The 2019 general elections are fast approaching, and the political tempo in the country is on the increase daily, the heavy rains notwithstanding. In the past few months, Nigerians have witnessed alignments and realignments in the political turf. Politicians moving from one political party to the other ahead of the upcoming polls. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has said the released time table will not be changed as it remains committed to holding elections as already scheduled. For the All Progressives Congress, the coast is clear for President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate and Professor Yemi Osinbajo as his Vice-Presidential candidate. This positioning is sure to be ratified at the APC National Convention slated for next month.
Already, the party has said it was going to elect its presidential candidate through direct primaries, there is no doubt whatsoever that President Muhammadu Buhari emergence as the party’s candidate would gain the support of majority of members of the party across the country.
One cannot say the same of the rest 90 political parties. They have been grouping and regrouping in different shapes and sizes. Some go by the nomenclature of third force. Some say they can go solo.
Not too long ago, a group which goes by the name PACT, came up with an agenda that 13 Presidential aspirants would come up with one as their consensus candidate. Eleven of them had a kangaroo selection exercise in Abuja, presided over by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. The eleven which ambushed three other candidates in the plot eventually elected One Fela Durotoye as their consensus candidate. When the news went to town, Prof Kingsley Moghalu whose name was crested in the list of the candidates that were to endorse Durotoye denounced the charade. The northern members of the group walked out of the meeting as they argued that it was still the turn of the north to produce the President of the country going by the rotational presidency being practiced in the country. This charade of a consensus candidate alone took something away from the integrity of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili.
Exactly one week after, last Saturday to be precise, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, emerged the candidate for the Young Progressive Party, YPP. Moghalu, who pulled out of the PACT coalition after Fela Durotoye emerged consensus candidate was announced YPP’s flagbearer for the 2019 presidential election.
The presidential aspirant emerged the party’s candidate for the 2019 presidential elections after a well graced YPP national primaries which held September 8, 2018 at International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Beyond the defections lies a groundswell political gathering of the Egbekegbes led by the traumatized PDP with an agenda to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress. That in my considered opinion is the wildest dream of a political party ever. The PDP with a very bad image and history, riddled with corruption as part of the plot has indicated that it will change its name forgetting an old maxim that: “there is no amount of packaging that will market a rotten good.” The PDP is rotten from the head and there is no new name or unholy alliance with other crooks that will market them to Nigerians.
The PDP is the original Tower of Bababel where over ten Presidential aspirants, made up mainly of men who ruined this country are jostling to be the presidential candidate. Name them: Atiku, Saraki, Ahmed, Dankwambo, Mark, kwankwanso et al. Nigerians do not know what these men want from them. But the in-fighting amongst them is serious. For most of them it is do or die. For others, it is fight to finish within the PDP.
Since President Muhammadu Buhari declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has cashed on it to make reckless and unguarded comments about the person of the President, like in previous elections, they are boasting around that they will win the upcoming general elections in 2019 and go ahead to put a PDP government in place again.
Some of them are flirting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo who openly resigned from the party and tore his membership card in the public. Nigerians are aware that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been making some statements suggestive of his planning to present a candidate for the presidential election next year. He has been strident in condemning the APC-led federal government and Nigerians are wondering who really Obasanjo is to condemn a sitting President when he came up with an agenda to have third term. He made every effort to upturn the constitution of the country to remain perpetually in power and bring all Nigerians under his jackboot.
Having failed in that bid, he masterminded and orchestrated the foisting of a dying man, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua on the nation. Even though it was obvious the man had serious health challenges, Obasanjo imposed him on Nigerians through all crooked means. So, today, he is leading some political groups to wrest power from the APC. It is obvious that the man is always in need of his puppets in Aso Rock. He supported Goodluck Jonathan to climb to power in the hope and belief that Jonathan will stay all his day in power serving him and not the nation. When his expectations were not met by Jonathan he decided to write him a letter. The rest is history but the long and short of the continued tirade and attack on the Jonathan administration by Obasanjo led to Jonathan’s failure at the 2015 polls.
It is understood that ?the “third force” agenda is to dislodge the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, eliminate the PDP from the polity and enthrone their men in the political power of the country.
There is nothing wrong in all of these gatherings. I mean the Egbekegbes that will never produce anything good. I am just wondering what magic wand these forces want to use or adopt to seize power from the party in power.
I do not know how prepared they are, but from all indications they are all jesters. The whole country can easily recall how the APC formed a formidable alliance that dislodged the PDP. We were clear- headed from day one what we wanted, and Nigerians were with us. We moved from state to state and local government to local government mobilizing and conscientizing Nigerians. The PDP, like Thomas, doubted our moves all the way. But, like the hawk we were very focused with the APC project.
The APC remains the party that mean well for Nigerians. In fact, the APC will need to consolidate on the gains already achieved. If Nigerians allow the APC to continue, electricity under the watch of Buhari and Fashola will be stable and supplied 24/7 to all Nigerians. I can bet on this with anyone because a lot has been done by the APC government to boost electricity production and distribution across the country. This will certainly reduce the cost of production for both the manufacturing and production companies. It will force down prices of goods and services. It will also lead to a drastic fall in the importation of goods and services as local production of essential goods will rise.
It is on these notes that one would state without any equivocations that the APC will defeat any gang-up come 2019. It is obvious that all those gathering in different groups and camps under any guise are going nowhere with such agendas. The PDP will certainly fail as they can no longer be trusted by Nigerians.
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Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Edo State.
