Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, recent developments recorded in the ruling APC and the major opposition party, the PDP , may leave the two major parties weakened in the upcoming battle for the control of government at the federal level.
Interestingly, the intraparty conflicts in the two major political parties had to do with the primary elections held to produce their presidential candidates four months ago.
While the APC presidential candidate , Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not enjoy the support of the National Chairman of the party, former senator Abdulahi Adamu but eventually won the presidential nomination, PDP National Chairman, former senator Iyorchia Ayu was believed to have had Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his preferred candidate ahead of the party’s presidential primary election, the two parties had since faced post-primary elections ‘intraparty conflict’.
Amidst rumblings of annoyance over the composition of the party’s campaign team for the presidential election, the APC Presidential Campaign Council had on Tuesday announced the postponement of its campaign kickoff earlier scheduled to hold the following day.
The Director-General of Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council , who is also the Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong , had noted that this was done to allow more party chieftains to get involved in the activities of the council.
APC, once again, made news on Thursday as the letter reportedly addressed to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by Adamu to complain about recent developments in the party entered public domain.
He had reportedly accused Tinubu of running a one-man show in respect of the composition of his campaign council.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka had later in a statement issued in Abuja , denied the letter while adding that it did not emanate from Adamu.
‘Our attention has been drawn to a ‘DRAFT’ letter in circulation purportedly written by His Excellency, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of our great Party, addressed to His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of our great Party, expressing dissatisfaction over the recently released list of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
To be clear, the ‘DRAFT’ letter did not emanate from the Party. An UNSIGNED letter that marks itself as a ‘DRAFT’ cannot and should not be attributed to its purported author.
The National Chairman of our Party and our Presidential Candidate maintain cordial and effective communication channels, and enjoy full liberty of open and frank conversations on matters of interest to the Party and our Presidential Campaign. As such, an unsigned ‘DRAFT’ letter of the kind in circulation is patently unnecessary and of no qualitative value to engagement between the Party and the PCC.
We will not be distracted by the wishes and actions of detractors that wait gleefully but in vain for some kind of crisis to erupt between the Party and the PCC’ .
We stand united, as a Party, in our resolve and commitment to execute a focused and issue-driven campaign to persuade Nigerians to renew our mandate in next year’s general election’ he submitted.
‘That letter is the position of the NWC. Whatever is happening now is an attempt at a recant’ a member of the party’s NWC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however submitted.
‘There is no smoke without fire’, you would say.
The leading opposition party ;PDP has also faced a post- presidential primary election intraparty conflict that had remained unresolved.
The presidential primary election held in May had Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state getting 237 votes while Alhaji Atiku Abubakar , a former Vice-President , who won the primary, had 371 votes.
The Rivers state governor had later sought to get named as Vice Presidential candidate but Atiku eventually chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a development that got him incensed.
Defection rumours had since then swirled around Wike and the separate meetings he had held with LP and APC bigwigs accentuated the insinuations that he was planning to say ‘To your tents, O Israel‘ to the PDP.
Wike and some PDP bigwigs including Chief Olabode George, Governor Seyi Makinde and Professor Jerry Gana had since continued to call for Ayu’s removal while Atiku had urged calm.
Dramatic scenes were enacted on Thursday and the dramatis personae were Ayu and members of the PDP National Working Committee that were believed to be loyal to Wike.
Some members of the PDP NWC made a capital out of an issue that no one would have heard about if no dissention had existed in the party.
They not only returned monies paid into their bank accounts but also wrote to inform Ayu of their decision to reject the largesse, the letters had later entered public domain.
This is coming a few days after Wike accused Ayu of collecting 1 billion naira from one of his former co-aspirants before the presidential primary election.
‘Credit of twenty eight million, eight hundred thousand naira paid into my bank account number, 3098567123 by the PDP.
Please, be informed that the said payment has become a subject of media story carried with bad intention by them.
I hereby inform you of the refund of the sum of N28,800,000 back to the PDP account number, 1000095003 at Globus Bank Plc. The receipt of the payment back to the account is attached’ one of the NWC members submitted.
‘Return of N36 million Housing Allowance paid into my account’
I observed a malicious story reported in the newspaper of 26th September, 2022 where it was alleged that members of the NWC were offered humungous amount of money to silence us on an allegation of financial misappropriation to the tune of N15bn. This led me to browse through my various alerts and I discovered a transfer into my bank account and for personal reasons, wish to return it accordingly.
Kindly confirm the receipt of UBA electronic transfer of N36m attached herewith. The letter was copied the party’s National Secretary’ another member also wrote.
‘We have not seen the letters. So, I can’t say anything for now’ Ayu’s Special Assistant Communication and Strategy , Simon Imobo-Tswam, however simply said on Thursday.
Sources told Team@orientactualmags.com that the National Vice Chairman (South South), Chief Dan Orbih , had informed Wike of the money paid into his bank account and after confirming from the NWC members loyal to his camp that they had also gotten the largesse , they were asked to return the money to the party .
Former Oyo state Deputy Governor, who is the Deputy National Chairman (South) Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja had since returned the money paid into his bank account ditto National Vice Chairman (South South), Chief Dan Orbih; National Vice Chairman (South West) Hon Olasoji Adagunodo and National Women Leader, Prof. Stella Affah-Attoe.
While Arapaja got N36 million , the three others got N28.8 million each. The embattled Ayu, who had been away in Europe for about two weeks now, is expected to return to the country today.
Political pundits had however submitted that recent developments in the two leading political parties may strengthen the chances of the Labour Party in respect of becoming the third force.
The party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi had made waves with his ‘Obidient Movement’- Team@orientactualmags.com
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