From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Over the years, particularly since the All Progressives Congress (APC) made a triumphant entry into the country’s political firmament, many former and current members of its National Working Committee (NWC) have attempted to capitalise on their privileged positions to actualise their political ambitions by jostling to become the governors of their home states.
The list of the NWC members that have embarked on such adventure and or misadventure, as the case might be, is long. Incidentally, while an insignificant few of them succeeded, it has turned out to be a monumental nightmarish political catastrophe for the majority of others who could not make it, with some of them leaving the party in the end, while others institute legal proceedings against the party or quietly re-join the party.
In retrospect, those in the category of APC national officers that took the gamble for such political mission include Mai Mala-Buni, Yobe, David Lyon, Bayelsa, Isaac Kekemeke, Ondo, George Moghalu, Anambra, John Akpanudoedehe, Akwa-Ibom, Olusegun Oni, Ekiti, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, Kogi, and now already loading, the incumbent National Secretary of the ruling party, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru.
With Governor Mai Mala-Buni as perhaps the only successful reference point when he left his enviable position as the APC National Secretary during the 2019 general election to contest and emerge victorious as the governor of Yobe State, the majority of others faced herculean obstacles to even emerge the party’s standard-bearer at the primary level despite assurances from their colleagues at the national leadership before embarking on the mission.
For example, occupying a very alluring privileged position at the national leadership of his party under the John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC, Segun Oni had temporarily resigned his position as the APC Deputy National Chairman (South) to contest the primary for the Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election.
Oni was governor of Ekiti between 2007 and 2010 on the platform of the PDP when he was ousted by the court to pave the way for Kayode Fayemi. He later defected to the APC, and became its first substantive Deputy National Chairman (South), but, interestingly too, it was the same Fayemi that he eventually lost the APC primary election ticket to.
And though he did not indicate interest to reclaim his position, however, while he was away, some aspirants, including the former governor of his state, Adeniyi Adebayo, emerged his replacement as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party.
Retrospectively, almost the same fate befell Chief George Moghalu who had resigned his position as National Auditor twice to contest the Anambra State governorship election primaries. Moghalu, the current Labour Party (LP) candidate in the forthcoming November governorship poll, was lucky to be re-absorbed after his first adventure, while the second ended in an ignominious ugly experience.
At the height of his struggle, miffed by his party’s shambolic primary that produced Senator Andy Uba as the APC candidate for the Anambra 2021 governorship poll, Moghalu not only dragged the party to court but also won his litigation and got handsome amounts of money in damage claims.
Moghalu’s misadventure was mild, compared to that of David Lyon. After his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, scuttled his governorship ambition on the eve of his inauguration in 2019 with false information he provided to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party compensated him with his inclusion into the Buni-led APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECCPC) leadership.
It was a position he enjoyed until another governorship election dispensation in Bayelsa, when he decided to re-contest, demanding an offer of first refusal. He did not only lose out but also went on a wild goose chase by demanding an outright cancelation of the primary, which Timipre Sylva, then Minister of State for Petroleum, won.
Senator Akpanudoedehe’s misadventure was more dramatic and traumatic. As the National Secretary of the ruling party during the Buni-led Caretaker Committee, Akpanudoedehe, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had a comprehensive grip of the party’s governorship ticket of his state.
Endorsements, support and expressions of total loyalty were not in short demand from his colleagues in the national headquarters and party members in the state, including the incumbent Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who even visited him.
Akpanudoedehe was coasting to victory, almost unchallenged, close to the 2023 APC Akwa-Ibom state governorship primary, until the dual factors of change in the party’s national leadership and renewed internal wrangling within the state chapter of the party sank his ship, stopping him from actualising his dreams.
Consequently, he dumped APC for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) when a faction of the party loyal to Senator Akpabio outmanoeuvred and outsmarted him to spitefully hand the party’s governorship ticket to one Mr. Akanimo Udofia, an entrepreneur who joined the party a few days to the primary.
Today, Akpanudoedehe, a one-time octopus deciding the political fate of party members seeking the party’s ticket to contest one position or the other, has, unfortunately, been confined to history as he struggles to remain politically relevant in the current dispensation.
The ambition of Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, the APC National Vice Chairman, to become the governor of Ondo State was scourged at the primary election stage as he was comprehensively defeated in a humiliating manner by the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Kekemeke was, however, lucky to be re-absorbed into the national leadership of the party after the election.
As for Muri Ajaka, he had wielded enormous power and authority behind the scenes as the defacto chairman of the Caretaker Committee with his word was bond in deciding who became what in the party.
He had everything under his control to outsmart the choice of the then incumbent, Governor Yahaya Bello, and pick the Kogi State 2023 off-cycle governorship ticket, until the unexpected happened. He not only lost out but was also pushed out to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) where he contested and failed.
However, despite the bitter lessons, the current APC’s chief scribe, Ajibola Basiru, has concluded arrangements to throw his hat into the ring to contest next year’s Osun State off-cycle governorship election.
Senator Basiru was explicit in the confirmation of his ambition in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun recently when he categorically confirmed that his people were earnestly demanding for him to come and rescue the state heading in the wrong direction.
Asked if he was going to contest the Osun governorship election, the APC’s chief scribe, who had earlier announced his intention through a Facebook post in January this year, told Daily Sun: “I will say that, by the grace of God, at the risk of sounding immodest, I am eminently qualified to contest for the governor of Osun State, and if the leaders of the party give me the support, I will definitely not shy away from contesting for the position.
“Based on my experience, having served as a two-time commissioner, as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a party administrator, somebody who has a very robust background in legal practice, legal scholarship, and, of course, a strong worldview about development, Osun will definitely find a very good product as a governor in Ajibola Basiru,” he boasted.
But is he not expecting any stiff challenge contesting the party primary against his former governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy? Senator Basiru said that though he may not square up against him, the leadership of the party has the final say in endorsing who gets the party’s ticket.
Hear him: “I am not sure that we need to go into that area. I can’t possibly contest against former Governor Oyetola who is the leader of the party in the state, but I am not too sure he has announced publicly that he is contesting.
“Our conversation has not gotten to that extent and, as I said, I will contest, if the leadership of the party endorses me. I am a system man and, of course, I know a lot of people. I have been around and people are already making consultations on my behalf, and I can’t stop them.
“The only thing people don’t contest is bad luck. So, if people decide to wish you good luck, you cannot stop them, but I don’t see myself in a contest with our much-revered Minister Oyetola in 2026. It is not going to happen,” he claimed, with the voice of Esau and the body language of Jacob.
Like others before him, his responses have proved that he is mentally, psychologically and physically ready for the contest, regardless of whatever might be the outcome of the adventure.
From all indications, his final decision to contest against Oyetola may not be the biggest obstacle waiting to confront him ahead of the party primary billed towards the end of this year.
In the build-up to the election, the cataclysmic proportion of the challenges mounting against Basiru is already unfolding, especially the allegations of anti-party activities levied against him, capable of not only scuttling his governorship ambition but equally ending his opportunity of continuing with his position as the party’s chief scribe
First, it was the allegation of secretly hobnobbing with the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, of the PDP, having seen that the APC governorship ticket would elude him, despite displaying high-level hostility against the governor.
Second was the most recent allegation that he is romancing former Governor Rauf Aregbesola for reconciliation and endorsement of his governorship aspiration.
Third, the more threatening and offensive one, was the allegation that he criticised President Bola Tinubu for receiving Governor Ademola Adeleke and his family that recently paid a courtesy visit to him.
Although he has directly and indirectly, through his governorship campaign organisation, denied the allegations, dismissing them with a wave of the hand, the forces against him have combined to constitute serious impediments capable of scuttling his ambition ahead of next year’s governorship election.
It also seems that even if he wriggles out of this threatening chokehold against his ambition, Basiru, in the estimation of the some analysts, does not have the charismatic capabilities and competence to succeed in his ambition of becoming Osun governor.
While dismissing Basiru’s chances in the forthcoming governorship election, the Director of Media and Publicity of Osun PDP, Oladele Bamiji, described him as unelectable, emphasising that, “Basiru doesn’t have that personality even to come close to giving the incumbent governor any sort of reasonable fight.
“Basiru has had his time in public administration. He has been a senator and, if he did well, he won’t be overwhelmingly rejected as he was in his second attempt. If he could be rejected in his senatorial district then, I don’t know how he wants to navigate through other constituencies in Osun State.
“Maybe by the time God will want to make it so easy for PDP to win the 2026 governorship election again, Basiru will be put forward as APC candidate and then he will be able to smell how bad his image is as far as Osun electorate is concerned,” he said.