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The fangs of the battle

A combination of carrot and stick by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC was apparent as the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun briefed the press in the party headquarters yesterday. Part of the carrot was the softer language and appeal to the sensibilities of members-elect and senators-elect not to break the unity of the newly formed party having its first stay in power in Abuja. The stick was a summons to a meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo which was yet to commence at press time.

Recalcitrant members were expected to be put under pressure to succumb to the endorsement of the party which last week put forward Senator Ahmad Lawan and Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila for the posts of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The stick of using the office of the vice-president to whip the recalcitrant APC members-elect and senators-elect was of little effect last night following the consensus of supporters of Yakubu Dogara to abstain from that meeting.

The men in the frontline

Hon. Leo Ogor
Dogara and Saraki

Dogara and Saraki

Hon Ogor is a four term member of the House who first came to the House in 2003 on the basis of the principle of rotation in his constituency. Once he arrived the House he became a central figure in the power caucus and was a central figure in many of the power intrigues in the Aminu Masari House.

Ogor was the Deputy Majority Leader in the last House, having been a central figure in the momentum that pushed Aminu Tambuwal forward to upset the party’s choice of Mulikat Adeola-Akande for the speaker of the House.

Even as deputy to Mrs. Adeola-Akande, he was generally acknowledged as the real leader of the PDP in the House after Tambuwal’s exit from the party. His position as PDP leader in the new House is now almost indisputable.

He has been a central broker in the discussions between the agents of Dogora and the PDP caucus. Suggestions were that he would come on board as the Deputy Speaker to Dogara. However, such suggestions are countered by the claim that Ogor would be better as Minority Leader and that moving him to the position of Deputy Speaker would lead to the disappearance of the PDP in the House.

Senator David Mark

He is the leader of the PDP caucus in the party who has just left the office of Senate President that is now in contention. Senator Mark had been believed to be wholly in support of Senator Ahmad Lawan’s aspiration as his replacement. That was until he formed a partnership with Senator George Akume, who is well known as a harsh rival of Senator Mark in Benue State.

Senator Akume contested against Mark in the 2007 leadership contest and lost and not too long after shifted to the opposition.

Given Senator Mark’s past lack of cordiality with Senator Saraki and the latter’s purported 2019 presidential aspiration, there are suggestions that Senator Mark may consider Akume a lesser evil he could stomach than Saraki.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal

Party-scores-2Even though he stepped out of the House less than two weeks ago, Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s popularity remains rocket high among members of the former House. The governor is known to be pushing the Dogara project and has reportedly been working the phones among fellow governors to canvass consideration for Dogara.

His intervention together with Governor Yari have lately helped to check the religious factor among Northern Muslims who had shifted support for Dogara for religious considerations. Dogara is a Christian from Bauchi State.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The national leader of the APC is believed to be pushing the party’s position on the endorsement of Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila for the office of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

Tinubu’s involvement in the contest has received mixed reactions with some alleging that it would be wrong for him having produced the Vice-President to also produce the Senate President and the Speaker.

However, Senator Lawan has not projected himself as Tinubu’s candidate neither has Gbajbiamila. However, the convergence of Tinubu’s political machine towards the aspiration of both men has left little doubt on where the party leader is standing on the issue.

Remarkably, almost all Southwest members-elect and senators-elect on the platform of the APC have openly pledged allegiance to the Lawan and Gbajabiamila. However, under the cover of the secret voting system, a number of them will depart from the endorsed candidates. That exactly was the reason Saraki refused to participate in the open voting system last Saturday as at least six APC senators-elect from the Southwest had secretly pledged allegiance to him.

The Jagaban as he is popularly called is believed to be pulling out as much resources as are available to him to push through the party candidates.

President Buhari

President Buhari has so far removed himself from the squabble and given his word that he would work with any one that emerges as Senate President or as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, the president’s body language is another thing. Indications that the body language tilted towards Lawan is said to have been the primary motif Tinubu dropped Akume for Lawan.

A number of the president’s core loyalists in the Senate are also supporting Lawan. But that is where it stops. The president’s inclinations in the leadership contest in the House of Representatives is as vague as anyone can guess.

Since the day we were all introduced to Yusuf Buhari, social media has never stopped talking about the cute son of the newly elected President of Nigeria. His fame has spread such that even a look-alike of him has gotten famous also.
The picture above is that of Kabir Hadejia,a look-alike of Yusuf Bhari and he his crying out,,

“My name is Muhammad Kabir Hadejia…There’s a picture of myself and my sister that has gone viral on the internet with people claiming it is Yusuf Buhari, the son of the president. I see news pages on Facebook and twitter spreading the false news. I strongly deny it and would like you to help me spread the news that that picture is me and not Yusuf Buhari. I take this issue very dangerous to my safety and hopefully you will help me. Attached are my pictures so you can compare to confirm I’m real”.

As Nigerians await the key appointments expected be made by President Muhammadu Buhari, many analysts are keen on knowing the fate of ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Amaechi who was the director general of the Buhari campaign organisation in the last presidential elections, is widely expected to be rewarded for his doggedness, loyalty and his efforts at mobilising the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in the South-south region.

Some have said Amaechi will be given the post of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, others are of the opinon he will only get a ministerial post, while some have stated that he will get a key position in the president’s inner caucus. But there are many forces at play that will hinder Amaechi’s chances.

1. Amaechi is confrontational: To his credit, the former Rivers State governor has always been the victim in all his political battles. But Amaechi’s mode of fighting back his political opponents has been very intense. His knack for running to the media with all sorts of allegations, calling of names and use of gutter language has been his trademark. The APC leadership and Buhari’s inner caucus would be aware of these political traits of Amaechi and might not want to bring him on board, as he is capable of rocking the boat when the chips are down.

2. Lone voice from the South-south: Amaechi’s political base (South-south) is very weak. He is perharps the biggest personality in the APC politically from the region politically. This short-coming will hinder Amaechi’s chances as he won’t have enough political heavyweights with him to push for his interest.

3. Amaechi is not a technocrat: Amaechi is a typical career politician. He has been in politics all his life and do not posses any known skill as an astute administrator. This fact was made obvious when he practically left the affairs of Rivers State at the height of his political battles with former president Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan. Amaechi, who performed excellently before the problems surfaced abandoned the state and was travelling all around Nigeria seeking for political affiliations. He left governance in the back- burner and the people of Rivers State paid him back in his own coin by not voting his party in the last general elections.

4. The Wike factor: Amaechi’s never ending political battle with Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike might affect his chances of getting appointed. While every aggrieved politician in the last election has gone to seek redress in court and await their verdicts, Amaechi seem to be only concerned with calling Wike names and attacking him at any given opportunity. This will no doubt continue if he is appointed as he is likely to abuse his position and use every resources at his disposal to fight Wike, which is capable of bringing the name of the Buhari government into disrepute.

5. Corruption charges: With the Wike government set to probe Amaechi, the new government might open a can of worms that will likely give the Buhari government a bad name if Amaechi is part of the government. It is widely believed in Rivers State that the Amaechi’s government in its last days, looted the treasury of the state in other to frustrate the Wike government. The N12 billion for the hurriedly organised local government elections comes to mind.