Never mind the sensational dissolution of its National Working Committee last week by President Muhammadu Buhari and his equally dramatic order on the feuding parties to sheathe their swords, most observers have come to agree that the crisis-ridden ruling All Progressives Congress party has at least been handed a sure life-line out its self-inflicted troubles.
Whether the measures taken were strictly legal or constitutional or whether they actually go to the roots of the problem which is the unbridled jousting for the control of the party as indeed the contestations over the soul of the party – is a however a different matter.
With a good chance, Governor Mai Mala Buni and company in the caretaker committee have a fair chance of putting the broken parts together in the next few months. In this, the former chairman, Adams Oshiomhole as indeed the outgone NWC have made their tasks easier. Whereas the former has since accepted the decisions of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in good faith, going as far as withdrawing his pending appeal at the apex court, the latter has sensibly acquiesced to the resolutions taken at the party’s NEC to allow peace to reign.
Unfortunately, if we agree that the catalyst – certainly not the casus belli –for the rapidly unfolding events was the debacle in Edo, one cannot but wonder if the party has equally adverted its mind to the other crises foisted by the factionalisation of the party in the state more so as the gubernatorial election is actually less than three months from now. Yes, the highest organ of the party, NEC has affirmed the primary that produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate; but then, with the state chapter of the party torn down the middle with one party rejecting the process that produced the candidate, the handshake, would appear to have gone past the elbow – so to speak!
For a party, that is an unenviable position to be. Here is a party that produced the governor who has now decamped to another party. We are talking of a party whose one-time governor did not just rebuff all entreaties by the party and its leadership to swear in elected members of the state legislature, but has employed every conceivable tricks out of the rule books to keep majority of the elected members out of parliament using his minions in and out of government. So much for his attempts to play the victim, we are supposed to accept that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s unilateral abrogation of the seats of 14 members in a 24-member parliament is an acceptable political play since, apparently, he deigns to so pronounce. In this, he has made it clear, that the governor’s word, like those of ancient emperors must be law!
That Obaseki enjoys the perquisites of incumbency and with it the advantages is of course given; what is at issue is whether his legion of moles remaining should be allowed to press that advantage to the detriment of the party now that the dust he created in his former party is beginning to settle somewhat.
Where does Anselm Ojezua, the other factional chairman of Edo APC belong now that his principal and sponsor, Obaseki has left the party? As it is, the matter isn’t so much about his claim of being elected chairman with a four-year mandate to expire in 2022; rather, it is one of fidelity to his party in the aftermath of the affirmation of Pastor Ize-Iyamu as his party’s candidate. Will he now surrender his pride to work with a candidate that he once publicly scorned or will be, as it appears to be the case, remain to spoil the fun for his party and its candidate?
The bottom-line: will the party overlook the schism promoted by those whose mantra of Right of First Refusal has fallen flat on their faces? What about the other injured party – the lawmakers elected but prevented from taking their seats? Where does their interest – which are legitimate – fit in the forced but uneasy truce? Will the party, as it seems reasonable to do, apply the same stick to the recalcitrant mob that have all the while defied the party’s instruction to inaugurate those majority lawmakers through frivolous court actions? Will President Buhari’s order on all to withdraw all litigation apply to those also?
Trust me, the Buni leadership will have its hands full in its bid to resolve the various contending issues. His leadership will certainly be put to test on this as his party hits the road in its bid to retake Osadebey House. To have any chance of success, it seems to me that nothing short of a thorough house cleaning would be required in the coming days.