and state congresses held in the states.
The multiple cases arising from the party’s state congresses contributed in no small measure to the uncertainty over the future of the APC. Party members in no fewer than 13 states, where parallel congresses were held, have vowed not to withdraw they court cases they filed to challenge the congresses.
The APC had on July 31, 2021 held its ward congresses, followed by local government congresses on September 4 and state congresses on October 16 of the same year.
The reconciliation committee headed by Adamu had toured different parts of the country, but failed to achieve meaningful results before his election as the party’s chairman.
Also the consensus arrangement used in picking the new executive of the APC had also given room for increased animosity among its members, most of who reluctantly accepted what happened at the national convention. Deep in their hearts, they are not happy about it and may decide to leave the party any moment.
The task before the Adamu-led NWC is therefore how to reconcile the aggrieved groups in about 13 state chapters across the country.
The NWC also needs to appease those who are still aggrieved at what happened at the convention, especially aspirants who feel cheated and humiliated by the manner they were eliminated through the consensus arrangement.
How soon the new NWC can bring unity and cohesion to the APC in the months ahead depends on its approach to solving the problems afflicting the party. Unfortunately the time for reconciliation is so short because of the new time- table for the 2023 general election recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which stipulates that candidates for the coming election must emerge latest by June 3, 2022.
Perhaps, the most daunting challenge facing the NWC is how to successfully organise an acceptable presidential primary. The party, unlike the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is lagging behind and it has to kick- start its programme of action for the coming election without much delay.
It looks like this could be hectic because the APC is the governing party and more aspirants will indicate interest in the available elective positions.
Speaking with THEWILL, Comrade Sola Olawale of the Campaign for Democracy said the new executive of the ruling party might have to brace themselves for the task ahead.
Olawale said that matters might become more complicated because most of the top shots in the APC’s new executive lacked experience in the management of a political party at any level.
“The task before the new APC is huge. The 2023 election time table issued recently by the INEC is not helping matters. The Adamu-led NWC has no time on its hand. It must speed up preparation for the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, which have been scheduled for June and July, respectively, as well as the general election coming up early next year.
“This must be preceded with reconciliation within the party, especially the divisions in its state chapters arising from the conduct of the congresses. I wish the new exco well, but definitely I do not envy its members. They will have sleepless nights in the weeks to come,” Olawale said.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
