The decision of the All Progressives Congress to opt for
Prof. Osibanjo a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God as their Vice
Presidential candidate ahead of the vociferous governor Rotimi Amaechi of
Rivers State has come and gone. What has refused however to go is the enmity
and acrimony the decision has brought to the opposition party.
It will be recalled that it took the APC a rather long time
compared to the Peoples Democratic Party PDP to announce its Vice Presidential
candidate. This was due to the scheming at various quarters in the party that
wanted the Vice Presidential position. Governor Rotimi Amaechi hosted much of
these meetings but when the announcement did come, he was left groaning due to
the disappointment of losing out. Saying
that he was irked by the decision might be an understatement if feelers are
anything to go by.
The decision of the party hierarchy to offer him the position
of campaign manager of the Buhari campaign organisation has been seen by many
political watchers as a face saving measure to give him some sense of
importance in the party and in public eyes. If this decision did brought about
the desired effect is true, Nigerians are yet to see it as far as the party is
concerned. This is because the no love relationship between the party leader
and the Rivers state governor is increasing by the day. The governor sees the
leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the major factor that led to his not
been given the Vice Presidential seat and sources close to the Rivers state
government House say the governor is waiting to pay back the former Lagos state
governor in his own coin.
On the other hand, Chief Bola Tinubu has vowed that nothing
will make him give any position of trust to the Rivers state governor
considering his “penchant for insubordination”. The former Lagos state governor
was irked by the attitude of Rotimi Amaechi during the last convention of the
party that produced Chief Michael Oyegun as its National Chairman. It will be
noted that the Rivers state governor fielded his candidate for the position and
strongly used his resources to campaign for his candidate Chief Sam Sam Jaja.
The party hierarchy was clearly not comfortable with his action and since then
has become very suspicious of him. They see him as somebody that is
recalcitrant in nature and must not be given any position of authourity in the
party.
According to the source, Amaechi is viewed as a serial betrayal
that must be avoided in order not to bring confusion to the party. “After been
used by the APC to betray his own brother do you think that he can be trusted
by those that used him?” the source queried. “You can also see how his ambition
to be Buhari’s Deputy caused a lot of rancor leading to strong horse trading
within the party. This is not what a person like Tinubu who sees himself as the
owner of the party wants”.
But the Rivers state governor who has been a major sponsor of
the party has also decided that he will not allow himself to be used and dumped
again. One of the decision he reached was to curtail his Father Christmas
posturing. He has directed that money owe workers in the state be paid in order
to proffer excuse if he is called to bring more sack load of cash again. It
will be recalled that workers in the state have been owed for months while the
state governor was busy paying bills of the party.
Another plan of the state governor according to our very
reliable source is to use his friends that are close to the Presidency to reach
out to President Goodluck Jonathan for rapprochement. This will see him abandon
his position as Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign team thereby
paving way for Mr. President’s reelection. The idea here is to enable him have
a safe exit out of the country without been prosecuted for his mismanagement of
the state’s resources as well as his treasonable statements.
If all these are as it is, then it definitely is not the best
of times for a party that thinks it is on its way to the Presidential Villa
this year.
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