Atiku, Akande battle for APC BOT chairmanship


There are strong indications that a fresh power tussle is brewing in the All Progressives Congress over the chairmanship of its Board of Trustees.

Saturday PUNCH reliably learnt on Friday that the tussle was between former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and a former Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Investigations showed that the tussle was part of moves by the power blocs in the APC to influence decisions in the party by taking control of its various organs.

Saturday PUNCH had last week reported that two power blocs led by Atiku and a National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had engaged in a fierce battle to control the party.

It was learnt that the two camps believed that the BOT chairmanship would go a long way in assisting them to control the party.

The chairman of the BOT, according to Article 13.2 of the APC constitution, shall be elected by the board members.

Both camps, investigations showed, had started reaching out to members of the board, who would elect the chairman.

It was learnt that Akande was being backed by Tinubu, who is not happy with Atiku’s role in the National Assembly leadership elections.

The struggle for the chairmanship of the APC’s BOT, investigations revealed, became intense following the National Assembly leadership elections on June 9.

Atiku was reported to have supported Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, during the elections.

Tinubu and the party’s National Working Committee were said to have backed Senator Ahmad Lawan and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila for the senate presidency and the speakership.

Both candidates lost to Saraki and Dogara during the elections.

Investigations revealed that the emergence of Saraki as the senate president would enable the Atiku camp to take control of the party’s National Executive Committee.

The Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are members of the NEC.

Tinubu is believed to be in control of the party’s NWC as many of its members are said to be close to him.

The contest for the control of the BOT is still open to the two camps.

The media aide to Tinubu, Mr. Sunday Dare, could not be reached on the telephone as it indicated that it was switched off while a text message sent to his telephone was not replied to as of press time.

But a close associate of Akande, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, told one of our correspondents that he was not aware that the former governor of Osun State was being nominated to be the chairman of the BOT of the ruling party.

Baderinwa, who was the former chief press secretary of Akande when he was the governor, spoke on the telephone with our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday.

He, however, said his former principal had everything needed to function very effectively in the office if he was elected the BOT chairman.

He said, “Chief Bisi Akande is eminently qualified to be BOT chairman of the APC. He was a chairman of the Alliance for Democracy; he was the chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria and was the Interim Chairman of the APC.

“Before this, you will remember that he was a deputy governor and later he became the governor of Osun State.

“If you are talking about Nigeria, he knows Nigeria very well and his integrity is unquestionable and he is an experienced politician.”

When contacted, the Managing Director of the Atiku Media Office, Mr. Paul Ibe, said he was not aware that the party had announced a vacancy for the position in question.

He, however, said the former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, had all the qualities to occupy the position should the opportunity present itself.

He said, “Like I have said elsewhere before, we are not aware that the APC has thrown open the race for the chairmanship of the party’s BoT.

“But if in the wisdom of the party, it elects to appoint Abubakar as the Chairman of its BoT, the Turaki Adamawa will be amenable and well disposed to it because he is eminently qualified to offer his services to the party at that level.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/atiku-akande-battle-for-apc-bot-chairmanship/

ok

Hmmmm..... North. Atiku wl surely have it

Make una let yoruba man head something na my northern brothers

In light of recent events, i hope Bisi Akande gets it. Atiku can't be trusted. He would use this to further his agenda and destroy APC.

Opposition within the party

Desperate politicians ....

Always fighting over positions.

Is this a govt of "change" or intra-party "battles"? So far it has been 3 weeks of zero governance with confusion everywhere!

Atiku always wants to take it by force since 1909

Atiku must be sent into political oblivion in the OBJ way.

<<whistling as he dusts the halliburton case file>>

soe:
Atiku must be sent into political oblivion in the OBJ way.

<<whistling as he dusts the halliburton case file>>

Seconded.

If not for OBJ's political sagacity, Atiku would have made a 2nd term an impossibility for him.

Wish PMB will stop acting like he is beyond petty politicking & put a leash on him fast, this is someone that was MIA all through the campaign& even had his support base defect to the PDP few days to the election.

Atiku does not understand nurture, his own is to come with knives and dig in!!!

Chief audu ogbeh is very good for the position.

APC is a masterpiece of dishevelment! They never had any shared values from the outset, all they wanted was to unsit GEJ..... And it has been achieved. I see the party walls crumbling into pieces in months ahead, opening way for new coalitions..... Formed amist backstabbing, treachery and disloyalty!

I see a big crises brewing in APC that will shake its foundation, my dream will come true in this holy month of Ramadan

Their Problem
Honestly I wouldn't mind if power is wrestle off Tinubu and his stooges
I like the fact now that his influence is being whittled down.
moronic jagaban

soe:
Atiku must be sent into political oblivion in the OBJ way.

<<whistling as he dusts the halliburton case file>>

He will triumph at the end of the day, the north needs that BOT to checkmate Tinubu's NWC of APC

Sincere9gerian:
Is this a govt of "change" or intra-party "battles"? So far it has been 3 weeks of zero governance with confusion everywhere!

I believe you made a mistake while posting this comment. You forgot you weren't online with your ShowYourCertificate handle.

Meanwhile, Atiku's group can only, I repeat can only have an edge over Tinubu's group when the battle is not intra-party. When it involves only the party, Tinubu would continue to humiliate Atiku because no PDP members to rescue him (Atiku) on this. Besides, most Northerners who are loyal to Buhari don't even trust Atiku. Let's see how it plays out anyway!

For Buhari's survival as president, he must ensure the BOT chairman is anyone but Atiku.

Oops

The prophecy is coming earlier than envisaged.

I just dislike ds Atiku as a politician

Ghen Ghen...... This is called close marking.

APC would be better off to avoid playing into the hands of Atiku. IBB like Atiku and Saraki are Maradonas. They had better see OBJ for more tutorials on how to stop Atiku.

As much as I hate to admit it, Atiku would floor Akande if he isn't stopped which means another loss for Tinubu.

still waiting for the change

donphilopus:


I believe you made a mistake while posting this comment. You forgot you weren't online with your ShowYourCertificate handle.

Meanwhile, Atiku's group can only, I repeat can only have an edge over Tinubu's group when the battle is not intra-party. When it involves only the party, Tinubu would continue to humiliate Atiku because no PDP members to rescue him (Atiku) on this. Besides, most Northerners who are loyal to Buhari don't even trust Atiku. Let's see how it plays out anyway!

Lol you are on your own. The northerners always back one of their own. Events of the last few weeks would have shown you how relevant Tinubu has remained in the polity.Did you not read Kwankwaso's interview? According to him " the APC crisis was caused by a certain party leader who has already gotten his fair share of positions to Underate the G5 governnors and the PDP decampees.Tinubu only controls the sw bloc which is barely 1/6 of the country. The north as a whole is one and 1/3 of the country.

cktheluckyman:

Lol you are on your own. The northerners always back one of their own. Events of the last few weeks would have shown you how relevant Tinubu has remained in the polity.Did you not read Kwankwaso's interview? According to him " the APC crisis was caused by a certain party leader who has already gotten his fair share of positions to Underate the G5 governnors and the PDP decampees.Tinubu only controls the sw bloc which is barely 1/6 of the country. The north as a whole is one and 1/3 of the country.

I'm not saying Tinubu controls all the blocs. But outside his Southwest' stronghold, he controls a reasonable number of blocs. The Benue APC groups are always with Tinubu, there are still some blocs loyal to him in Edo, some Northerners who do not want Atiku albeit not loyal to Tinubu, would prefer to go with Tinubu. No need of argument, let's just see how it plays out. One thing I'm so sure of, is that with Akande on the race, Atiku should step down or face humiliation just like the Presidential Primaries!

nerodenero:
APC would be better off to avoid playing into the hands of Atiku. IBB like Atiku and Saraki are Maradonas. They had better see OBJ for more tutorials on how to stop Atiku.

As much as I hate to admit it, Atiku would floor Akande if he isn't stopped which means another loss for Tinubu.

Bros, this battle is intra-party and I don't see Atiku defeating Tinubu. Forget about his cash, with his cash, he still came 3rd during the Presidential Primaries. Atiku is just too overrated!

[s]

dustmalik:
In light of recent events, i hope Bisi Akande gets it. Atiku can't be trusted. He would use this to further his agenda and destroy APC.

[/s]And Bisi Akande can be trusted?.Yerobber man and propaganda are inseperable. Shm.

[s]

dridowu:
I just dislike ds Atiku as a politician

[/s]Yes of course,because he is contesting against Bisi Akande,your fellow Yoruba,and because he has been dishing Tinubu with the hardest blow of political irrelevance lately.LWKD.
Anyway,your opinion here is grossly inconsequential,and your cheap blackmail,laughable,as it ends here.

donphilopus:


I'm not saying Tinubu controls all the blocs. But outside his Southwest' stronghold, he controls a reasonable number of blocs. The Benue APC groups are always with Tinubu, there are still some blocs loyal to him in Edo, some Northerners who do not want Atiku albeit not loyal to Tinubu, would prefer to go with Tinubu. No need of argument, let's just see how it plays out. One thing I'm so sure of, is that with Akande on the race, Atiku should step down or face humiliation just like the Presidential Primaries!

Bros three northerners contested the presidential primaries and thus with the control of the sw bloc votes was the beautiful bride.The scenarios are not similar Thenorthern votes during the primaries were divided between the three candidates.When it comes to the north against any southern candidate they will unite.Some northerners may not like Atiku but they will still prefer him to a Yoruba man.

[s]

StOla:
For Buhari's survival as president, he must ensure the BOT chairman is anyone but Atiku.

[/s]Atiku is the best candidate for the job.