By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Dapo Akinrefon
THE aura of festivity was abundant in all approaches to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium last Tuesday. Thousands of political activists gathered from all sections of the country, many carrying the symbolic brooms of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) thronged the various approaches to the legendary stadium.

Many also bore posters of their political patrons in the race for elective offices in the forthcoming 2011 general elections. Governor Babatunde Fashola whose campaign banners have not been very visible in his native Lagos State had some of the most prominent posters and banners on display.

There were plenty reasons for the demonstration of joy that was evident in Benin on the convention day. From the dregs, the party has come to become the country’s second major political party, becoming a thorn in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

So for the many party faithful who have seen the party’s area of governorship grow from one state in 2007 to four presently, the national convention was an occasion for backslapping.

Remarkably, the ACN convention in Benin-City Edo State was not meant to elect the party’s presidential candidate or give a stamp of approval to any of the gubernatorial hopefuls. Rather, its main agenda was the election of a new set of principal officers to guide the affairs of the party in the immediate future.

It was as such remarkable, that there was virtually no campaign banner or poster for any of the 29 offices open for election in the national executive of the ACN.

So when at the end of the convention that all offices were filled by consensus, it became a sordid testimony for the many who had looked up to the ACN as the harbinger of democratic choice for the electorate.

The national convention was itself planned by a National Convention Committee headed by some of the country’s most visible architects of democracy led by Dr. Chris Ngige and including two of the most renowned anti_third term heroes in the immediate past National Assembly, Ms Temi Harriman and Uche Onyegocha.

At the end of the convention, Chief Bisi Akande was returned as the national chairman of the party perhaps in appreciation of his strident and committed role in lifting the fortunes of the party.

Akande in his acceptance speech, however, gave vent to feelings in some quarters of a possible retirement in the near future, but only after installing a young man at the helm of affairs in the country.

“Now that the ACN and the entire people of this country are happy with the achievements of these young men, I think with all your cooperation, we will ensure that we return another young man as the President of Nigeria and the governors of all the states of the Federation.  Thereby, we old men can complete of our jobs of getting disconnected with the youths of this country and youths have been able to take over,” Akande, a septuagenarian said.

Among the young men on display last Tuesday for the party’s presidential ticket in the forthcoming elections were Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the erstwhile chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, the erstwhile Governor of Sokoto State and one Mallam Ali Malami.

Despite the skewed electoral process, ACN leaders were nevertheless unsparing of the PDP during the convention. The ruling national party was severally mocked as Poverty Development Party (PDP) overtly and covertly by the party leaders as they mounted the platform to deliver stump messages.

The party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was all over the affairs at the convention centre was particularly unsparing of the PDP describing the party as incompetent affirming that its days over the country were numbered.

In a subtle castigation of the leading PDP presidential candidates, he affirmed that both President Goodluck Jonathan and his rival Atiku Abubakar lacked the character and competence to rule the country.

Tinubu who periodically stepped down from the state box to give direction to the organizers particularly charged the nation’s youths to rise up to defend their votes during the forthcoming election.

“For you to wrestle power you must start from the registration. There will be registration exercise you must mobilize your neighbors, all your friends who are eligible to vote. Today, the PDP after spending ten years in power, twelve years in power, they introduced do or die politics into Nigeria. We said we will not die they better go and die if they want. We will not tolerate violence.  We will not tolerate electoral malpractice.”

“Freedom is not easy. Ladies and gentlemen, in our dear country power is not going be given to you like they sell Isiewu in the buka. You must be ready for it and it will start from the registration. The ACN has started the construction of a great Nigeria. The transformation of this country from this moment on, we are going to free Nigeria clean of corruption. We are going to clean Nigeria clean of abuse of office.”

“With ACN in power, be hopeful, faith, help is on the way. It is bye_bye to disintegrated infrastructure. This government called poverty development party, they call PDP, they have made Nigerians poorer in the last twelve years. They have created unemployment for over millions and several million of people. Are you not tired of them? Instead of talking about the issue of electricity, they are busy abusing themselves, they are busy dividing Nigeria, they are busy talking about dichotomy,” he said in mockery of the ongoing debate about zoning within the PDP.

“Turn by turn Nigeria. Even if they are not competent they don’t have competent candidates. Where is their character, where is their integrity, who is eligible among them, non, zero. They don’t even think about the content of the character of each of those candidates. They don’t even think about the capacity of those individuals. Believe you me Goodluck is not elastic, there is a limit to Goodluck. There is a limit to the inconsistency of an Atiku government. That is the end of a recycling mechanism, recycling electoral method, recycling and abuses of power. We will sweep the corruption, we will sweep unemployment we will sweep PDP away” Tinubu said.

Before him, the four Governors elected on the party’s platform starting from Governor Babatunde Fashola, then Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and then Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State gave their words of encouragement.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole who came out of mourning for his late wife, Clara to host the convention brought up the rear. Oshiomhole was obviously sobered by his recent loss. Even though he gave an eloquent speech, the fire was definitely reduced.

“The task of today is to rebuild and re_energize the ACN fighting machine so that you have strength to meet the challenges ahead, I have no doubt that we are all ready for the changes that are about to occur next year. As I said previous leaders have said all that needs to be said and today is not a day to make long speech.”

As he closed off on an unusually short speech, he let loose a trace of the fire he is known for, saying:

“This city and this state has demonstrated that changes are possible. May your visit to this state fire your appetite and give you the confidence to recognize that the forces you confront are not invisible, they can be defeated and they will be defeated,” Oshiomhole said.

One of the motions successfully adopted at the convention was the ratification of the expulsion of the immediate past chairman of the Delta State chapter of the party, Chief Sam Egwuronwu and the immediate past Secretary of the party in Delta State, Duncan Ewhere. No reason was given for the expulsions.

Among other elected at the convention were deputy National chairman, Boss Mustapha, National Secretary, Lawal Shuaibu, National Publicity Secretary, Lai Muhammed, National Vice-Chairman South West, Senator Segun Laguju, North East, Khali El-Gazali, South South Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, North Central Captain John Dee and South East, Dr Chudi Nwike.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Idris Rufai, Deputy National Treasurer, Prince Segun and deputy national Auditor, Mrs Ngozi Ogbolu.