2019: Tinubu, APC governors on war path

There are emerging indications that the reforms being introduced into the All Progressives Congress, APC, by the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, which are conceived to be dictated by the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are beginning to create war path between APC governors and Tinubu. Accordingly, the governors at the slightest partisan contact get enraged with their supposed national leader. This culminated into the shoddy treatment the APC governors accorded Tinubu during the last Thursday National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Oshiomhole had insisted that APC would adopt direct primary election in nominating candidates for the 2019 general elections in place of delegates’ indirect election. The idea was earlier prescribed by Tinubu for the Ekiti State primary election but was turned down former National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. It was, however, adopted in Osun State for the September governorship election. The result of the direct primary election in Osun State produced curious result leading to uneasiness in linking the Osun primary election to be won by a close ally of Tinubu. Perhaps, the insinuation stimulates suspicions of grand manipulation of direct primary elections by the APC top hierarchy.

Meanwhile, Tinubu attempts to clarify the mix-up over the last Thursday indecorous action of APC governors against him at the party national secretariat in Abuja. While he admitted that APC Governors protested his presence at last Thursday’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting, he noted that it was not for the reason that was widely reported.

Tinubu in a statement by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, remarked that he was not denied entry into the meeting. He rather said that he was not at the party headquarters for the NEC meeting but he was there to honour an appointment with the APC national chairman, Oshiomhole.

National Daily gathered that Tinubu, who was sighted at the venue of the NEC meeting, was said to have been denied entry by the Governors over his insistence on direct primary which was said not to be in the interest of APC governors.

The statement declared: “Asiwaju did not attend nor made to attend the NEC meeting.

“Let me set the record straight for the sake of those who may unknowingly believe the lie set as truth for selfish political reasons.

“Asiwaju is not a member of NEC because he did not feel he should be ab initio.

“If he had wanted he could have chosen even the lowly one by being an ex-officio member and no one could have stopped him then.

“He never attended any NEC meeting before now and won’t make to attend any now.

“The truth is that he had an early morning appointment with the Chairman, Oshiomhole. As he made to leave the party secretariat that Thursday, President Buhari arrived for the NEC meeting. He waited, received the president, saw him enter for the NEC meeting and left.

“But some of those governors, who, afraid of their own shadows and possible nemesis by engaging with the generality of their party members at open primaries, are averse to direct primaries, felt Asiwaju had chosen to attend the meeting to canvass support for the model.”

National Daily further gathered that notable APC leaders have been unsettled since Tinubu sponsored Adams Oshiomhole for APC national chairman. They were said to be perturbed that Tinubu may hijack the party leadership and use such opportunity to attack and frustrate party members not in his good book.