By Okey Ndiribe,  Asst. Political Editor
THE test of strength between rival groupings within the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and how it ended during the party’s last national congress at Abuja may have pointed to the direction the crisis-ridden party’s primaries would go.

Before the party’s national  congress held last Sunday, various rival groupings within the party had sponsored different aspirants  for positions within the National Working Committee (NWC) which had become vacant few weeks back.

Among aspirants that were paraded   as possible replacements for the former Chairman of the NWC, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke were Chief George Moghalu; Mr Emma Eneukwu,; Former Edo State Governor Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Chief Harry Akande and several   others.

Ibrahim Babangida

Observers of goings-on within the party believe that the activities of the rival groupings and the various aspirants they sponsored contributed in escalating the protracted  crisis in the party thereby resulting in several postponements of the party’s convention which was initially scheduled for last July 17.

However, the crisis within the party worsened after the party’s convention was postponed for the second time. Indeed, a group within the party led by Senator Mohammed  Mohammed- who is believed to have the support of Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau  sacked the Ume-Ezeoke led NWC few weeks ago.

Ume-Ezeoke had alleged that the faction led by Mohammed was sponsored by Shekarau for the purpose of realising the governor’s  ambition of picking the party’s ticket as its presidential candidate for next year’s poll.

He also accused the Kano Governor of intending to realise his goal  without going through the primaries. Ume-Ezeoke said he had rejected Shekarau’s request because of his past experience when Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd)-  the party’s former presidential candidate in the 2003 and 2007 general election -was selected in a similar manner.

However, Mohammed had dismissed Ume-Ezeoke’s claims and countered by alleging that the former Chairman achieved nothing for the party in his four year tenure but rather benefitted by rushing to participate in  the Government of National Unity (GNU) with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Federal Government .

He further alleged that it was through this channel that Ume-Ezeoke’s son was appointed Special Adviser to the late President Umar Yar’Adua in 2007.

Mohammed’s faction  eventually  sacked the Ume-Ezeoke led National Working Committee on the ground that its four year tenure expired last September 6. They had also gone ahead to set up a new National Convention Committee  in which Geidam was retained as Chairman.

The Ume-Ezeoke faction  had retaliated by sacking  Mohammed and several members of his group from the party. The group set up a Transition Management Committee (TMC)  and a parallel  NCC which also had Governor Geidam as Chairman.

Rumours that the hands of  former Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida were also traceable  in the crisis  had also circulated. It was whispered in some circles within the party  that the crisis  was  fuelled by the attempt of  Babangida to use the party as his alternative political platform to realise the plan B for his presidential ambition  in case he failed to secure the ticket of the PDP.

Sources within the party said that the internal wrangling was a manifestation of the rivalry between some of the party’s stalwarts who were working  inside ANPP to pave the way for Babangida to clinch  ticket at the appropriate time.

It was widely rumoured that some of the aspirants for the office of Chairman of the party were Babangida’s cronies. In fact, it is strongly believed if  either  George Moghalu or Emma Eneukwu- who are believed to be close to the former military President, emerge as the next  Chairman of the party, the former military ruler’s  entry into the party to grab its presidential ticket  would be greatly enhanced.

Babangida was believed to have resorted to this plan B because-  as things stand presently- he remained  unsure of procuring   the ticket of the PDP given the wide-spread opposition  his candidacy has faced so far.

It was learnt that apart from ensuring that their loyalist emerged as the new Chairman of ANPP,  the pro-IBB group had  deployed another strategy for the purpose of lobbying  the national caucus of the party, to amend the party’s constitution to pave way for a new entrant  to aspire to any position in the party .

It was learnt that the specific section to be amended in the party’s constitution   is section 13 which regulates the qualification of candidates contesting for  party offices.  The section stipulates that a contestant for a party office must have been a member of the party for 12 months consecutively.

It was also rumoured that the anti-IBB group within the party had been directed by Governor of Kano State   Ibrahim Shekarau to ensure that the plan by the pro-IBB group to alter the provisions of the party’s constitution for the purpose of enhancing  the former military ruler’s chances is undermined.

A Lago State governorship aspirant and ANPP stalwart, Yomi Tokoya, had reportedly alleged that plans had  been  perfected to deceive  the national caucus to agree to an amendment of the party’s constitution just because of Gen. Babangida’s Presidential ambition.

However, Ume-Ezeoke, had  reportedly dismissed the rumour and said  that it  would never materialise and that the party’s  constitution would be strictly adhered to at the National Convention.

He had  also dismissed claims that Gen. Babangida had approached  the party leadership to use the its  platform for  his plan B.

Nevertheless, the outcome of the convention where the party decided that former presidents and heads of states who join the party at any time  would be given the status of automatic delegates which would confer on them the right to vote or be voted for ,appears to have cleared the coast for Babangida to join the party in future.  Prior to this resolution, section 13 of ANPP’s Constitution was the major stumbling block against Babangida.

Indeed, the convention was characterised by intrigues and  manouevres which have played out since the its crisis began. At a meeting of the party’s caucus before the convention proper it was agreed that Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu who was said to be neutral should emerge as National Chairman.

But Governor Shekarau who wasn’t comfortable with the consensus arrangement even though he was said to have embraced the idea when it was introduced was said to have advised Akande to reject the agreement and insist on election.

It was said that Shekarau had taken this step because he realised that it was only under Akande as Chairman of the party that he could he realise his ambition of picking the party’s ticket.

It was also felt within the Shekarau camp that Dr Onu was not really neutral but actually close to Governor Sheriff . It was also learnt that Governor Geidam and Sheriff were in the same camp.

Analysts believe that the Shekarau camp lost out at the convention because it was up against the combined forces of two governors.

The ANPP convention also proved that mastery of  the art of politicking is not determined by how loud or visible a particular politician may. For instance, at the Eagle Square venue of the convention, the Shekarau camp attracted a lot of attention with their many banners and vehicles emblazoned with the Kano Governor’s photographs and inscriptions advertising his presidential ambition. But he lost out.

Given the unfolding scenario within the party, it is believed that Alhaji Bashir Tofa who appears closer to the camp of Governor Sheriff would eventually get the party’s ticket during the primaries.

That is if the status quo is maintained among the number of aspirants for the party’s ticket. But the calculations would surely change if  Babangida  joins the party. Given the former military ruler’s well-stocked war chest, he would look unstoppable for the ticket if crosses over from the PDP.