The euphoria that greeted APC’s dramatic arrival on the Nigerian political scene and the extended honeymoon it enjoyed after its polygamous marriage have both come to a crushing end. Two reasons account for this. First, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party famous for its ad hoc form of governance and gluttonous craving for self-inflicted punishment, has embarked on a campaign of unrelenting calumny against the opposition party. Second, a few newspapers have started to adorn their front pages with sensational stories of the opposition party’s presidential permutations, after exhausting itself regaling the public with staid and routine party stories. For today, let us ignore the calumniating of the APC, lest this column be dismissed as a self-appointed advocate of the APC.
Judging from the media hysteria over the APC’s permutations, especially the frenetic pace with which the party is reported to be juggling its very many presidential ticket options, it is unlikely the party itself would recognise its leaders were engaged in such fancy footwork. One day, say the newspapers, the party proposes to give the presidential ticket, sans primaries, to General Buhari, and the running mate ticket to Asiwaju Tinubu. Barely two days later, and totally ignoring what they reported earlier, the papers announce that the ticket is believed to be safe in the hands of Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and either Edo’s Adams Oshiomhole or Rivers’ Rotimi Amaechi as running mate.
Not so, say other papers. Quoting ‘reliable’ APC sources, the papers suggest that the tickets have been shared to House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, and either Lagos governor, Fashola, or Amaechi. Former Kano governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, and former FCT minister, Nasir el-Rufai, are fall-back options, the papers announce satisfyingly. If they don’t run out of ‘credible sources,’ the papers will soon begin to name the dark horses they speculate the party may be considering. Yes, of course, no political reporting is complete in an election year without dark and crimson horses.
Overall, going by newspaper reports, the APC is spoilt for choice. This contrasts with the dearth of aspirants in the PDP; for many hopefuls in that ageing and recriminative party have been smothered by the gargantuan ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and his hawkish aides. If in doubt, ask the vacillating Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido. What seems to be happening, given the avalanche of newspaper reports, is nothing more than the ordinary speculations of analysts within the APC, passed on with poignant dubiety to careless ears.
The PDP is luckier. If not Jonathan, the question is who else, for it is clear that Jonathan hopes to run, but failing that will probably determine who will succeed him. For the APC, no top leader (or credible source) will speculate carelessly about whom the party will give the ticket to. The reason is simple: the party is super anxious to win the presidency, and its potential candidates are either too strong to be ignored or two powerful to be denied the ticket without repercussions to the party’s fortunes. It is, therefore, unlikely the party leaders have actively considered who will take the ticket either democratically or through the backdoor, let alone officially permit the news to filter out to the newspapers.