By Ehichioya Ezomon
With the next elections still over three years, presidential aspirants, especially governors, have literally abandoned their duties, and started jockeying and junketing for space and relevance.
Accordingly, three issues, concerning the 2023 polls, have emerged lately, with two pertaining to the All Progressives Congress (APC). First, is the report that four governors spearheaded attempts to oust the party Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The second is President Muhammadu Buhari’s avowal to prevent those vying for the presidency and National Assembly seats, the use of his name (as in previous elections), as a campaign tool, “to force themselves on Nigerians.”
And third is his pledge to ensure that the next elections are free and fair, and that nobody will use their offices or resources to force themselves on their constituencies.
These related matters are coming amid the upswing in scheming for 2023, barely six months after the inauguration of the current administration, based on the 2019 general election.
Let’s begin with the alleged “plot” to unseat Oshiomhole, which has raged on prior to the February/March 2019 polls. Critics’ initial anger was against his “mishandling” of the APC primaries.
But the crux was his stand against attempts by some governors and powerful individuals to hijack the primaries to favour themselves and their cronies, and sideline opponents.
So, the struggle between Oshiomhole and disgruntled party bigwigs led to acrimony, defections and internal sabotage, resulting in the APC losing several states at the polls.
And those elections over, attention has shifted to 2023, with some of the governors re-litigating the fights with Oshiomhole, demanding he should resign or be sacked.
As reported by The Nation, four presidential aspiring governors are leading the “Oshiomhole-must-go” campaign, which they took to President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, and also exacerbated at three prior party meetings.
The parley with Buhari seemed an “arrangee” by the quartet, who told other governors the president wanted to “compare notes with them,” whereas they informed Buhari that the governors desired an audience with him, “on an issue of national importance.”
Hence, the president was “all ears” when the Villa meeting began, only for Governor Nasir el-Rufai to tell him that the governors had decided on Oshiomhole’s ouster “for not running the party well.”
However, Buhari didn’t give the agitating governors the all-clear, even as Oshiomhole’s neck was chiefly saved by some sympathetic governors, led by Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
Professor Zulum, reported to challenge el-Rufai’s claim of the governors’ “agreement” for Oshiomhole to go, said: “Who are the APC governors with you? Where and when did we meet to agree that the national chairman should resign?”
He told Buhari the governors’ ploy was “all about 2023,” which he should be wary of, adding: “They want a pliant person as Chairman, someone they can manipulate. That is why they want Oshiomhole out. They want to hijack the APC for selfish reason.”
Oddly, two of the alleged governors, el-Rufai (Kaduna State) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State), are Oshiomhole’s publicised friends. The others, Messrs Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi State) and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa State), aren’t so identified.
Their said plot against Oshiomhole, on the premise he’s likely to frustrate their aspiration, confirms the notion that in politics, “there are no permanent friends or enemies, but permanent interests.”
It also aligns with the hit track, “Who The Cap Fit,” by the legendary reggae maestro, Bob Marley, whose soulful, moanful lyrics speak about betrayal by friends, thus:
“Man to man is so unjust, children: Ya don’t know who to trust. Your worst enemy could be your best friend, And your best friend your worse enemy. Some will eat and drink with you, Then behind them su-su ‘pon you. Only your friend know your secrets, So only he could reveal it…
“Some will hate you, pretend they love you now, Then behind they try to eliminate you. But who Jah bless, no one curse; Thank God, we’re past the worse. Hypocrites and parasites, Will come up and take a bite. And if your night should turn to day, A lot of people would run away…”
Perhaps, Oshiomhole’s governor-friends knew about his plans (“secrets”) to stop them in their presidential bid. And though “they eat and drink with him,” and “pretend they love him,” but behind him, “they try to eliminate” (oust) him from power.
To attain their goals in 2023, the governors are ready to forego their friendship with Oshiomhole. And they could as well drop the name of President Buhari, as doing so would create the impression that he favours particular aspirants.
But Mr. Yinka Oyebode, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Fayemi, has dismissed The Nation report as “a cock and bull story” that lacks credibility, asking: “Do you believe that story?”
While he poured cold water on the “plot” to sack Oshiomhole, who, he said could be removed by the party members that elected him; he argued that no politician could stand before President Buhari and talk about 2023 polls in 2019.
But Yinka fiercely dissociated his boss from the alleged scheming when reminded that Buhari, abreast with the undercurrents, had addressed the issue during his 77th birthday ceremonies.
He said Dr. Fayemi is striving to fulfil the mandate Ekiti people gave him, to deliver the dividend of democracy, as a reward for their trust in him. “And he’s focused, every day, on achieving that goal,” Yinka said in a phone interview on Friday.
That said, President Buhari has charged anyone craving to occupy a political office in 2023 to work hard to achieve their goal “by convincing the electorate,” instead of dropping his name.
He promised credible polls, warning: “I will make sure, using the law enforcement agencies, that elections are free and fair. Nobody will use his office or resources to force himself on his constituency.”
Yet, this timely advice by Buhari has riled critics, who accuse him of speaking and behaving like a non-democrat. Sounds familiar?
Lately, Buhari has come under censure, after the arrest, detention, arraignment, “freedom,” re-arrest and re-book of activist-publisher-politician, Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of State Services (DSS) that’s viewed as doing Buhari’s bidding.
He thus earned the epithet, “Military Dictator” in a civilian garb. And to boot, a national newspaper, the PUNCH, decided that going forward, it would address the president as “Major General Buhari,” which, of course, is the rank he exited the Military.
Critics chorus that Buhari has no power (he hasn’t said he has) to determine who succeeds him, as only the people can decide who gets the presidential ticket to vie to rule Nigeria.
Agreed! But politicians, notably in Nigeria, have the propensity, and capacity to upend such a “universal truth” to leverage their ambitions. So, Buhari’s caution is spot-on!
- Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.