The outgoing year is an eventful year in the governing All Progressives Congress. The party chieftains and ordinary faithful were witnesses to many landmark events with the attendant backstabbing: the failed coup led by Niger State governor, Sani Bello to oust the Yoke State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, as the chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee; the conduct of a national convention where new set of national officers emerged with Senator Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman. Another significant event in the Year was the emergence of two term Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the party standard-bearer for 2023 general election. TAIWO AMODU presents the diary of events:
March 7: Niger governor in failed coup attempt
Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, who incidentally is a member of the APC interim leadership team, stormed the party national secretariat and proclaimed himself as acting national chairman while the Yobe State governor was away in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The development was a culmination of the crack in the rank of the governors. In league with Niger State governor in the failed attempt were Rotimi Akeredolu and Mallam Nasir El Rufai, governors of Ondo and Kaduna states, respectively.
March 17: Buni resumes, as Buhari recants
Ten days after he was upstaged as acting national chairman of the party, Yobe governor returned to Buhari House. Governor Buni, who had been declared a persona non grata at the party national secretariat, survived the ‘gangup’ from some of his colleagues on the strength of a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, who was in the United Kingdom, attending to his health challenge. In a letter dated March 16, 2022 which he personally signed and addressed to the governor of Kebbi State and Chairman, Progressives Governors Forum, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the president ordered an immediate return to the status quo ante, following the controversial attempt to change the CECPC leadership. Buhari also directed that the Buni-led CECPC should, accordingly, be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned on March 26.
March 26: Amidst protests, Adamu succeeds Buni as APC Chair
Former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, was proclaimed as APC consensus chairman with Senator Iyiola Omisore as national secretary.
June 5: APC governors from North back power shift to South
Ten of the 11 governors of the ruling APC from the North issued a joint statement, asking President Muhammadu Buhari to support a presidential aspirant from the South. Those, who signed the statement included Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Prof. Umara Zulum (Borno), Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe). Others were, Simon Lalong (Plateau), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and a former governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako. The statement read: “APC governors and political leaders from the northern states of Nigeria today met to review the political situation and to further support our Party in providing progressive leadership amidst our national challenges. During our discussions, we welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari’s invitation to governors and other stakeholders to contribute to the emergence of a strong presidential candidate for the APC.
“After careful deliberations, we wish to state our firm conviction that after eight years in office, the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 elections should be one of our teeming members from the southern states of Nigeria. It is a question of honour for the APC, an obligation that is not in any way affected by the decisions taken by another political party. We affirm that upholding this principle is in the interest of building a stronger, more united and more progressive country.
“We, therefore, wish to strongly recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari that the search for a successor as the APC’s presidential candidate be limited to our compatriots from the southern states. We appeal to all aspirants from the northern states to withdraw in the national interest and allow only the aspirants from the South to proceed to the primaries. We are delighted by the decision of our esteemed colleague. His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Badaru to contribute to this patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential aspiration.
“The APC has a duty to ensure that the 2023 elections offer a nation-building moment, reaffirming that a democratic pathway to power exists for all who value cooperation and build national platforms. This moment calls for the most sober and inclusive approach to selecting our party’s candidate, and we call on all APC leaders to fulfill their responsibility in this regard.”
June 5: APC chairman threatens Tinubu with sanction
National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, had said former Lagos State governor and presidential aspirant; Bola Tinubu would face sanctions for his outburst in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital while meeting with delegates. Tinubu at the session with the party faithful which had Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun in attendance, narrated how he laboured to ensure President Buhari’s emergence as the APC presidential candidate in 2014. Tinubu lamented that seven years after, he was being shortchanged. The APC national chairman described Tinubu’s outbursts as an insult on President Buhari. He did not, however, elaborate on the nature of the sanction awaiting Tinubu.
June 6 : APC NWC disowns Abdullahi on Lawan
Members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) rejected the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as its consensus candidate. The rebuttal was on the heels of Senator Lawan as consensus presidential candidate. National chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, had dropped the bombshell during the meeting of the NWC. According to him, the choice of Lawan was decided after due consultation with the President Buhari. His pronouncement did not, however, go down well with the NWC members as some kicked against the decision, demanding that the party give every aspirant level playing field. Addressing newsmen in front of the party secretariat in Abuja, the National Organising Secretary of the APC, Suleman Argungu, disclosed that the choice of Lawan was not the decision taken by the party as alleged.
June 8: Tinubu picks APC ticket
After months of anxiety, intrigues and apprehension within its ranks, APC finally conducted its presidential convention with Tinubu, who emerging as its standard-bearer. In an election that was contested by 13 other aspirants, the former Lagos governor scored 1,271 votes, defeating his “closest” rival, Rotimi Amaechi, who scored 316.
June 19: APC retains Ekiti :
The candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, was officially declared the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election. The chief returning officer of the election, Kayode Adebowale, announced Oyebanji the winner in Ado-Ekiti, the capital city.
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Oyebanji secured 187,057 votes to defeat his closest challengers, Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 82,211, and Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 67, 457 votes.
July 10: Tinubu picks Shettima as VP candidate
Former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima was announced as running mate by the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu. He made the disclosure in Daura, Katsina State, while addressing journalists after meeting with President Buhari. It was a decision that would shake the party and polarise it across religious divides as certain chieftains of the ruling party rejected the single faith ticket. Among those who had pulled out of the party based on what they derided as Muslim- Muslim ticket were former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and a chieftain of the party in Rivers State, Tonye Princewill.
July 17: APC loses Osun election:
In a major setback, the APC lost the Osun State governorship election to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke. The INEC chief returning officer for Osun, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who announced the result, said the PDP candidate scored 403,371 votes to emerge victorious.
The runner-up was Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 375,027 votes.
September 23: APC releases 422 campaign list.
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council unveiled a list of 422-member presidential campaign council. The list caused uproar as it was rejected by the APC Governors Forum and other stakeholders which dismissed it as non inclusive. A new list was later released on October 18, 2022, to accommodate all aggrieved power blocks.
