5 AUGUST 2013
There was jubilation among leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following last Wednesday’s approval of their registration application by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).The electoral umpire had in a statement signed by its outgoing Secretary, Abdullahi A. Kaugama, said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the application by three opposition political parties: the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to merge into one; to be known as All Progressive Congress (APC)…”
The APC leaders and their teeming supporters had every reason to roll out their drums in celebration of this anticipated, albeit, rare political feat. Apart from the fact that it was the first time since the return to democracy in 1999 that registered political parties could voluntarily give up their individual identities to coalesce into a new political entity, the journey through the registration process was arduous.
Sequel to its application, which was submitted to through their merger committee, there were attempts by some political groups-alleged to be PDP sponsored- to scuttle the registration through counter applications to INEC. Given the intrigues and controversy generated, it was therefore hardly surprising the conviviality that greeted INEC’s decision to grant franchise and put an end to what had become a titanic scramble for the APC acronym.
But beyond the registration victory lies the real political journey ahead of the APC and the leaders of the newly registered party are certainly not oblivious of this fact. As they settle down to the daunting business of consolidating on the victory of their registration, leaders of the APC would certainly be confronted by tougher hurdles in their bid to wrest power from the ruling PDP which has vowed to retain its dominance and stronghold on the Nigerian political landscape. Some of these hurdles are analyzed below:
Anambra election:
The forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State provides the first opportunity for testing the electoral strength and acceptability of the newly registered APC. How prepared the party is to mobilize its membership not only to participate but also emerge victorious in the election remains a big challenge.
Although former ANPP national chairman, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu told Sunday Trust during an exclusive interview at the weekend that the registered APC would fully participate in the Anambra governorship election, there seems to be a hurdle as the rival African Peoples Congress has also vowed to participate in the election using the same name and logo.
The chairman of the rival APC, Onyinye Ikeagwuonu, said at a press briefing last Thursday that they had commenced the sale of expression of interest forms for the election and vowed that it would resist any attempt by INEC to accept another ACP candidate other than theirs in the election. This identity portends potential crisis with regards to the participation of APC in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election as there is the likelihood of either parties going to the law courts to challenge the other from fielding candidate under the APC acronym.
Internal democracy:
One of the concerns of the major opposition parties that have merged to form the APC is the alleged lack of internal democracy within the ruling PDP. The point of departure would be for the APC to prove beyond reasonable doubts to Nigerians that it is truly not a party of ‘garrison commanders’.
Analysts and critics would be watching out to see if the leaders of the new political party would quickly settle down to the challenge ahead or preoccupy themselves with infighting over who calls the shots within the hierarchy of the APC more so that leaders of the merged parties had been accused of dictatorial traits.
For instance while General Muhammadu Buhari, was viewed as the ‘sole proprietor’ of the CPC who unilaterally imposed candidates on the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, leader of the ACN was seen as a dictator who singlehandedly decided who got what within the party, particularly in the southwest where the party had it dominance.
Similarly, former BoT chairman of the ANPP and erstwhile governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff was regarded as the sole financier of the party who ran its affairs at his whims. With these ‘political giants’ coming together under one political platform, it remains to be seen if they would keep their individual ego and interests aside and allow the entrenchment of internal democracy within the new APC.
The immediate past chairman of the ANPP Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, however, allayed fears of dictatorship within the APC. Onu told Sunday Trust in an exclusive interview that the party would strictlybe guided by the letters of its Constitution which does not give room for such.
Legal hurdle:
Despite its celebrated registration, trouble seems not to be over for the APC as its rival- the African Peoples Congress, has kicked against INEC’s decision and vowed to proceed with its court action against the registration.
At a news conference in Abuja last Thursday, national chairman of the rival APC, Onyinye Ikeagwuonu who described the recognition of the APC as ‘black-market registration’ said it was still in court challenging INEC’s rejection of its registration application, insisting that the APC acronym was not available for the new party.
Ikeagwuonu argued that even though INEC rejected its application, the process of registration does not end with the electoral body citing section 79 of the Electoral Act as providing that any association whose application is turned down could proceed to the court. “The implication of that section (79) is that the power to register a political party does not end with INEC once a judicial review is being sought, he said.
Similarly, the All Progressive Party (APGA) whose rival faction had endorsed the APC merger has threatened the registered party with court action for being enlisted in an advertorial as one of the four parties that merged to form the APC.
The national chairman of APGA, Victor Umeh, gave Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state who sponsored the said advertorial seven days within which to publish a retraction in the newspapers where he published the advertorial congratulating the APC for a successful registration.
With the threat of legal actions against the APC it remains to be seen how the opposition party would cross this hurdle and get down to business. Again, Dr. Onu said the new party was not threatened by the court actions because the merging parties have fulfilled the constitutional requirements for registration.
Election of party executives at all levels:
Another challenge that the registered APC would face as a test-case is the election of party executives at the national, state, zonal, local government and ward levels. Apart from consolidating the structures of the four political parties at the federal state and local government level, the task of conducing congresses and conventions to elect officials is one observers would be watching with keen interest to see how successful it would go especially given the experience of the PDP where congresses were flawed and candidates were merely handpicked by state governors and other party executives.
For instance, observers would be interested in the formula of how to concede leadership in each state, local government and ward level to the component party that is currently the strongest in each zone.
While the ACN is clearly dominant APC component in the southwest, the northern states would certainly pose a problem where the APC is less visible. The formula to be used by the APC in electing its leaders would therefore be a matter of interest to pundits.
Membership drive:
Closely related to the hurdle of election of party executives is the challenge of membership drive. The APC must convince Nigerians that it is truly prepared to provide alternative leadership to the ruling PDP as a way of attracting membership. Many Nigerians had perceived the merging political parties along regional and ethnic lines.
In its drive for membership therefore, the party must work hard to convince Nigerians that it is a national political platform whose membership are drawn from all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, regional or religious background. With the ruling PDP still maintaining its lead as the largest party in the country with the highest number of followers, the APC would have a Herculean task in changing the status quo. This is more so that the PDP is not folding its arms to the threat of the opposition as it has embarked on series of reconciliations aimed at appeasing its aggrieved members and wooing new members into its fold.
Likely PDP moles:
There is also the threat that the ruling PDP may likely launch incursion into the ranks of the registered APC by planting moles to break its hierarchy. Even before the registration of the party, some of the merging opposition parties were accused of working in the interest of the ruling party. For instance Zamfara state Governor who led a delegation of Muslim clerics on a visit to President Jonathan was accused of nursing discreet moves to back Jonathan’s 2015 Presidency. Several other opposition parties are said to be working in concert with the ruling party and how the registered APC is able to break this covert bond is a task analysts say it must not handle with kid gloves.
Funding:
The registered APC would also contend with the issue of funding, especially that the electoral body INEC had withdrawn its statutory subventions for registered political parties. Experience even within the ruling PDP has shown that ‘money bags’ other financially well to do chieftains tend to exert undue influence in running of the affairs of the party due to their financial strength.
As a new party that is just taking off on a clean slate therefore, the APC faces the challenge of how the party would be funded without necessarily depending on the financial muscle of the so-called money bags that are likely to hijack the affairs of the party at their whims. Analysts are of the view that an independent funding mechanism that would make the party less dependent on perks from influential politicians would do the party well in tackling the challenge of funding.
Regional factor:
The perception that the merging opposition political parties operated along ethnic and regional lines is also a factor that the new APC would have to contend with if it has to maintain national spread and compete with the ruling party.
While the ACN was widely perceived as a “Yoruba party” with its dominance in the south-west, the CPC was viewed as a party that appeals to the sentiments to a particular religion and geopolitical zone due to the perceived influence of its national leader. APGA on the other hand had been termed as a party for the south-east dominated by the Ibo speaking people. Having coalesced into a single political entity called the APC, the new party must convince Nigerians that it is truly a national party with no traits of regional or ethnic coloration.
It was against this backdrop that the composition of the interim national executives of the party was believed to have favored a particular region at the expense of the others. The APC would have to work hard in addressing this factor by ensuring that federal character is reflected in terms of elective and political appointments.
Threat from smaller political parties:
The APC must not take for granted the threat posed by less small opposition political parties some of whom were underrated in the merger process. These seemingly insignificant political parties owned by ‘briefcase politicians’ could easily constitute a stumbling block to the registered APC.
For instance they could easily form covert alliances with the PDP, especially during elections by declaring their support for candidates of the ruling party during general elections at the expense of the opposition. It therefore behooves on the registered APC not to undermine the ‘smaller’ opposition political parties but rather work towards galvanizing their support in providing a formidable opposition to the ruling PDP.
Analysts believe that this one sure way that the APC would still maintain an alliance with the less strong parties rather than leaving them at the mercy of the PDP that could easily use them to their political advantage.
Battle for supremacy:
Fears are also being expressed that the new APC may preoccupy itself with the fight among the party gladiators over who calls the shots in the new party. Added to this is the seeming crisis that is likely to occur in the election of delegates or candidates during elections. The likely area of conflict is who the next Presidential candidate of the party becomes during the 2015 general elections.
Each of the three major parties that have merged would want a shot at the Presidency and how such interests would be compromised for the overall interest of the new party would be a critical factor in the party’s outing during the 2015 general election.
In spite of all these seemingly difficult hurdles, the new APC is optimistic of giving the ruling PDP a run for their life. Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu told Sunday Trust in an exclusive interview that the APC is not unmindful of the challenges ahead but prepared to brace up to therm. He said: “Like sugar that easily dissolves when it comes into contact with water, the merged political parties having dissolved into one political entity would forget their individual differences and become one united front.”
Culled from Daily Trust
