The ongoing crisis, which loyalists preferably refer to as an intense debate between leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over decision to review the tenure of the party’s Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and other members of the National Working Committee has totally reset the game of politics in the party.
Recall that the whole trouble began when, President Muhammadu Buhari opposed the tenure elongation for the APC National Chairman and the NWC. Following Buhari’s statement, there has been turbulence in the camp of the advocates of tenure elongation as pressure from their antagonists continue to subdue their unpopular view.
Just today, governors elected on the platform of APC unanimously threw their weight behind Buhari to support the cancellation of tenure elongation for Oyegun, others.
TheNewsGuru.com has compiled some of the politicians that will be affected and those who will be glorified as Oyegun continues his journey to exit the leadership of APC’s control room.
President Muhammadu Buhari [Winner]:
One of the biggest beneficiary of the cancelation of tenure elongation for Oyegun and other NWC members is President Buhari.
Listening to Buhari’s firm decision on the controversial crisis positioned the President for the very first time as ‘democratic’. Judging from the several arrest and disregard for the judiciary, the Buhari-led government ever since his assumption of office has been largely perceived by the general public as being ‘hostile’ and ‘autocratic’. However, his position on tenure elongation for Oyegun gave his critics a paradox to unravel as well as reinvigorates Nigerians to have a little more faith in the the democratic principles of the onetime General.
Besides, the President also through his unforgettable speech laid a good foundation for himself on his bid to seek re-election in 2019. One of the most difficult issues facing most political parties in Nigeria is how to ensure internal-democracy and Buhari’s stand [constitutionalism] will put him ahead of his oppositions as he would be able to escape unnecessary litigation or multiple crisis that may arise if the party disregards its own constitution.
Tinubu and Osinbajo [Winner]:
Both Tinubu and Oyegun had been at loggerheads even before the tenure extension issue came up, but the synergy of Osinbajo and Asiwaju brought the embattled APC chairman to his knees.
Recall that former Governor of Lagos State was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to reconcile the existing differences among members in the party, he sooner than expected encountered difficulties and conveniently passed the blame on the party Chairman.
He wrote a letter to the President and other party Chieftains accusing Oyegun of undermining or sabotaging his mission. Oyegun was summoned by the President and following that open feud the party’s NEC extended his tenure in a move that was calculated as spiting Tinubu.
It was Tinbu’s co-conspirator, the Vice-President, an erudite professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yemi Osibanjo who won the battle for Asiwaju.
No wonder, while speaking a day after Buhari’s caustic speech barring tenure elongation for Oyegun, Tinubu at the 2018 Bola Ahmed Colloquium, the lecture organised to mark his birthday, thankfully praised Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo as his ‘co-conspirator’ and one must agree that there is no other better word to explain the power that reside in these allies, which was finally used to shoehorn Oyegun in APC.
After Buhari’s decision to override the tenure elongation of Oyegun, the President, however, left the members of the party to reach the final conclusion through a debate, and it was Osinbajo’s view that convinced most of leaders at the meeting.
Osinbajo’s involvement:
A source who narrated how Osinbajo won the debate against some of the proponents of tenure elongations who suggested that quoted the Vice President:
“I agree with all your observations that raising a Caretaker Committee is an internal affair of the APC but none of us is a judge here. The judges have final say on matters before them, not we who are the lawyers.
“I am a SAN, you are a SAN but as far the matters in court are concerned, they can go either way. These cases before the primaries may linger beyond our primaries.
“Once a case is in a court, it is no longer an internal affair of the party. The outcome of the cases in court could affect all our candidates for 2019 poll including the presidential candidate.
“We should abide by Article 13 of the APC Constitution by holding congresses and the National Convention of the party. Any introduction of extraneous clause to our constitution can affect our electoral fortunes.”
“We should not forget that there are many court levels. A case can run from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. We cannot say if we win at a High Court, it will be the same at the appellate courts.”
Osinbajo cited a case of a member of the APC in the Kano State House of Assembly who was nominated by a Caretaker Committee.
He said: “The APC laboured and won the election but when the case got to the Supreme Court, the election was nullified because he was nominated by a Caretaker Committee, which was illegal.
“There is a Supreme Court judgment of 2015 which precisely says parties should obey their constitutions.”
Overwhelmed by Osinbajo’s “brilliant” submission, governors and members of NEC clapped thunderously, such that Oyegun had to call the session back to order, the source said.
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP [Loser]
In the heat of the APC crisis, the party’s major opposition, Peoples Democratic Party have started beating drums and getting ready to dance and shame APC, however, Buhari’s firm stand portends that crisis won’t last long- for PDP, this is not a good news.
Recall that PDP has had its own share of internal party crisis, which took them on a long journey through several appellate courts before it was resolved.
On the tenure elongation saga, PDP released a statement through its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, claimed that the confusion in the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) is a clear reflection of the chaos and disorderliness that is the “hallmark of its government.”
PDP said the “executive flip-flops” by President Muhammadu Buhari and his “interference in the internal running of the party” has further exposed the “raging impunity, primitive impositions and other undemocratic tendencies in the APC”.
The former ruling party made this remark while reacting to Buhari’s declaration that the tenure elongation of the National Working Committee of the APC was unconstitutional. In a statement by its spokespman,, the former ruling party said it was clear that the APC went into a “chaotic mode following the renewed interest of Nigerians in the re-branded PDP”
Oyegun [ Loser]
APC Chairman, Odigie-Oyegun is the biggest loser in all of this. The reall battle was between Oyegun and Tinubu and there seems to exist some irreconcilable differences, dating back year.
Until otherwise, Tinubu has triumphed over Oyegun and the only way out is for him to heed Buhari’s advise.
Buharis words to Oyegun: “Nobody says you should not re-contest. Instead of adding illegal one year, you can go for a fresh term of four years in office. To me a four-year term is better than one“Nobody says you should not re-contest. Instead of adding illegal one year, you can go for a fresh term of four years in office. To me a four-year term is better than one year.” year.”
Dogara/Saraki [Winners]
Both Leaders of the National Assembly can be categorised as winners in the tenure elongation saga. Recall that Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara were not the ‘anointed’ party candidates for the highly covetous position they now occupy. Their emergence sparkled a lot of crisis within the party and at a point plots to impeach them to enthrone the party’s original candidates were high.
However, while the tenure elongation lasted, both Saraki and Dogara made their stance clear. They were clearly ‘against such undemocratic tendencies’ and enjoined party leaders to tow the line of honour by following the dictates of the party’s constitution.
Governors: Kogi, Ondo, others [Losers]:
It is not hidden, that Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello is in support and funded the ambition of APC chair, Oyegun to secure tenure elongation.
After Governor Bello made several attempts to visit Asiwaju, which the national leader has turned down severally. The governor has resorted to Oyegun, especially as Asiwaju’s support for his contemporary, Honourable Faleke’s remains strong.
As for Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, his pain of losing manifested immediately at the APC meeting, where Buhari turned his back against Oyegun.
At the meeting, the President after making his stand known, diplomatically added that members of the National Working Committee were free to “discuss and debate” his proposal.
That sparked the debate opened by Akeredolu who argued for allowing tenure extension for Oyegun and the others.
Akeredolu reportedly said: “The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and other parties could not take APC to court over tenure elongation because whatever is done by NEC is an internal affairs of the party.
“The governor said the PDP and others would be mere busybodies to dabble in the internal affairs of APC. He was confident that no court would allow the PDP or any other party to have its way.”
But his view was knocked off by Vice President, Osinbajo’s debate.
Muiz Banire [loser]:
Also in the list of those who will suffer the cancellation of tenure elongation for Oyegun, other NWC members is APC’s National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire [SAN].
Although, Banire, has publicly denied reports that he has fallen out of favour with the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Tinubu; it is still apparent that he has waging a war on his Lagos constituency and this is highly connected with his controversial expulsion from Lagos politics.
As we all know, anyone who lacks constituency support in politics is in standing on a sinking sand, and this might just be the case for Banire once he fails to secure office through the tenure elongation.
It was Banire, who seconded Ondo State Governor, Akeredoliu during the discourse on tenure elongation for NWC members.
His words, “It is true that Article 13 of APC Constitution says that we should have new executives every four years, but NEC can propose a National Caretaker Committee for the next one year.
“I know some people took us to court in Lagos and Abuja. The matter in Lagos came up on Tuesday (March 27) and the case in Abuja will be on March 28.”
“applications before the court could not stand as long as the NEC took a legal decision to set up a Caretaker Committee.”
Like Akeredolu’s view Banire lost out the debate after Osinbajo marshaled the dangers lying ahead for the party should they follow the path of setting up a caretaker committee.