Politically deprived groups in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are rebelling. In Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria, rebellion within the party tends to achieving political rights for some aggrieved constituencies.
Rebellion seems to be increasing the costs for the governing party to a point where ceding political rights is preferable to a blood-spilling political war. But the new leadership of the APC does not appear to be pandering to political rights.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, is alleging that APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, failed to live up to his assurance that all states that had issues with their congresses will be allowed to hold direct primaries, thereby depriving them of any hope that their supporters will have the opportunity to vote for their choice.
According to Dogara, ‘’they said they will give me ticket in APC but that I must go and beg for it. I said I do not need the ticket. In politics, I have never gone to anybody’s house to beg for ticket. My ticket is my people. I have assured them that even if I run under zero party, my people will vote for me.
‘’So long as it is Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa, even if we run under zero party; we will win by God’s grace. We have thrived well in many political battles in the past and this one too, we shall overcome it. Nobody can threaten us or tell us that we cannot contest election in a political party we spent our resources to establish, only God can stop us.
‘’Even when they were talking about reconciliation in APC, we told them that even if I will be given free ticket in APC, so long as they do not do justice to Senator Sulieman Nazif, Senator Isa Hamma Misau, Hon. Ahmed Yerima, Hon. Aminu Tukur, Hon. Maryam Bagel and others, I will not accept it. I even said that if they will do justice to these people I will be satisfied’’.
Dogara spoke as his constituents from Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi pressed him to dump the APC and return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to run for the constituency again.
Around 1000 people on Thursday thronged his Abuja residence of Dogara, saying they decided to present him with PDP nomination forms due to the injustice allegedly meted on them by the APC.
Hon. Mohammed Aminu Tukur, Alhaji Adamu Jambil and Mrs. Amina Saleh, who led the delegation, said their new political platform is Dogara Peoples Party as they will follow him wherever he goes.Tukur told their host that the APC ‘’is now plagued by injustice and dictatorship, contrary to their expectations that under President Muhammadu Buhari, the party will be fair to all’’.
According to him, ‘’the day Buhari joined partisan politics in 2002, I was the only person from Bauchi that travelled and I have been with him since then. Mr Speaker, I swear to almighty God that He spared my life. I and our people will vote for you and we urge you to heed to our cries and accept this form. We pray that God returns you to your seat. APC is not a religion as it is neither Islam nor Christianity’’.
Also speaking, Jambil, who is a former Deputy Chairman of Tafawa Balewa Local Government said, ‘’the people have sent us to you with these forms. Bauchi State today is retrogressing. They have not constructed 30 kilometres of roads but they are busy lying that they have done 500 kilometres.
‘’Our people have sent us to tell you that they will not allow anybody to humiliate you. They love you and will not allow APC to embarrass you and turn around to you beg you to remain in their party. They said we should tell you that as their son, they are not giving you any option but directing you to accept these forms and leave the APC.
‘’They said time has gone so they will not give you any option and if you refuse to listen to them, they will desert you. But we know you are an obedient child and you will listen to your parents. Whether you like it or not, you must leave the APC. This is the message from our people to you.We have seen all the good works you are doing and they have sent us to tell you that they will not allow you to rest’’.
On her part, Mrs. Saleh, from Dass Local Government Area, said women in the constituency have sent her to inform the Speaker that they will be with him: come rain, come shine. ‘’You told us to join APC and we did. We worked for the party but they have betrayed us and that is why we said instead of building another house, it is better we return to our former home where we are more welcome. They are already celebrating that we are here to present these forms to you. Please our leader, we appeal to you to accept it and wipe away our tears’’, she said.
APC in Bauchi has been engulfed in a crisis arising from failed party congresses which led to a defection gale and resignations of many players.
There are also litigations against the party instituted by aggrieved members; one by the former adviser to the governor, Sanin Malam and another by a group of parliamentarians and other stakeholders of the party, including Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar and Dr. Yakubu Lame, among others.
Ahmed Yerima, the Sarkin Malaman Misau and member representing Misau/Danbam Federal Constituency of Bauchi, said ‘’the party has failed to honour its commitments to hold direct primaries which contradicts its earlier promise of using it to resolve internal discontentment. APC had drifted faraway from its original concept of internal democracy, rather, it has now been strangulated. On a long-term, these disenchantments will lead to a disintegration of any political institution that allows imposition, money and incumbency to hijack it’’.
(The News Chronicle)
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