The National Leadership of the All Progressive Congress party (APC) has been alerted of plans by the old establishment of the party in Lagos State to hijack the scheduled membership and revalidation exercise. The plan has been hatched to maintain an undue advantage in future elections so that they can continue to install protégés in government and frustrate genuine development.
But for the vigilance of factional leader Mr Fouad Oki, the group with affiliations to a prominent leader with strong tentacles within the party had written calling for the postponement of the exercise. Though the national leadership had categorically turned down that request, Mr Fouad Oki is not resting on his oars. He is calling for an open exercise in support of the national leadership that has already condemned registration by proxy. Mr Oki knows the stuff those he is up against are made of.
He had earlier come up against them in the 2018 primaries when a former governor was almost disenfranchised. Despite his resistance and vehemence, the old brigade had their way. Now another opportunity to correct that wrong has come up, Mr Oki is not likely to give in without a fight. At the national level, the party is not leaving any stone unturned as the President, Muhammad Buhari has landed Daura to partake in the exercise. Already, there are fears that there may be a parallel exercise in Lags State as a result of the old establishment insistence to maintain their stranglehold of the party structure. Mr Fouad Oki, has, in other to forestall that move by the existing faction to “produce the same old register” and thus disenfranchise disloyal members have begun sensitization and awareness exercise.
The publicity secretary of the ruling party has also added his voice warning against registration by proxy. “We can’t allow that to happen”, he told journalists. But in a strong indication yet about their plans to manipulate the process, a member of the so-called governorship advisory council (GAC) an amorphous body used by a popular national leader to “perpetuate himself” in power, has dismissed Fouad Oki’s position as inconsequential, insisting that whatever happens would strengthen democracy and ultimately determine their “popularity”.
Nevertheless, in a sharp rebuke, the member Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun was told to desist from damaging democracy by their unorthodox practice. “We are going to be vigilant this time; loyal members who want to register will be allowed to do so”, said one Lateef Lawal. “This is how they package themselves for future elections thereby shortchanging our hard-earned democracy”, he added.
Mr Lawal, who resides in Abuja has since returned to his Lagos home base to partake in the exercise. “We want all patriotic and loyal Lagosians to come on board and take this exercise very seriously”, Lateef said. One of the national leaders of the party was said to have hurriedly returned home from overseas fearing power slipping from out of his grip.
