[size=14pt]Internal strife cripples Ribadu's presidential race [/size]
By Ayo Okulaja
February 20, 2011 02:29PM

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By the time the initial deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for parties to send in the list of their candidates for the April elections was due on January 31, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was unable to submit the name of a running mate for its presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu.

Although the party demonstrated remarkable organisation and discipline in running its national convention, which resulted in the emergence of Mr Ribadu as its consensus candidate, it seemed paralysed by the less rigorous task of selecting a running mate for the presidential candidate. While still savouring the joy of winning the party’s ticket in a field with more established politicians, it became clear that Mr Ribadu was not going to enjoy the full backing of his party for the toughest race of his life.

It was an open secret that the ACN was involved in a long mating dance with the Congress for Progressive Change led by Muhammadu Buhari. Even at the convention, some leaders of the ACN were still secretly yearning for an alliance with the CPC that would put forward Buhari as the party’s joint presidential candidate. This did not pan out, but it did sour the relationship between Mr Ribadu and members of the party’s leadership, especially the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

There was a public show of unity last Wednesday when the party launched its national campaign with a symposium attended by its four state governors, and lawmakers. But the rather curious absence of a running mate for Ribadu was a clear indication that the party was yet to overcome the tension that followed the national convention - and the decision of Mr Ribadu and his aides to pursue a more independent course from that set by the party leadership.

The Ribadu camp is, however, putting a bold face on the crisis. Ibrahim Modibbo, the campaign’s director of media and communications, said there was no need to panic over the absence of a running mate.

“The issue of deputy does not come up now because that is not a problem. We still have up to 21st of February to submit the name, so, we are still consulting,” he told NEXT. Mr Modibbo said that the colloquium, which held last week in Abuja, was an indication that the campaign had started in earnest.

Matters had taken a rather farcical turn when, on two occasions the names of two men were mentioned and quickly dropped by the party. Little known Sunny Ugochukwu was initially announced but later dropped. Then came the announcement of former governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige, who declined to take the offer.

There is also fevered talk about the former minister of finance and now managing director of the World bank, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerging as the vice presidential candidate.

There are indications over the weekend that the party may decide on Fola Adeola, a former Managing Director of GTB.

Recently, in a calculated move to force the issue, a supporter of Mr Ribadu, Olumuyiwa Adekeye, lampooned Mr Tinubu, whom he accused of an alleged plot to sacrifice the party’s presidential candidate for his own ambition in the coalition talks with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). The CPC had claimed that the talks with ACN foundered because the former governor insisted on becoming Mr Buhari’s running mate.

This did not go down well with the Tinubu camp. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the former chief press secretary to Mr Tinubu told NEXT at the weekend that his camp believes that the media fight is being orchestrated by a force outside the party to further weaken the alliance between Messrs Tinubu and Ribadu. He also said the two men had ironed out whatever differences they had and would not be deterred by machinations from outside to divide them.

“We are wiser and know very clearly it was done with very obvious demonic intentions. It was a terrorist bid, to throw bomb into the party and watch it explode while they nurture their own interest,” he said, of the media campaign about the disagreement.

Mr Bamigbetan agreed that the plot to forge an alliance between the CPC and the ACN caused the tension between the leadership of the party and aides of Mr Ribadu. He however said that this has been resolved.

“The Asiwaju has himself come out and announced that their relationship is perfect and the national executives of the party through the national chairperson and the national publicity secretary have also announced that the relationship is perfect. And the flag-off of the campaign was done via a colloquium in Abuja and everyone was there, so it now like we have chased away the fox. We’ve now identified those who just want to destroy the edifice.

Everybody is now back in the house to work for the success of the party.” He said that, “After Ribadu has been chosen as the presidential candidate, the opportunity to align with the CPC came and we embraced it to widen the chances of the party,” he said. “Certainly in those talks there will be tendencies that will be uncomfortable for some people at the final outcome. Naturally, the supporters of the presidential candidate will be uncomfortable with such negotiations and they will be anxious about it, but at the end of the day the talks did not work-out and we are back to status-quo ante.” Mr Bamigbetan , who is now the chairperson of Ejigbo local government council in Lagos State, alleged that the party’s investigations revealed that a clandestine relationship between the CPC and a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufa’i to destabilise the ACN.

“The aim was to use a contrived spin to cause disharmony between Ribadu and the leader of our party Tinubu, which is to weaken ACN the more, after the collapse of the talks with the CPC,” he said. He also spoke of a controversial piece by Muyiwa Adekeye. “When you read what he wrote, he (Adekeye) pretended to be Ribadu’s friend, making it seem as if he is fighting Ribadu’s cause; but further investigations have shown that he also works for Nasir El-Rufai.” He also alleges that the former FCT Minister is a major financier of the CPC and that the plot was “to destroy the harmony, unity and resolve which will be required for the ACN to go into general elections and get us embroiled in inter-personal rivalry that will blow up and destroy the party.”

[size=14pt]I warned him against ACN [/size]

Confirming that Mr Adekeye is an aide of his, Mr El-Rufa’i told NEXT that “Muyiwa has been my media adviser for a long time, but he is entitled to his own opinion.” The former minister however denied instigating anything between the parties and denied any formal links with the CPC.

“Just as Mr Ribadu is my friend and brother; Tunde Bakare, the vice presidential candidate of the CPC is also my very good friend and they have both approached me for support at different levels and I have offered my assistance as much as I can,” he said. “I am in a very unique position as regards this presidential election and I have decided to remain neutral.” He, however, stated that he had always expressed his displeasure with Mr Ribadu’s decision to join the ACN.

“I have always made it clear to Ribadu that I do not care what happens to him in the ACN because the party is not the appropriate platform for him to pursue his agenda,” he said. “He did not inform me or any of our group before he joined the party, so his problems are none of my business.” Asked whether he has any affiliation with the CPC, Mr El-Rufa’i denied the allegation but pointed out that he ‘might’ campaign for the party.

“I might campaign for the CPC, I think they are more organised,” he said. “I cannot campaign for the ACN because it is a party of contradictions and I have already told Ribadu this, a number of times.” Mr El-Rufa’i also warned the opposition parties to get their acts together, else the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be returned to power. He said has helped to broker meetings among leading opposition parties to bury their differences in the last three months.

“The presidential election is a two-way battle between the PDP and the opposition. If they (the opposition) choose to come together, it will be better for them. But if they continue with these controversies, Jonathan will get the presidency by default,” he said.


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