The Present Internal Disharmony in Action Congress and Its Fate
By Okwute Ikeji
One of the event that has generated a lot of opinion, comment, criticism and commendation among political analyst, writers, governors, senators and party bigwigs in both in electronic and print media have been the recent visit of Alh. Atiku Abubakar's visit to his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Before this visit, the issue of who will fly the PDP ticket for the highest position in the 2011 count down was not as loud as it is now. This development has occasioned in the minds of incumbent governors of mostly PPD controlled states as to what fate awaits them come 2011. This apprehension is not far fetched with regard to speculations making round that Atiku wants to come back to PDP and the attendant loyalists who will go with him to wrest the presidential and governorship post with the incumbents. According to Nigerian Compass, February 22 nd 2009, "an impeccable source in the PDP told the Nigerian Compass that the reason why the governors are pushing for an inclusion of an automatic ticket to serving president and state governors in the PDP statute book there is a growing fear that most of the former members of the party who are returning to the party may come to wrestle the ticket from the incumbent.
It is no longer news that AC has internal disharmony what matters now is how it can navigate out of the present crisis and forge ahead. According to Nigerian Compass of 22 nd of February, 2009, page 2, had this caption "Ex-Governor backstabs Atiku, others. Stops ex-VP's loyalists from AC Caucus meetings ….". The report has it that the major damage to the former VP's structure was done while he (Abubakar) was outside the country. The paper went further to state " It was learnt that the first step taken by Tinubu to weaken Abubakar's hold on the AC was by preventing his loyalists from attending the party's caucus meetings. Among those that were denied access to the party's caucus meetings while Abubakar was out of the country were former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh; a former Minister of Women Affairs, Princess Funke Adedoyin and a former Minister of Internal Affairs, Chief Dapo Sarumi…".
The main crux of this piece is not to dwell on Atiku's visit but the fate of the Rivers State Action Congress led by the sagacious Prince of Niger/Delta politics, Prince Tonye Princewill in view of the present crisis rocking the party. When the Prince considered it prudent to partner and went ahead to partner with the Amaechi's administration, he received series of castigation especially from Tinubu who did help him financially and legally to prosecute his case against Omehia.
When the forces against Princewill wanted to push him out of the party as a result of his partnership with PDP it was to Alh. Atiku Abubakar he ran to explain the reason that informed his action in which the national leader of the party gave him (Princewill) approval to carry on.
Apart from the heavy financial contribution Princewill and Tinubu have made in the past and at present towards sustaining the party, Princewill was also instrumental to the appointment of Rivers State AC key members into the Amaechi's led government in the spirit of Unity Government. In addition, he purchased buses for the party and placed some of its key members on salary amongst other magnanimous and commendable gesture extended to the party. With some of the structures this new breed of politician had put in place, I am sure he will not defect to another party come 2011but as it is often said; only time can tell.
It is important to note that political parties do have internal disharmony and the one that is being played out in AC is not an exception. What matters at the moment are the maturity, political sagacity and sincerity to bring the contending parties to a round table where issues will be settled once and for all. To neglect the above may in the long run spell a doom for AC if Tinubu and Atiku eventually defect to AD and PDP respectively. One, too many loyalists of Tinubu will go with him as well as Atiku.
This in the finally analysis will weaken AC's structures both at national, state and local levels thus leading to its total collapse and the absence of a strong opposition that can checkmate the excesses of the government in power. Until then let's watch and see how trends will unfold.
Okwute Ikeji writes from Umuchu in Enugu State
