Despite his shortcomings, some governors, in deference to the President and in the interest of the bigger picture of the APC have opted to stick to Oshiomhole. But some APC governors said only Oshiomhole’s ouster can save the party.

Those against Oshiomhole said they had secured a tacit endorsement from President Muhammadu Buhari to “follow due process in whatever they do.”
Expectedly, the governors differ. As at press time last night, the governors against Oshiomhole are Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Nasir el-Rufai( Kaduna); Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau); Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); and Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa).

Those who are pro-Oshiomhole include Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Babagana Umara Zulum (Borno); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Hope Uzodinma (Imo) Gboyega Oyetola (Osun); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).
Four governors, Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe) were said to have maintained a fluid position because they are yet to be swayed by arguments for and against Oshiomhole.

Others wielding influence against Oshiomhole are ex-Governors Ibikunle Amosun, Rochas Okorocha, Abdulaziz Yari and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

GODWIN OBASEKI
For Obaseki, who was Oshiomhole’s best man at his wedding a few years ago, fighting his godfather to a standstill is the only option available having played dirty in the last three months. He provided the springboard for the alleged suspension of the APC national chairman by his Ward in Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State.
He cajoled a handful of the ward executives in Oshiomhole’s ward to suspend him. In anger, party members in the ward met and passed vote of confidence on Oshiomhole but Obaseki disregarded the vote of confidence.
The curious notice of suspension was hijacked by the hawks in Abuja and some governors to initiate a suit through the National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu against Oshiomhole and the APC. They were able to secure an order from Justice Danlami Senchi of the FCT High Court in Jabi to suspend Oshiomhole. What matters most to Obaseki is a second term ticket which, he believes, is unrealistic with Oshiomhole in charge.

This, observers believe, is a misreading of the political situation in Edo state. They believe that except there is genuine reconciliation, Obaseki as APC candidate will fail woefully. If the PDP picks a popular candidate from Edo South, which is Obaseki’s district, with a divided APC, it will be a walk over for PDP.

Knowing full well that those loyal to Oshiomhole are many in the state, Obaseki is about to tinker with the party’s register in the name of registering new members. His target is 500,000 members. The objective is to exclude many loyalists of Oshiomhole from the register and make them ineligible to take part in the governorship primaries. His permutation is that with Oshiomhole out as national chairman, he will have a smooth sail. APC is in dire straits in Edo.

NASIR EL-RUFAI
In spite of the fact that the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has openly recommended presidential power shift to the South-West in 2023, political analysts see his suggestion as a smokescreen because he can capitalize on any slip to foster his presidential ambition. And el-Rufai does not hide his disdain for the APC national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is said to be a major backer of Oshiomhole. The immediate calculation of el-Rufai is to get rid of Oshiomhole and curtail any advantage Tinubu may derive for having his man in charge of the APC.
Seeing himself as primus inter pares, El-Rufai has been neck deep in the plot against Oshiomhole after the APC national chairman had unsuspectingly confided much in him. A reliable source said: “Pretending to have met Oshiomhole as a long-standing friend, el-Rufai asked the APC chairman to resign to avoid being disgraced at the last NEC meeting.
“Oshiomhole, however, snapped by asking him the basis of his resignation having led the party to secure a comfortable majority in the National Assembly and put in place good leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives to assist the President to achieve his agenda. He also said the party has won more states in recent election.
“The National chairman of APC put el-Rufai to task in a manner that he wobbled out of his end. Oshiomhole was emphatic in telling el-Rufai that he will not resign.”
“He (Oshiomhole) said: ‘There is nothing to this office, I am a leader who knows when to quit if I have committed infractions. I know the standard all over the world, I am not an exception’. This is what he told el-Rufai. “It was however learnt that el-Rufai, who has earned the confidence of Oshiomhole, is the pivot on which the plot rested. El-Rufai was said to have sold a dummy to other governors that he is “the only one who can read the body language of the President.” He was said to have told his colleagues that “the body language of the President is that Oshiomhole must go.”
Investigations revealed that Oshiomhole had to take on el-Rufai because he had reposed “much trust” in the Kaduna State governor only to hear that he has been one of the key plotters against him.

ROTIMI AKEREDOLU
To Akeredolu, Oshiomhole must pay the price for suspending him for alleged anti-party activities in April last year. The NWC had accused Akeredolu of anti-party activities which “greatly affected the fortunes of its candidates in the recently conducted presidential and National Assembly elections in the state in 2019.” The governor is suspicious that the same APC national chairman could wreak his second term ambition and he has wasted no time in joining forces to cut him to size.
A top aide of Akeredolu said: “We have seen the signs that Oshiomhole is already fanning the embers of disunity in the party by romancing with those opposed to the governor’s second term. We cannot watch while a party chairman takes a partisan position in a state when he should be the father of all.”

KAYODE FAYEMI
On his part, Fayemi has three grouses with Oshiomhole including alleged incompetence which he said has led to the paralysis at the National Secretariat; ceding of the office of Deputy National Chairman (South), allegedly zoned to Ekiti State, to Oyo State without consultations; and likely inability of Oshiomhole to ensure fairness and equity during the presidential primaries in 2023.
Despite denial of nursing presidential ambition during the week, Fayemi enjoys the confidence of the influential cabal in Abuja. He may end up jostling for the presidential ticket or the office of vice president depending on where the pendulum swings.”
But his rejection of his intimate friend, ex-Governor Abiola Ajimobi as the party’s new Deputy National Chairman (South) was a major political upset in the week.
As the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Fayemi has a platform to build goodwill across all states in the country. Findings confirmed that he is already taking advantage of the forum to spread his tentacles.
On the appointment of Ajimobi, the position was zoned to Southwest, not to Ekiti, according to APC leaders in the Southwest. Niyi Adebayo occupied the office and upon his appointment as minister, he resigned. Southwest APC leaders met and chose Ajimobi but Fayemi kicked.
He said Ekiti must produce Adebayo’s replacement. Other APC governors backed Ajimobi’s choice but Fayemi is leading the revolt against the decision.

SIMON LALONG
As far as the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong is concerned, he is fighting a proxy war against Oshiomhole. Having been backed and influenced by his godfather, Rotimi Amaechi, he does not differ politically with him. It was the governor who organized a retreat where the plot against Oshiomhole was hatched in Jos. He is taking on Amaechi’s battle because he cannot betray his benefactor.

BAGUDU AND BADARU
As for Governors Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), they are being driven by ambition to become the next President after their second term in office. Bagudu, who was recently linked to the over $2.2 billion allegedly looted by a former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and his family, is of strong opinion that he does not have moral baggage which can inhibit him from being president of Nigeria.
The Jigawa State does not offer anything tangible to justify his aspiration for the presidency.
They both believe that power must remain in the north and that a serving governor should succeed Buhari. With El-Rufai, they convinced Fayemi to join them.

ROTIMI AMAECHI
On the part of Amaechi, his issues border on Oshiomhole’s alleged tardiness in managing APC crisis in Rivers State which led to the exclusion of the party from 2019 poll.
He was also said to be upset by the state of affairs of the party including the refusal of Oshiomhole to confirm his godson, Victor Giadom as the substantive National Secretary of the party. Instead of confirming Giadom, Oshiomhole chose to abide by the desire of the North-East leaders to allow Borno State to take the slot which was hitherto occupied by the current Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.

Those who have chosen to back the embattled APC national have advanced perspectives which provided insights into the character sketch of Oshiomhole. Governor Zulum is appreciative of the fact that Oshiomhole gave him a chance to allow him to emerge on merit as APC governorship candidate without either meeting him or offering any bribe. He said the first time he met Oshiomhole was at the presidential campaign ground in Maiduguri. For Ganduje, apart from being grateful to Oshiomhole for appointing his in-law (Ajimobi) as the new Deputy National Chairman ( South) of the party, the governor of Kano State was said to have deeply appreciated how he stood by him during poll rerun.
As one of the most experienced governors in the country, Masari who was once the Speaker of the House of Representatives, could discern the intrigues at hand. It was learnt that rather than being part of the anti-Oshiomhole group and distract the President, he decided to back Oshiomhole. It was gathered that one unique issue which guided Masari was that he was involved in the merger talks by three key parts which led to the emergence of APC. A source added: “Masari cannot be part of the destruction of the house he built.”

Regarding Governor Hope Uzodinma, a member of the NWC simply said: “It is a case of one good turn deserves another. The Imo State governor is an ardent supporter of Oshiomhole for standing by him while his struggle lasted.

On his part, Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) was the immediate past National Secretary of the party, who knew a lot about the party’s management and the politics. Regarding Governors Gboyega Oyetola (Osun); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), their pro-Oshiomhole’s position was predictable given their pre-primaries, primaries and election exposures. The party, under the national chairman, stood by these governors.

Yahaya Bello is a member of one of the powerful cells in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. In what appeared a reconciliatory spirit, he made up with some politicians before his recent re-election. He has broken records as the first governor to declare his stand openly on Oshiomhole. It was a major plus for Oshiomhole.
Bello who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, on Saturday said he will never do anything that will disrupt the peace of the party.
The statement said: “Governor Yahaya Bello will never do anything that will disrupt the peace of APC.
“His interest has always been the peace and stability of the party.
“He is a true party man whose interest is the continued political relevance even beyond 2023.”

By Yusuf Alli