These are hard times for Nigeria’s three leading political parties including the ruling All Progressives Congress. They are locked in leadership crises of different dimensions. The removal of party leadership has a watershed implication. The responsibility for the day-to-day running of the party lies in the office of the national chairman without whom the party
These are hard times for Nigeria’s three leading political parties including the ruling All Progressives Congress. They are locked in leadership crises of different dimensions. The removal of party leadership has a watershed implication. The responsibility for the day-to-day running of the party lies in the office of the national chairman without whom the party is more or less castrated.
The reign of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as APC chairman was ruffled on Wednesday when a Kano High Court on Wednesday sanctioned his suspension and ruled that he should stop parading himself as the leader of the party. His problem started from his Ganduje ward in Dawakin-Tofa Local government in Kano state where his ward executives purportedly suspended him. The removal of his predecessor in office, Senator Adams Oshiomole followed a similar pattern.
The second biggest party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will tomorrow Thursday hold a make or mar National Executive Committee meeting to resolve its lingering leadership position. The party is divided into two: those who want the Acting chairman Damagun to continue in office and those who want him replaced using the party’s zoning formula as stated in its constitution.
The Labour Party is also comatose aftermath of its purported national convention which re-elected Mr Julius Abure as its national chairman. However, the convention was not attended by two major tendencies in the party, notably the members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Obidients, who are supporters of Mr Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, APC Chairman
It is believed that the leadership crises in the parties are being contrived in preparation for the 2027 general elections. In Nigeria, party leadership positions, and the National Working Committees often play a major role in who emerges as the presidential candidate of the parties and other important positions. They often determine the rules and the personnel for the conduct of the primaries into the different political positions.
The Kano State High Court also restrained the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, from parading himself as a party member.
Justice Usman Malam Na’abba, made the order, following an exparte motion filed by Dr Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two APC executive members of Ganduje ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area. The plaintiffs are the party’s Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani, and its Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo. The duo are among the nine ward executive members who suspended Ganduje from the party at the ward level, two days ago.
The respondents in the case include the All Progressives Congress (APC), APC National Working Committee (NWC), APC Kano State Working Committee (KSWC), and Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Granting the motion, Na’abba made an order restraining Ganduje from parading himself as APC National Chairman.
The court further made an order directing Ganduje to, henceforth, desist from presiding over all affairs of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).
The court directed the respondents to henceforth maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30.
Justice Na’abba also granted the plaintiff’s prayer which ordered the APC SWC, from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.
“An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (1st), APC National Working Committee (2nd), Kano State Working Committee APC (3rd), Dr Abdullah Umar Ganduje (4th), to maintain status quo ante belum as of 15th April, 2024.
“The order thereby restraining the 1st respondent (APC) from recognizing the 4th respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibiting the 4th respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legal and valid decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.
“That the 4th respondent (Ganduje) is prohibited from parading himself as a member of APC or doing any act that may portray him or seem to be a member of APC, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”.
The nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano state government.
The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of APC from Ganduje’s polling unit.
Brewing Storm in the PDP
There is a brewing storm in the PDP which has been polarised over the issue of who leads the Party. On Wednesday, there was a staged protest at its national secretariat with placards showing support for Umar Damagun, the acting national chairman of the party. He is believed to be supported by Mr Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister.
Amb Illiya Damagun, PDP Chairman
The protesters occupied the national headquarters of the PDP in Abuja, to show their support for the acting national chairman of the party, Umar Damagun. One of the issues to be determined by the NEC meeting on Thursday is the status of the minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike. It is being speculated that his case may be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for advice.
According to PDP’s former national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Mr Wike is merely using the PDP to stay relevant In Tinubu’s Government. He spoke ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee meeting. The former National Chairman said the former Governor Neysom Wike’s busy-bodying gimmick should not distract the NEC as the drowning Minister of FCT, is trying hard to create a non-existent crisis in the party to make himself relevant before his boss President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is already getting fed up with his nuisance of bringing politics into the governance of the FCT.
“By deviously trying to create the impression that he is in a tussle of supremacy with the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Wike who is copiously losing political relevance everywhere from Rivers to Abuja is trying to give the impression that he is a factor in PDP and holding it for his APC interest”.
In another development, a chieftain of the party Osita Chidoka, former Minister and a PDP strategist said: “Let me be clear: if at the NEC meeting tomorrow, the Party fails to uphold the constitutionality and respect for the rules of the party, then I and other progressive members will not hesitate to lead the pallbearers to the funeral of the party as we know it.
“The party must put an end to its submission to filthy lucre and macabre dancing to the music of unprincipled pipers. It must return to the role of providing good governance to its states and principled opposition that Nigerians can trust.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of (FCT), Nyesom Wike, appears to be maintaining an upper hand in the leadership crisis plaguing the PDP. A meeting of the national caucus on Wednesday was said to have resolved to allow the acting National Chairman, Amb Illya Umar Damagum, to continue in office.
This decision was allegedly aimed at ensuring reconciliation and unity in the party. To this end, Thursday’s NEC meeting may not bring about a leadership change until the next national convention of the party.
However, there was a last minute twist to this permutation with the withdrawal of Dr Iyorcha Ayu’s withdrawal from the Court of Appeal challenging his removal.Mr Wike has already started his campaign for President Tinubu to win re-election. Some members of the Party find this to be a conflict of interest and would rather push for Mr Wike to step aside.
Beyond the matter of Wike, a lot of Party members also believe that the PDP has not been playing the role of a virile opposition under Amb Damagun and may push for his stepping aside as acting chairman while yielding space to another candidate from the North Central zone of the former Dr. Iyorcha Ayu.
Labour Party
The Labour Party has been embroiled in different controversies ranging from allegations of misappropriation of funds, and disagreement with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress which have led to a tussle, leading to calls for the resignation of the Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure.
The Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, has accused a former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, of being the brain behind the crisis in the LP.
Labour Party chieftains believe that the problems with the Party were created by the judiciary. But Peter Obi presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, discountenanced the leadership crisis by saying “Nigeria’s problems are far bigger than the crises in his party. So, for me, it is something we will resolve amicably, and it is not anything to worry about. Let us worry about the country”.
Mr Peter Obi did not attend the March 27, national convention held in Anambra state where Julius Abure was re-elected as its national chairman. This has fuelled speculation that he may be considering alternative platforms to actualise his aspiration.
Political Parties Reforms
It is being proposed as part of reforms for the political parties that there should be minimal involvement of the judiciary in determining the leadership of political parties. They were elected democratically and should be removed democratically.
The huge cost and the logistics of holding a national convention have been a limiting factor in the political parties to choose replacements for a chairman that has been removed from office. Often too, the removal of the chairman and managed-replacement of the person often bring in other factors like zonal arrangements and religious considerations. These are issues to be considered in a wholesale reform of the political party system in Nigeria.
