It is doubtful whether any political party is as consumed with a passion for intrigues as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Formed in 2013 from a coalition of three legacy political parties, individuals, parties themselves, and various tendencies have jostled for control or supremacy. The jostling has proved interminable. In June, its boisterous national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was overthrown, and a caretaker committee put in place to reconcile feuding members and organize a national convention in six months. In the president’s statement supporting the radical, and some say unconstitutional, change in June, he was careful to avoid a timeline. But it was generally understood that the Mai Mala Buni caretaker committee had a six-month mandate to complete its assignment.
Now, it has turned out that a controversial extension is in the offing, especially with the added assignment of validating old and registering new members, a task not only self-assigned, but also sanctioned by the president. On the surface, the entire process is altruistic and even logical. But underneath reeks the intrigues that have dogged the party since its formation and pockmarked its early existence after its famous and unprecedented victory.
What is clear is that a tendency within the party has the upper hand today. That tendency, constituted mainly by governors, will press its advantage, emasculate the other tendencies, reinforce its capture of the party organ, and intrigue for the 2023 presidential election. But that tendency shot itself in the foot when it abandoned the Edo APC governorship campaign in September. Amoral, indiscriminate and ruthless, it has little interest in any rapprochement, and will stop at nothing until its enemies are vanquished, pyrrhic victory or not. But no party, not even the extraordinary Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), got away with such murder. The APC will hope to buck the trend.
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