Bola Ahmed Tinubu
In a shrewd move not long ago, President Buhari gave Bola Ahmed Tinubu the assignment of reconciling warring factions in the APC.
How shrewd a move was it? If the truth must be told, Bola Tinubu devised the strategy that gave Buhari victory over Jonathan in the 2015 Presidential elections. In the first contest against Jonathan in 2011 the ACN of which Tinubu was leader, presented its own presidential candidate. But by later forging an alliance with the ANPC and adopting Buhari, Tinubu’s strategy produced one candidate to run, head to head, against Jonathan.
The nomination of Osinbajo, an Awolowo Christian son-in-Law as vice presidential candidate was icing on the cake, ensuring a much greater turn-out of votes for the APC in the South West.
Jonathan PDP camp needed to recognize the game-change and respond vigourously with a credible counter-strategy of it’s own. What could this Jonathan counter-strategy have been?
Wide expections of a new strategic concept?
Is it mission possible? Will a new Chairman replacing Odigie-Oyegun cooperate with Tinubu?
Mission to reconcile warring factions?
Will a new Chairman replacing Odigie-Oyegun
cooperate with Tinubu?
(1) Deepen the rock-solid support in the Jonathan country of the South South and South East, by massively increasing voter registration and putting together a task force to ensure that on polling day as many of the registered voters as possible are brought to the polling stations to vote.
(2) Widen the Jonathan Constituency base by a determined foray into the Middle Belt and North Central Zone. End the bickering there between the PDP old-guards and the ambitious newcomers, to forge a united front.
(3) Make it possible for a properly registered voter to vote anywhere. This would have neutralized the negative effects of any contrived political instability. The technology to do it is available.
(4) Campaign to garner as many votes as possible in the South West and minority areas of the remaining two northern zones.
(5) There is an assumption here though that apriori an impartial INEC was in place that would have responded positively to reasonable presidential suggestions to widen the scope of people’s participation in democratic electoral processes.
However, Jonathan and the then PDP party failed to recognize the game change or take it seriously and react accordingly – despite a heavy campaign war chest of over N20billion, donated by wealthy individuals and private corporations. The rest is now history.
Why is the foregoing “Jonathan” counter-strategy – a strategy neither recognized nor implemented – relevant today?
(6) Precisely because, almost to the letter, with a little fine-tuning, it is the winning formula that the PDP and its new chairman, Uche Secondus, should follow. This should be regardless of whether Atiku Mohammed is the flag-bearer or not. However, it should be conceded that with Atiku as Presidential flag-bearer, the PDP can maximize votes in the North-Central and other critical parts of the north. An Atiku Presidential campaign can engender in the public mind the perception that the PDP can win. And in war, a good general will tell you, perception is half the contest.
However, there may be alternatives to Atiku and other combination when and if the PDP thinks it through
(7) Furthermore, PDP chairman Uche Secondus, should rub minds and discuss strategy with all the vocal advocates and stakeholder’s – Remi Fani Kayode and Fayose of Ekiti, Fasoranti and Afenifere; Adebayo and Odumakin; John Nwodo and Ohaneze; Gov. Willie Obiano, Senator Victor Umeh and APGA; Edwin Clark and PANDEV; Gov Ortom and Benue leaders; Gemade and the middle Belt old guard; other Middle Belt, North Central leaders and organizations; Northern minorities e.t.c – the list is endless – and even with Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself.
(8) Equally important, the PDP must position itself and acquire the aura or distinction of being the party for a reconstructed Nigeria.
(9) Having lost incumbency, money can become a PDP problem. But with a little bit of imagination, Uche Seconds can find innovative ways of raising funds. When Barrack Obama was confronted with the same problem in his first election, he took to the internet and appealed to millions of African- Americans, Latinos and Liberal whites to send in small donations. He raised more money than the fat cats of an opulent Republican party.
APC- DEFENDING THE STATUS QUO -NO EASY TASK
(10) But let is not forget: what about Bola Tinubu’s assignment from president Buhari to reconcile quarrelling factions within the APC? Would he succeed? Already there are dark clouds looming. Kano was supposed to be the centre-piece of reconciliation But incumbent Governor Ganguje recently stated that that he had parted ways completely with Ex- Governor Kwankwaso and in Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi declared publicly that Magnus Abe dared him and therefore would not give his support to the later’s gubernatorial ambitions.
Secondly, after being sidelined for so long,
following Buhari’s victory, would Bola Ahmed bring his mind and heart to bear on the reconciliation exercise? Recently he complained that party chairman, Oyegun was impeding his progress.
Thirdly, to decipher the mind and thinking of Bola Tinubu today is like unravelling an enigma. Consider his recent visit to Fosoranti and the Afenifere old guard. Then earlier this year he wrote what many observers regarded as the best obituary for the late vice-president Alex Ekwueme.
(11) President Buhari also asked Kaduna State Governor El Rufai to produce a national restructuring programme.
El Rufai produced one. The PDP challenged President Buhari to implement it. Can Buhari do this before 2019? The APC needs to engender credibility as a restructuring party. After decades of bad governance, restructuring is the current mantra in all Africa. South Africa is embarking on one. Zimbabwe is doing it. Angola committed itself to it. New Liberian president is unveiling a forceful reconstruction agenda. The fact is Nigeria must reconstruct to save itself.
(12) What should be regarded as of paramount importance? The first duty of government to the governed is to ensure the rule of law and order, secure life and property, assure economic growth and mass employment. This is what is not negotiable- as any student of political science or History will tell you;
(13) Therefore, the APC Federal government must immediately end the killing and destruction by rampaging headsmen, continue to keep Boko Haram in check and address the root causes of separatist movements in the country by unveillng a bold credible programme of political and economic reconstruction._
