APC: A progressing crisis

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, and so, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC seems to be learning almost every day. 

 By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso was dressed in a flowing white gown with the red Kwankwansiya cap to match this past Monday evening. 

His posture was far from a rattle snake about to limp for prey as he sat down to a session with newsmen in his Maitama Abuja residence.

 However, after about an 80 minute session with newsmen that evening, he had sufficiently rattled his party in a way only a rattle snake could have done on a prey. 

The APC was, however, not Kwankwanso’s immediate prey that evening. “It is sad that the party did not get it right; it is unfortunate and I can tell you categorically that the party is divided, but it is not too late to correct many things and that is what I think the party should be doing right now”.

 The president of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu were the immediate preys of Senator Kwankwanso who warned Saraki not to destroy their party, with his alleged ambitions. 

 Senator Kwankwanso did not hide his objection to the emergence of Saraki as the President of the Senate and Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

 Indeed, in the perspective of a key associate of Dogara, Senator Kwakwanso did more damage more than anyone else to stop the emergence of Dogara as speaker and it was said that if not for him, Dogara and as such, Saraki would have easily emerged as speaker. 

 When the former governor cautioned Saraki about his ambition, it inevitably brought to fore the flowing issue of the 2019 ambitions of the separate leaders of the APC which their critics in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had for long argued would be the ruin of the new ruling party.

 Saraki’s alleged 2019 presidential ambition, as has been generally reported, was the basis of the opposition several party leaders had against his emergence. 

Kwankwanso who teamed up with the Bola Tinubu camp in opposing Saraki’s Senate Presidency quest is also reported to be interested in the 2019 pie having been deputy speaker, governor, minister and now, senator. 

 Remarkably, Kwankwanso and Saraki were central leaders of the G7 or new Peoples Democratic Party, PDP group who left the then ruling party in November 2013.

Read more from: www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/apc-a-progressing-crisis/