Fresh crisis looms in APC: Buhari in dilemma over Oyegun, NWC

Several political calculations have been going on in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the aborted tenure extension of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and the National Working Committee (NWC).

The inconsistency of President Muhammadu Buhari in the resolution to extend the tenure of the APC national chairman and other members of the NWC; and the subsequent nullification of the tenure extension decision, generated mutual suspicion and mutual distrust among party stakeholders, thus, precipitating fresh crisis in the ruling party over whether Oyegun should go or remain as national chairman after the national convention. The emerging crisis was gathered to have placed the President in dilemma on whether to let Oyegun go or remain as party chairman.

Certain APC stakeholders developed the phobia that President Buhari made a U turn on Oyegun after the February 27, 2018, endorsement of tenure extension by the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) to enable him facilitate a new realignment within the party to fortify his second term re-election ambition.

Investigation revealed that APC governors seeking second term, and members of the National Assembly have more confidence in Oyegun to secure party tickets for re-election in 2019. They were of the view that changing APC leadership at the national convention could install a chairman that could be manipulated to frustrate them from being re-elected in 2019. Some others argued that the new leadership may be loyal to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who they fear may use that opportunity to take pounds of flesh from APC lawmakers in the National Assembly that overwhelmed him in the leadership tussle of the federal legislature in 2015.

Invariably, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honourable Yakubu Dogara, Senator Dino Melaye and others, including several APC governors were identified to be on target to be taken out of the way in 2019.

Accordingly, the governors and the lawmakers were gathered to be set to battle the President at the national convention to ensure Oyegun and other NWC members will be returned. Invariably, President Buhari was said to be in dilemma whether to align with the governors and lawmakers or stand firmly on the removal of Oyegun.

The mix-up was said to be the reason for the open window for Oyegun and other NWC members to contest for re-election at the national convention which date is yet to be decided.

A source in APC disclosed that the retention of Oyegun will not work in the interest of Tinubu who has been at loggerhead with the national chairman. Yet, President Buhari cannot risk having conflict with party governors or lawmaker at this stage of preparations for 2019 general elections.