The battle of the State congresses of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), scheduled for next weekend may have begun in earnest, as some State governors, serving ministers in President Buhari’s cabinet, even senators are allegedly at each other’s throats over who controls the party apparatus at the various States’ levels.
Control of the party apparatus at the State level could greatly influence who will emerge as the party flagbearer for the 2023 governorship elections in the States.
Going by the trend of the local government congresses, the scheduled October 16 State congresses are already being shaped by political squabbles, legal tussles and even signs that there will be parallel congresses.
In Kwara State, for example, reports have it that the stage appears set for the conduct of two parallel State congresses by members of the party, who are yet to iron out the differences and disagreements from the conduct of the local government congresses.
It was gathered that the aggrieved members of the party loyal to the minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed are prepared to hold a separate congress to elect their own state executives of the party.
Though the national secretariat of the ruling party does not recognise the Lai Mohammed-led factional APC in Kwara State, the aggrieved party members have refused to sheathe their swords.
In Delta State, ahead of the nationwide state congress of the APC, slated for Saturday, October 16, 2021, the State chapter of the party has approved the zoning of offices for the State executive committee.
In Imo State, the power tussle to determine who controls the soul of the APC in the State presents a titanic fierce battle as the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma battles the joint force of the former governor of the State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.
For Niger State, the struggle for the APC’s structures began during the last local government congresses but the Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has maintained his control over the party’s structure using consensus arrangements. Already, some governorship aspirants are reportedly trying frantically to get a space in the party by sponsoring their associates to strategic positions, but the latest consensus arrangements powered by the governor and some loyal stakeholders have checked their moves.
It was however observed that the Governor has refused to align with any of the listed aspirants even as he is said to be working tactically to maintain the control of the party from a neutral perspective.
