Barring any last minute change, the Southern governors will converge on Alausa, Lagos State today to chart a way forward for their region in particular and Nigeria in general. This may not be unconnected with the recent political happenings in the country.
The meeting which will be co-hosted by Lagos state governor, Akinwumi Ambode and his Akwa-Ibom counterpart, Emmanuel Udom was announced barely two weeks to the meeting of South-,West APC leaders at the state house Agodi, Ibadan.
An event which the chairman of the occasion described as an opportunity to reevaluate, reassess and refocus governance in the zone by elected members of the party at the state Executive level and National Assembly.
The meeting which has been described by some political analysts as a decoy to renegotiate the presidency ahead of 2019 election, is being broadened to accommodate the South-South and South-East leaders to address the cries of perceived injustice, lopsidedness in distribution of resources and appointments by the ruling APC government at the center.
It would be recalled that the Buhari administration won the 2015 election as a result of alliance between the ACN which was a dominant party in the southwest and CPC which held sway in the Northwest and Northeast. But it appears that the Southwest APC leaders no longer enjoys the listening ear of the President despite occupying the number two position and some juicy ministerial slots in the cabinet.
President Buhari was alleged to have surrounded himself with some cabal mainly from his Katsina home state, an allegation that was first levelled against him sometimes last year by his wife, Aishat .The First lady had then warned her husband to be wary of some elements in his cabinet who were never a party to the emergence of the General-turned politician in 2015 election.
It should be noted that in his inauguration address, the President had declared he does not belong to anybody, a statement he observed to the detriment of party discipline which led to the alleged fraudulent emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremandu of PDP as the Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. The rancour generated by the issue almost ensnared the party at the inception. And since then Atiku Abubakar, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been sidelined.
Also the efforts of those matter in the emergence of the President to make him face reality and flow to the tune of the yearnings of Nigerians had been largely ignored. The President has been accused of not shedding his military toga in handling Nigerian situation. Hitherto he refused to listen to advice on the need for restructuring of the unitary system of government wrapped-up as federalism by the military. An issue which has fuelled agitation from different groups like IPOP, ACYF, Niger Delta Avengers etc and leaves Nigeria more divided than before.
Furthermore, the President has been accused of losing steam in his fight against corruption. Till date unlike Obasanjo, Buhari has not deemed it fit to fight corruption in his own cabinet where some of his appointees like the former SGF,Babachar Lawal, Ayo Oke of NIA, Ibrahim Idris IGP and even Buratai , the COAS have been roaming the streets despite of allegation of corrupt enrichment against them.
It was said that what you needed to do to escape trial as an indicted corrupt politician was just to move to APC, in what Senator Sheu Sanni described as a deodorant treatment by Buhari, while corrupt politicians of other parties are given ‘insecticide treatment’. It was argued that a modern day politician and ruler should never mind whose ox is gored.
In like manner,the administration was said to have lost proper coordination by Buhari. No thanks to the confrontations between the Health Minister, Prof. Issac Adewole and the suspended Executive Secretary NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
Also of concern was the recent feud between Minister of state for Petroleum, Dr I’ve Kachikwu and GMD of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru. Prior to the two instances mentioned above was a cat and mouse game between EFCC’s Magu and DSS Director, Musa Daura. In fact another embarrassing incident also played out between Magu and the AGF, Malami.
These and many more have made APC to be seen as a party of rudderless ship, which was a source of worry to other party leaders at the sideline. And for the fact that whosoever lives in a glass house does not throw a stone, the miffed party leaders had maintained stoic silence so as not further rock the boat of the party.
But for their own integrity their ‘siddon’ look posture was never golden hence, the coming together of the Southwest political leaders which is being extended to South-South and South-East leaders ,edging forward by albeit behind the scene by Tinubu through his political foot soldiers who are currently busy lobbying the other Southern leaders.
Commenting on the issue to Nigerian NewsDirect on the condition of anonymity, a high ranking leader of the party in South-South zone said if the party must be saved from embarrassing defeat in 2019 election, then the time for serious talk and alignment is now.
He said, “We can no longer fold our arms and allow things to degenerate. The credibility of Buhari is right now under suspect and unfortunately he is the leader of the party. And it was never in contention that Nigerians are worst off today than two years ago. And if realignment will move Nigeria forward, why not”.
Also, another party leader in Southeast who pleaded not to be named said Buhari has now become an albatross to the party in their quest to rule beyond 2019.
In his word, “why do you think Atiku is speaking out? Why do you think Tinubu is voicing his displeasure, and why do you think Sheu Sanni is talking? Was it not to save the party from an impending doom due to Buhari burden?”, he queried.
However, in a matter of days it should be clear how the 17 wise governors will change the fortunes of Nigerians for it appears APC is destined for imminent collapse.
Barring any last minute change, the Southern governors will converge on Alausa, Lagos State today to chart a way forward for their region in particular and Nigeria in general. This may not be unconnected with the recent political happenings in the country.
The meeting which will be co-hosted by Lagos state governor, Akinwumi Ambode and his Akwa-Ibom counterpart, Emmanuel Udom was announced barely two weeks to the meeting of South-,West APC leaders at the state house Agodi, Ibadan.
An event which the chairman of the occasion described as an opportunity to reevaluate, reassess and refocus governance in the zone by elected members of the party at the state Executive level and National Assembly.
The meeting which has been described by some political analysts as a decoy to renegotiate the presidency ahead of 2019 election, is being broadened to accommodate the South-South and South-East leaders to address the cries of perceived injustice, lopsidedness in distribution of resources and appointments by the ruling APC government at the center.
It would be recalled that the Buhari administration won the 2015 election as a result of alliance between the ACN which was a dominant party in the southwest and CPC which held sway in the Northwest and Northeast. But it appears that the Southwest APC leaders no longer enjoys the listening ear of the President despite occupying the number two position and some juicy ministerial slots in the cabinet.
President Buhari was alleged to have surrounded himself with some cabal mainly from his Katsina home state, an allegation that was first levelled against him sometimes last year by his wife, Aishat .The First lady had then warned her husband to be wary of some elements in his cabinet who were never a party to the emergence of the General-turned politician in 2015 election.
It should be noted that in his inauguration address, the President had declared he does not belong to anybody, a statement he observed to the detriment of party discipline which led to the alleged fraudulent emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremandu of PDP as the Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. The rancour generated by the issue almost ensnared the party at the inception. And since then Atiku Abubakar, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been sidelined.
Also the efforts of those matter in the emergence of the President to make him face reality and flow to the tune of the yearnings of Nigerians had been largely ignored. The President has been accused of not shedding his military toga in handling Nigerian situation. Hitherto he refused to listen to advice on the need for restructuring of the unitary system of government wrapped-up as federalism by the military. An issue which has fuelled agitation from different groups like IPOP, ACYF, Niger Delta Avengers etc and leaves Nigeria more divided than before.
Furthermore, the President has been accused of losing steam in his fight against corruption. Till date unlike Obasanjo, Buhari has not deemed it fit to fight corruption in his own cabinet where some of his appointees like the former SGF,Babachar Lawal, Ayo Oke of NIA, Ibrahim Idris IGP and even Buratai , the COAS have been roaming the streets despite of allegation of corrupt enrichment against them.
It was said that what you needed to do to escape trial as an indicted corrupt politician was just to move to APC, in what Senator Sheu Sanni described as a deodorant treatment by Buhari, while corrupt politicians of other parties are given ‘insecticide treatment’. It was argued that a modern day politician and ruler should never mind whose ox is gored.
In like manner,the administration was said to have lost proper coordination by Buhari. No thanks to the confrontations between the Health Minister, Prof. Issac Adewole and the suspended Executive Secretary NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
Also of concern was the recent feud between Minister of state for Petroleum, Dr I’ve Kachikwu and GMD of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru. Prior to the two instances mentioned above was a cat and mouse game between EFCC’s Magu and DSS Director, Musa Daura. In fact another embarrassing incident also played out between Magu and the AGF, Malami.
These and many more have made APC to be seen as a party of rudderless ship, which was a source of worry to other party leaders at the sideline. And for the fact that whosoever lives in a glass house does not throw a stone, the miffed party leaders had maintained stoic silence so as not further rock the boat of the party.
But for their own integrity their ‘siddon’ look posture was never golden hence, the coming together of the Southwest political leaders which is being extended to South-South and South-East leaders ,edging forward by albeit behind the scene by Tinubu through his political foot soldiers who are currently busy lobbying the other Southern leaders.
Commenting on the issue to Nigerian NewsDirect on the condition of anonymity, a high ranking leader of the party in South-South zone said if the party must be saved from embarrassing defeat in 2019 election, then the time for serious talk and alignment is now.
He said, “We can no longer fold our arms and allow things to degenerate. The credibility of Buhari is right now under suspect and unfortunately he is the leader of the party. And it was never in contention that Nigerians are worst off today than two years ago. And if realignment will move Nigeria forward, why not”.
Also, another party leader in Southeast who pleaded not to be named said Buhari has now become an albatross to the party in their quest to rule beyond 2019.
In his word, “why do you think Atiku is speaking out? Why do you think Tinubu is voicing his displeasure, and why do you think Sheu Sanni is talking? Was it not to save the party from an impending doom due to Buhari burden?”, he queried.
However, in a matter of days it should be clear how the 17 wise governors will change the fortunes of Nigerians for it appears APC is destined for imminent collapse.
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