In what looks like a realignment of political forces that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stakeholders of the party may have agreed in principle to allow one of the legacy parties to produce the next presidential candidate of the party.
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) appeared to be the most favoured. On the other hand, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the party that produced President Muhammadu Buhari as the APC presidential candidate in 2015 may have settled for the national chairman’s position anytime the national convention takes place in February, 2022.
The APC was formed by a coalition of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari; the New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP), a faction of the PDP led by the defected governors of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Chibuike Amaechi and Bukola Saraki; a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
So far, the CPC has taken the presidency with President Buhari, the ACN produced the vice president in the person of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, while the ANPP produced the Senate President with Ahmad Lawan.
Ahead 2023, a credible APC source, who spoke with Daily Independent but asked not to be mentioned, said that though there was no official zoning of the offices of the party for the national convention, the CPC would certainly produce the national chairman.
In the same manner, the source said that the ACN stakeholders will produce the presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 presidential election.
Prodded further, the source said, “With the look of things, the presidential candidate will come from the South- West/ACN extraction and the national chairman will come from the CPC/North-Central zone.
“There is no consideration for the ANPP for now as they are not in contention. The Senate President is from the ANPP and at the end of elections in 2023, the group will still be eligible for the Senate Presidency and other offices.
“It could come from any other zone, but for now what we are looking at is the presidential candidate and the office of the national chairman,” source stated.
The source further said that for the presidential candidate of the party, notable names have cropped up in the persons of the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo; the governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, and also the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.
He refused to be drawn into a particular person who would emerge, but added, “The dynamics of the day and other political realignments will determine who will carry the day.”
On the national chairman of the party, the source said that it would go to the CPC stakeholders who would determine who becomes the national chairman.
He said that the North-Central zone has made a strong case for themselves for the position of national chairman of the party, especially bearing in mind the role of the zone in the political history of the country vis-a-vis determining the party at the centre.
When reminded that former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Sherrif, is in the race, the source simply said, “The ANPP is still occupying the office of the Senate President. He is from Yobe State and Senator Sheriff is from Borno State. We are trying to balance the offices for now.”
He explained that three persons in the North-Central zone have indicated interest and the party is conscious of that.
There is George Akume of Benue State, Tanko Al Makura from Nasarawa State and Saliu Mustapha from Kwara State.
Giving further details, the source explained that former governor of Benue State, George Akume, who is the Minister of Special Duties is from the nPDP extraction and he is most probably not in contention.
“Honestly, the nPDP is not under consideration in the new power realignment.”
He pointedly said, “We are looking at the person who can help influence the youths as they constitute a major voting bloc in subsequent elections.”
In the same vein, the source said that the APC is studying what the PDP did at its October 30 and 31 national convention in order to do things differently.
He said, “PDP, at the convention, zoned its chairmanship position to the North-Central, a region that is largely considered the backwaters of Nigerian politics.
“The decision led to the emergence of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, a former Senate President, as the party’s chairman. Many pundits have said that Dr. Ayu is not new to party politics and his emergence would breathe life into the party’s structures across the federation.
“Beyond Ayu’s experience as a grassroots politician, the decision to pick the party chair from the North-Central has given the region a sense of belonging, reinforcing the party’s claim about doing things differently.”
On the age factor, the source said, “Perhaps the most fascinating take-away from the PDP convention was the election of Muhammed Suleiman, a 25-year-old, as the national youth leader of the party.
“Suleiman’s emergence, a breath of fresh air in party politics, also rekindled the hope many Nigerians have in the youth constituency in the nation’s drive towards development.”
The APC, he said, might not be looking for a former governor as the next national chairman, explaining that the ruling party may be avoiding the acts of impunity associated with former governors.
On the calibre of the national chairman stakeholders are shopping for, the source said that things would be differently done this time.
“This time around, we may be looking for a rallying point who is also a loyal person as a national chairman, a person who would command respect of party stakeholders, both old and young.
“As the 2023 general election is fast approaching, we need someone who would be loyal, whose loyalty will not be in doubt; someone who would bring unity to all the stakeholders and move the party forward.”
He explained that the PDP approach of consensus option will also play a lot in the choice of APC national chairman, as it would help to curtail crisis.