An uneasy silence has enveloped the House of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as one of its major financiers and backers, Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has gone inexplicably silent after his routing by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the party’s presidential primary at the weekend.
Wike’s silence comes as chinks appear on the walls of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where a National Vice Chairman of the party is accusing the National Chairman, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, of displaying dictatorial tendencies.
He spoke up as an influential member of the party in Oyo State and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, jumps ship over the emergence of Senator Teslim Folarin as the party’s governorship candidate.
Wike’s silence and subdued anger, it was learnt, followed the huge betrayal he allegedly suffered in the hands of his ally, Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, and other southern governors who sold him out to get a vice presidential ticket from Atiku.
Many are wondering if the strange closed-door visit of a north-western governor to President Muhammadu Buhari two weeks ago had anything to do with Wike’s betrayal.
In fact, shortly after his loss, a mischievous, but telling message flooded the social media to show the astuteness and treachery he allegedly suffered in the hands of Tambuwal.
The trending Social Media Post
Memory lane
You can never beat our Fulani brothers on matters of political treachery, subterfuge and shenanigans. This is a file photograph of Nyesom Wike, proudly displaying his vote for Tambuwal at the 2018 PDP Presidential Primaries. This same Wike not only supported Tambuwal at the polls, he travelled to Sokoto to make a donation of half a billion naira, for the redevelopment of the charred Sokoto International Market. On this day, Saturday May 28, 2022, this same Tambuwal stepped down from the PDP primaries and directed his supporters to vote Atiku Abubakar.
Wike’s dilemma and resort to temporary reclusiveness is made worse by his public declaration at the convention to support anyone that wins the primary election.
In the APC, the National Vice-Chairman, Northwest, Salihu Lukman, Abdullahi Adamu of acting alone.
Lukman in a memo to Adamu, entitled, “Rebuilding the APC: Need for New Initiatives,” urged his boss to avoid past errors in the administration of the party.
His words: “Under your leadership, the current NWC is gradually snowballing into similar circumstances where decisions are taken and allowed to lay bare, and in some instances, changed without necessarily taking the needed steps to carry members along.
“Presidential aspirants are yet to be screened. The official explanation is that you are awaiting final consultation with President Buhari. At the risk of sounding agitated, this is unfair to the president because to the best of my understanding, it is an attempt to use his name to give excuses for failure.
“I find it necessary to send this letter to further appeal to you to review our approaches under the current NWC under your leadership. It is now two months since we came into office and you have so far raised a lot of expectations given that some of the problems, which undermined the support base of previous leadership, would appear to have been minimised.
“For instance, meetings of the NWC are now held almost every week. Members participate actively, and where necessary, engage and contest issues.
“It is to your credit that you accept the positions of members even when you disagree. This is a remarkable departure from what was obtained in the past where the national chairman conduct meetings of party organs as chief executive, and to that extent, therefore, exercises prerogatives and overrules members.
“The big challenge is ensuring that decisions taken are faithfully implemented. The inability of the previous leadership under Adams Oshiomhole and Mai Mala Buni to implement decisions taken were partly responsible for the leadership crisis that confronted the party.”
Aggrieved with the outcome of Friday’s Governorship primary on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Adelabu, on Sunday announced his defection from the party.
Adelabu, also a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said he was taking all his supporters across the 33 local governments in the state to the new party, not yet disclosed.
The aspirant said he took the decision at an enlarged meeting of his mandate group held at his campaign office in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Sen. Ayoade Adeseun and other leaders presided over the meeting.
Adelabu and many other aggrieved aspirants, had described the last APC primaries in Oyo State as “a charade”, alleging that the delegates list used was compromised.
He said that no amount of intimidation, threat or harassment could stop him from his passionate ambition of revolutionising the political, social and economic landscape of the state.
According to him, “all I can tell the whole world for now is that I am going to contest in the 2023 general elections as a governorship candidate, no matter what.
“No amount of intimidation, threat or harassment can stop me from my passionate ambition of revolutionising the political, social and economic landscape of Oyo State through machinery of government.”
Adelabu said that he was already in consultation with some political parties which would be unveiled as soon as possible.
In his remarks, Adeseun said they were ready to follow Adelabu to any political party where their dream of serving the people of the state would be actualised.
Adeseun, a former APC senatorial aspirant in Oyo State, assured Adelabu of their wholehearted support in whichever party they eventually moved to.
“We can’t continue to condone the excesses and impunity of these people, whose stock-in-trade is to hijack all about. We are the progressives and we will teach them politics,” he said.
Also, Dr Olusola Ayandele, Chief Kunle Sanda, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Chief Goke Oyetunji, Hon. Gunju Ojo and Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye in their separate remarks, declared their readiness to dump the APC.
They also pledged their unflinching support toward the actualisation of Adelabu’s governorship ambition in any of the political parties they agreed to join.
Recall that Senator Teslim Folarin (APC-Oyo Central), emerged the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State.
Folarin emerged candidate after polling 954 votes in the primaries held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium on Thursday in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Folarin, a former Senate leader, is the current Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content.
NAN reports that the governorship primary in the state, conducted by the Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi-led Committee, had six other aspirants – Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Mr Akeem Agbaje, Mr Akeem Alao, Mr Akeem Agbaje, Dr Azeez Adeduntan and Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN).
NAN reports that Folarin polled 954 votes, Aďelabu 327, Agbaje 15, Alao six, Adeduntan two votes while Akintola had no vote. There were 11 invalid votes.
Dr Abdullahi Kuso, the Secretary of the committee, who doubled as the returning officer, declared Folarin winner of the primary, having polled the highest number of votes.
Folarin, in his acceptance speech, expressed undiluted resolve to rescue Oyo State from what he called “maladministration of the PDP-led government”.
“I wholeheartedly accept my nomination as Oyo State Governorship Candidate of the APC for the 2023 general elections.
“First of all, I solemnly give glory to Almighty Allah for His Divine Grace that catapulted me from being an aspirant to the 2023 governorship candidate of our great party.
“My most sincere gratitude to the 1,755 delegates that participated in the primary elections. I pledge never to let them down,” he said.
He said that with their continuous cooperation, understanding and support, “we shall return Oyo APC to winning ways in 2023.
According to him, “my nomination by majority of our party delegates has further reinforced my conviction that God and the good people of Oyo State are indeed behind my 2023 Rescue Mission.
“I want to state that there is no victor, no vanquished in the contest for the 2023 governorship ticket of our great party,” the other aspirants are also eminently qualified to govern our dear state.”
“Let’s come together as family members to build a formidable and indivisible Oyo APC that is capable of ensuring electoral victories in 2023,” he said.
▪︎ Additional reports by NAN
