Despite LP and SDP incursions, cracks at Nasarawa APC signal resurgence of PDP
There were shock waves in Nasarawa State last week following presidential and National Assembly elections. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, lost his voting unit to the Labor Party (LP).
As if this breach was not damaging enough for the ruling party, the former state governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura lost to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), thus failing in his attempt to return to the Senate. The outcome of the first phase of the 2023 general election was sobering. And unless the ruling APC gets its house in order, Saturday's gubernatorial and state assembly elections could drive the nail in its coffin. Nasarawa APC has come to this sad juncture following the endless rift between the incumbent Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, and some party bigwigs in the state. APC's loss of the presidential ballot in the state came as no surprise to many. The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appears to have positioned itself effectively to reap the rewards of the infighting between the APC heavyweights. Governor Sule had done his best to contain the misunderstanding between him and Al-Makura. Yet there is nothing on the ground to show that the Governor and APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Adamu are on the same page when it comes to the running of the party in the state. For Mr. Peter Obi, the Labor Party (LP) presidential candidate to defeat President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the home of the National President, who also has an incumbent governor, says more about the depth of the stakes at stake. It should be noted, however, that rifts preceded the emergence of Abdullahi Sule as governor in 2019. Adamu and Al-Makura parted ways when the then incumbent governor insisted that Sule be his preferred candidate and his successor. Al-Makura had threatened to remove Adamu from the Senate unless he allowed Sule to become governor and succeed him (Al-Makura). Although Adamu appears to have given in to Al-Makura's political maneuvering, the contest for the post of national president has renewed the confrontation. Adamu survived the onslaught of Al-Makura when former APC National President Comrade Adams Oshiomhole decreed an automatic return ticket for all APC senators. With both men in the Senate, the contest for national president of the APC reignited the rivalry, as the post was zoned north-central. As a second-year politician, Sule turned to his immediate predecessor without a good reading of the ruling party's political barometer. Despite Sule's inclination, immediately Adamu showed interest in the presidency, some of Al-Makura's close allies accused the governor of playing hide and seek with his support for their benefactor. Caught in the middle of two warring leaders, Sule oscillated between the two men, so that while he secretly supported Al-Makura, he showed greater loyalty to Adamu. It was heard that a businessman, who is a close acquaintance of Adamu, convinced Governor Sule to tilt his allegiance to Adamu, hinting that the presidency was willing to make the north-central senator the next president of the APC. Sources also revealed that Sule was told that it would be easier for him to rule Nasarawa under Adamu than under his immediate predecessor, Al-Makura. Al-Makura also reportedly worked behind the scenes to retain tight control of the APC structure in the state. Against the backdrop of this conflict of interest, as preparations for the 2023 general elections gained momentum, divisions grew. Adamu's emergence as national president of the APC made matters worse. It became apparent that two factions of the party were vying for the ascendancy. As Adamu held court for Keffi's side, Sule rallied Lafia's front, with all gladiators keeping their plans close to their chests. Despite this obvious split, Sule and Al-makura claimed that reports of conflicts and misunderstandings between worshipers were just a creation of the media. Yet numerous nightly meetings have been called by party leaders, both in Abuja and Lafia, to end the split, especially as the general elections draw near. But, instead of stifling animosity and infighting, the movements failed to unite the great men and the crisis deepened. Politics watchers in Nasarawa State expressed concern when the former All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Secretary, Mr. Labaran Maku, moved to the PDP, just weeks away from the primaries for the post of President. governor. Maku, previously served as deputy state governor during Adamu's tenure. Maku's return to the PDP, where he and Adamu served the state as governor and deputy sparked speculation that the APC national chairman was planning to sweat Sule for his second term. Pay the priceS...
There were shock waves in Nasarawa State last week following presidential and National Assembly elections. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, lost his voting unit to the Labor Party (LP).
As if this breach was not damaging enough for the ruling party, the former state governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura lost to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), thus failing in his attempt to return to the Senate. The outcome of the first phase of the 2023 general election was sobering. And unless the ruling APC gets its house in order, Saturday's gubernatorial and state assembly elections could drive the nail in its coffin. Nasarawa APC has come to this sad juncture following the endless rift between the incumbent Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, and some party bigwigs in the state. APC's loss of the presidential ballot in the state came as no surprise to many. The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appears to have positioned itself effectively to reap the rewards of the infighting between the APC heavyweights. Governor Sule had done his best to contain the misunderstanding between him and Al-Makura. Yet there is nothing on the ground to show that the Governor and APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Adamu are on the same page when it comes to the running of the party in the state. For Mr. Peter Obi, the Labor Party (LP) presidential candidate to defeat President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the home of the National President, who also has an incumbent governor, says more about the depth of the stakes at stake. It should be noted, however, that rifts preceded the emergence of Abdullahi Sule as governor in 2019. Adamu and Al-Makura parted ways when the then incumbent governor insisted that Sule be his preferred candidate and his successor. Al-Makura had threatened to remove Adamu from the Senate unless he allowed Sule to become governor and succeed him (Al-Makura). Although Adamu appears to have given in to Al-Makura's political maneuvering, the contest for the post of national president has renewed the confrontation. Adamu survived the onslaught of Al-Makura when former APC National President Comrade Adams Oshiomhole decreed an automatic return ticket for all APC senators. With both men in the Senate, the contest for national president of the APC reignited the rivalry, as the post was zoned north-central. As a second-year politician, Sule turned to his immediate predecessor without a good reading of the ruling party's political barometer. Despite Sule's inclination, immediately Adamu showed interest in the presidency, some of Al-Makura's close allies accused the governor of playing hide and seek with his support for their benefactor. Caught in the middle of two warring leaders, Sule oscillated between the two men, so that while he secretly supported Al-Makura, he showed greater loyalty to Adamu. It was heard that a businessman, who is a close acquaintance of Adamu, convinced Governor Sule to tilt his allegiance to Adamu, hinting that the presidency was willing to make the north-central senator the next president of the APC. Sources also revealed that Sule was told that it would be easier for him to rule Nasarawa under Adamu than under his immediate predecessor, Al-Makura. Al-Makura also reportedly worked behind the scenes to retain tight control of the APC structure in the state. Against the backdrop of this conflict of interest, as preparations for the 2023 general elections gained momentum, divisions grew. Adamu's emergence as national president of the APC made matters worse. It became apparent that two factions of the party were vying for the ascendancy. As Adamu held court for Keffi's side, Sule rallied Lafia's front, with all gladiators keeping their plans close to their chests. Despite this obvious split, Sule and Al-makura claimed that reports of conflicts and misunderstandings between worshipers were just a creation of the media. Yet numerous nightly meetings have been called by party leaders, both in Abuja and Lafia, to end the split, especially as the general elections draw near. But, instead of stifling animosity and infighting, the movements failed to unite the great men and the crisis deepened. Politics watchers in Nasarawa State expressed concern when the former All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Secretary, Mr. Labaran Maku, moved to the PDP, just weeks away from the primaries for the post of President. governor. Maku, previously served as deputy state governor during Adamu's tenure. Maku's return to the PDP, where he and Adamu served the state as governor and deputy sparked speculation that the APC national chairman was planning to sweat Sule for his second term. Pay the priceS...
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