By Omeiza Ajayi
APC sak!  That is the Hausa expression for  APC, all the way.  For the initiates in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, it is simply a call on it’s members not vote personalities but the party from councillorship to president irrespective of the character or quality of candidates thrown up by the party for such positions. Anything other than that could well be regarded as anti-party.

President Buhari with SGF Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and ED NEXIM Bank Mrs Stella Oketete as he hosts to dinner Young Political Appointees and Volunteers in State House

However, about four weeks ago, President Muhammad Buhari committed what could have been a  political harakiri    at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Imo state when, rather than stamp his foot in the ground, he sought to please two disputants, the Gov. Okorocha faction of the APC which is supporting another party for the governorship election and the Sen. Hope Uzodinma, the candidate of his party.

While Uzodinma is the governorship candidate of Buhari’s APC, Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu is the candidate of the Action Alliance AA.

While speaking at the event, National all Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had insisted on  APC sak,  saying there was no alliance between the ruling party and AA.

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However, when it was Buhari’s turn to address the crowd, made up of both APC and AA supporters,  he said: “Forget intra political struggles, Imo should vote any candidate they like, chose whoever you want to vote for.”

APC leaders were stunned. Knowing the implications of the President’s obvious gaffe, his media handlers immediately issued a statement defending him and trying to reinterpret what was never ambiguous  ab initio.

But that was not the end. The president ruffled feathers again in Ogun state several days later, in what some partisans have interpreted that he was only concerned about his political success and not that of any other person in the party.

In Abeokuta, Ogun state, the president had also asked the people to “vote for me in the Presidential and the candidate of your choice in the other elections.” Before this time some thugs were already pelting him and other party chieftains with missiles. His handlers could not immediately defend his position.

In fact, the situation was such that a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was so infuriated that he angrily threw away the APC flag he was holding.

While Tinubu and the APC leadership were and still rooting for Dapo Abiodun, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun was and is still clearly behind Adekunle Akinlade who is now the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement APM, having left the APC with members of the governor’s political family.

Amosun had told the crowd of supporters during the rally to vote President Buhari and then go ahead to vote Akinlade of the APM.

However, addressing the rally, Buhari said; “On Saturday, February 16, you are to vote for Presidential candidate of the APC. But I want to urge you to choose whoever you like across the parties as governor of Ogun State.

“There is no problem about it. It is your right. I have no problem about it. The rest people of Ogun State will decide.”

Fate of APC Guber Candidates

Following what Buhari said in Imo and Ogun states, it would mean that APC governorship candidates are on their own as far as the President is concerned. They should not expect extraordinary support from Abuja. Buhari had said people should vote for him and vote any candidate of their choosing in the governorship   election. APC has the Presidency and majority in the National Assembly. Naturally,   they may be relaxed at the centre . Their gubernatorial candidates will have to fight it out and not rely on Buhari or Abuja to win.

So, for   APC governorship candidates in the states, they could well be singing, “everyone to himself and God for all of us”. On March 9, it is, ‘To your Tents, O’ Israel’.