Tinubu dynasty under siege

The Saturday, September 3 primary election for the APC governorship ticket for the November 26, 2016, governorship election in Ondo State, exposed the deepening gang up in the APC against Tinubu; the election in question, ended in controversies and threats of abandoning the party in the state. Chief Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, was declared winner of the primary election. Before the election, Segun Abraham was widely celebrated as the candidate sponsored by Asiwaju Tinubu. Akeredolu was alleged to be sponsored by a team referred to as Abuja Force.

Petitions from aspirants who spotted irregularities and malpractices in the primary election culminated into the inauguration of a three-member Election Appeal Committee which include Mrs. Helen Bendega, Chairperson, Alhaji Musa Umar, Secretary, and Nikky Ejezie, member, by the national Working Committee (NWC). The Committee had the mandate to look into the various petitions and make recommendations to the NWC.

Concluding its investigations, the three-member Ondo State Governorship Primary Appeals Committee under the Chairmanship of Helen Bendega, had recommended inter alia: “It is a matter of grave concern that the accreditation process appeared to have been manipulated. Thus, in consideration of the above observed irregularities and for the sake of fair play, it is, hereby, recommended that the election result should be cancelled while a rerun election should be ordered immediately in order to beat the INEC deadline.”

Governor Muhammed Abubakar of Jigawa State, who conducted the primary election at the International Cultural and Event Centre, Akure, had declared that Akeredolu had 669 votes to emerge winner; Abraham got 635 votes, Oke 583 votes and Senator Ajayi Boroface 471 votes. Abubakar also disclosed that 2,744 voters were accredited for the APC primary election.

He maintained that, “In essence, the party was the embodiment of a democratic promise made between its members as well as a democratic vow made to the public. Evidently, some errant members believe promises and vows are mere words to be easily spoken and more easily broken. Chairman John Oyegun has breached these good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an awful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira. The party was supposed to buttress APC members elected to government at all levels. Because of Oyegun’s conduct of our affairs, the party is rapidly becoming an albatross to those it was meant to help.”

Tinubu further narrated that, “Oyegun’s comportment regarding the Ondo State primary will become the textbook definition of political treachery and malfeasance of the basest order. In early September, the state primary was held. A purported winner was named. Having faith in the ways of the party, Tinubu publicly accepted what he assumed to be a verdict honestly derived.  As a democrat, one must face the possibility of defeat and accept such as outcome with as much grace as one would embrace victory. One of the few bright spots during the conduct of the primaries was Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar. He chaired the primary convention with decorum and impartiality.  He was unaware that a tampered list had been slipped into the process.”

He revealed that, “Indeed, within hours of the announcement, news began to filter in that gravely disturbed me. Credible allegations of fraud troubled the waters. The delegate list had been materially altered by someone in a strategic position to so do. The names of over 150 valid delegates were excised to make room for an equal number of impostors. This was not a clerical error. The alteration was wilfully executed that the primary would be directed toward a chosen end that bore nothing in common with the will of most state party members. A cunning few had tried to deceive the many into believing they were outnumbered.”

He continued: “A conspiracy to steal the Ondo primary had been uncovered. Fortunately, the grand deception afoot had been unable to cover its tracks fast enough. Truth began to cry for justice. “Several candidates filed petitions contesting the result. The party established an investigative board to review the evidence. In a two to one decision, the panel found the delegate roster had suffered tampering. The panel recommended that a new primary should be held using the valid delegate list. This recommendation was tabled before the National Working Committee (NWC).”

“After many hours of deliberations spanning several days, a final vote was held by the NWC. Beforehand, NWC members agreed that the decision of the majority would become the stance of the party. Such is the way of democracy. The NWC voted six against five to cancel the fraudulent results and hold an honest primary. For a moment, it seemed the party would restore its integrity by giving democracy a chance. However, those who sought to scam an entire state would not let the vote of 11 people spoil their enterprise. After the NWC vote, a noticeably agitated Chairman Oyegun proposed the NWC engage in prayer before concluding the meeting. Adhering to this chairman’s request, NWC members began to pray. Seeing that the others had taken his bait, Oyegun used the prayerful interlude to secretly excuse himself from the meeting. Contravening the NWC decision and in violation of all rules of fundamental decency, Oyegun decided to safeguard the fraud done in Ondo by perpetrating a greater fraud. Oyegun arrogated to himself the right to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to INEC as the candidate of the party,” Tinubu complained.

The former Lagos State Governor was of the view that, “Truth has finally come to light. There exists a regressive element in the party that cares nothing for the progressive ideas upon which this party was founded. They joined the APC because it was the best ride available at the time. Now, they want to guide the party into the ditch. They want to turn the party into a soulless entity incapable of doing good, just like they are.  When such a person tastes power, they shed all good restraint. They come to abuse the trust given them as if they are the owners of that trust and not its mere custodians. These people did little to build the party but now will do much to wreck it.” He added:

“Our party was to stand for change. Oyegun and his fellows seem to be on a different wave length. They are the cohort of Unchange. The APC wants to guide Nigeria into a better tomorrow. Oyegun and the cohort of unchange want to pull Nigeria back into the past where rigging and vote stealing were the old and new testaments of politics. They want the people to think that there is no alternative to their reactionary system of skewed politics and imperious government. Thus, they seek to turn the APC into a factory of the very political malpractices the people soundly rejected in the past election. To choke the APC in this manner is to kill the chance for progressive reform for the foreseeable future. Much more than the Ondo primary is at stake. Oyegun has revealed his team’s game plan: It is the destruction of progressive politics and governance on behalf of the people.”

Summing the long statement, he declared inter alia:  “If Tinubu is to choose between John Oyegun and progress toward a better Nigeria, the choice has already been made. For those who care about the party, who care about Nigeria and its chance for a better tomorrow, now is the time to stand against this brewing evil before it grows to encompass all we have built and all we hold dear.” He affirmed that “As party chairman, Oyegun was supposed to protect our internal processes and be an impartial arbiter, a person in whom all had confidence. Instead, he donned the garment of a confident man, duping the NWC, the party, and INEC in one fell blow. He has robbed APC members in Ondo State of the chance to pick in a fair manner who they believe is the best candidate;” and accordingly called for his immediate resignation.