…nPDP candidates dominate in Nat. Chairman, Deputy, Nat. Secretary chase
By Ezeocha Nzeh
Ahead of the March 26 National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there are strong indications that co joiners, the new Peoples democratic Party bloc in the legacy parties that facilitated the merger into the APC may dominate in the new look National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, which will emerge on Saturday
The AUTHORITY gathered s that the nPDP have dominated in the number of aspirants who have expressed interet to lead the APC at the NWC levelRecall that while the then major opposition parties, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress pf Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) had merged to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, the merger was later joined by the new Peoples Democrtaic Party (nPDP), then led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso and some aggrieved Governors and senators, including Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Murtala Ntako, Bukola Saraki, Abdulahi Adamu, Yakubu Dogara and others
The merger however led to a strong union in APC tthat was able to wrestle power from the PDP in 2015
However, while some members of the nPDP who defected to the APC in 2014 may have returned back to the PDP, a good number of their members have remained and gained grounds in the now ruling party
Our correspondent gathered further that among the seven aspirants who picked the APC nomination for to contest the National chairmanship of the NWC, about four are from the nPDP bloc
Favoured candidates like Senators Abdulahi Adamu, Mohammamed Sani Musa, George Akume andSaidu Etsu are from the nPDP bloc
They are however facing stiff opposition and challenge from the defunct CPC bloc, with former Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al’ Makura and Saliu Mustapha, as well as from former Governor of Zamfara state, Abdul Azeez Yari of the defunct ANPP
The nPDP has also shown strong interest in the Deputy National Chairman of the new look APC, with former House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara been favoured to clinch the Deputy National Chairman, North position, while former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, also from the nPDP bloc may have positioned himself to clinch same position for South
Both Adamu Abdulahi, Ken Nnamani and Dogara are rumoured to be the anointed candidates of president Muhammadu Buhari
Another nPDP man, senator Iyiola Omisere is vying for the national secretary position, against defuct CPC’s former Communication Minister, Adebayo Shittu
For the National Vice Chairmanship position, the nPDP has also dominated, especially in the South South, where former Deputy National Secretary, Victor Geidom and former deputy national publicity secretary, Yekini Nabena (both from same nPDP) have filed up against each other’s neck
Reacting on the development, former spokeserson of the Northern elder statesman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has predicted that a vast majority of former members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is likely to take control of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after its elective national convention on March 26, 2022.
Baba ahmed, who stated these in a series of posts on his Twitter handle on Tuesday said, “By the time APC concludes the selection of its new leaders in a few days, you are likely to see the vast majority of former PDP members in control of APC. PDP’s new leaders will also have a heavy presence of former APC stalwarts in charge of its future. Do the math. What will be new?
He also noted that, “There will be many former PDP/APC big wigs in charge of smaller parties as well. People who see parties only as election platforms are unlikely to move to small parties just to make up the numbers. They will move there to take over and realize personal ambitions. What will change?
“A wholesale rejection of politicians who have made the rounds of the dominant parties, treating them only as casually-interchangeable platforms, offering the same thing: leadership that benefits leaders.”
Reacting to the call for more experienced leaders to continue to dominate in the game of politics in the country, the former Federal Permanent Secretary said, unless Nigerians broke with a past these politicians want to preserve, it would be difficult to rebuild the nation on stronger foundations.
