All doesn’t seem well in the APC garden as reports indicate that a major coup could be on the cards to oust current party chairman, John Oyegun.
According to the Nation, 17 governors have stated discontent at the way Oyegun is handling party affairs and marginalised them in favour of 7 ‘anointed’ governors.
All indicators point to the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on October 31 as the time when things will come to a head.
The aggrieved governors are said to have reached out to President Buhari through back channels to reveal their discontent.
The governors alleged to be the ‘golden boys’ to Oyegun are; Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Solomon Lalong (Plateau); Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
According to the Nation, a source who pleaded anonymity said; “Ahead of the NEC meeting of APC next week, there is tension in the party. About 17 of the 24 governors are unhappy with the national chairman. They are plotting to withdraw their support for him, unless he carries all of them along.”
“The 17 governors believe that Oyegun is romancing their seven colleagues because the APC National Chairman believes they are close to the President.
“They expressed fears that the party might split the way the National Chairman was leaving decisions on issues to the ‘anointed’ governors,”
According to another source; “They [the 17 Governors] are, however, reaching out to President Buhari but through the back channels to avoid embarrassing the President during the October 31 NEC meeting.
“They want the President to call the National Chairman to order. They said if care is not taken, they might be forced to come out openly on their concern.”
The Nation also reports that a source within the NEC said that a play is expected to be made on the 31st of October; “What you are hearing is a game plan to pass a vote of no confidence on Oyegun at the NEC meeting.
“The issues the 17 governors are raising are part of the conspiracy against the National Chairman. And what you are likely to see is the direction where things will go at the NEC session.
“As regards Oyegun’s preference for some governors, I do not think it is true. If the chairman has personal relationship with some governors, I think it is by virtue of their position or performance.
“For instance, the National Chairman does not hide his likeness for El-Rufai who he describes openly as ‘very energetic and full of ideas’. He is always proud of the governor of Kebbi and he relates well with Okorocha as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF). He is also used to the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Abdul-Aziz Yari, to get update on issues of governance.”
It has been alleged though that Oyegun already knows of this plot as another source in the NEC claimed.
He said; “In the last few days, strategists of Oshiomhole have been pushing his candidacy as successor to Oyegun ahead of the NEC meeting.
“But the pro-Oshiomhole governors will fail because by the APC constitution, only the Deputy National Chairman from the South, Chief Segun Oni, can succeed Oyegun.”
“The thinking is that Oni could resign at the NEC meeting to contest the Ekiti State governorship primaries. The APC constitution is silent on who takes over.
“So, we will be running into a deeper crisis” he concluded.