APC: A Party On The Brink

By Umar Sani

The highly anticipated All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East Consultative Meeting in Maiduguri took a dramatic and fatal turn on Saturday, concluding in chaos as combative discords erupted over the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, blatantly excluding VP Kashim Shettima.

What was intended to showcase strength and unity ended up being an outright splendor of discord. Security forces were compelled to intervene to protect key figures, including the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the NE Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, from an enraged crowd. Tensions swelled when a faction seized control of the agenda, attempting to hastily announce Tinubu’s 2027 continuity bid without any prior agreement and glaringly sidelining Shettima as his running mate.

The backlash was immediate and intense. Cries of betrayal echoed across the venue as hundreds of delegates, party officials, and youth leaders expressed their outrage. The blatant neglect of VP Shettima in his geopolitical zone was not only an affront to his standing but a calculated effort to sideline the North-East in national political power dynamics.

During the furious tirades, several critical issues were raised. Party stakeholders strongly questioned the logic behind an early endorsement two years into a stormy administration grappling with insecurity, economic unrest, and widespread grassroots frustration. Many attendees accused party elites of attempting to compel the zone into blind loyalty while neglecting the rising poverty, banditry, and the glaring lack of federal attention to the region.

Moreover, there was resolute condemnation of the disrespect shown to Shettima. Speakers made it clear that any attempt to present a Tinubu-only continuity ticket in 2027 would be viewed as a direct affront to the North-East and the greater Northern power bloc. As the sitting VP, Shettima stands as the region’s most prominent political figure and a crucial representation of its interests in the national landscape. Ignoring or excluding him would provoke widespread discontent.

In a frantic effort to mitigate the uproar, Deputy National Chairman (North), Dr. Ali Bukar Dalori, hastily issued a statement endorsing both Tinubu and Shettima. However, the damage had already been inflicted. The crowd was unruly, and the event devolved into chaos.

This upheaval has laid bare the deep factional fractures within the APC, especially in a region previously assumed to be firmly loyal to the ruling party. It underscores a growing frustration with the coalition of power within Tinubu’s inner circle and an unbridled sentiment among Northern APC leaders that their regions are being exploited rather than respected.

The level of internal strife in a politically strategic area like the North-East is an alarming signal. If this crisis remains unresolved, it could inevitably lead to a significant collapse within the APC. Whispers of alternative platforms and potential defections are increasingly gaining traction.

For the opposition, particularly the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), this represents an exceptional opportunity. The PDP, deeply entrenched across the North, has been actively rebuilding connections severed during the 2023 elections. A fractured APC, particularly with a disgruntled Shettima and a restless North-East, opens the door for sweeping gains in 2027. If the PDP leverages this fallout effectively by aligning with disenchanted APC factions and amplifying the narrative of Northern betrayal, it could easily reclaim lost ground.

The chaos in Maiduguri may have lasted less than an hour, but its political ramifications could echo for years to come. If the APC fails to address this internal crisis decisively, what started as a dismal rally could signal the onset of a gradual but relentless breakdown of the ruling party from within. The implosion we anticipated is looming and will occur sooner rather than later.