By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
This is not the best of times for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Less than a week after a section of the party launched a rebellion and styled itself Reformed APC, r-APC, more trouble is looming in the embattled party as its South west wing ; particularly some members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN are reportedly considering resuscitating it (ACN) to protest alleged marginalization of National Leader of APC and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu in the affairs of the party.They are also angry that a cabal in the party loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari are engaged in a plot to undermine Tinubu’s influence within the party in the zone.
The Source was informed that those mulling ACN revival are of the opinion that the South west was better off politically when the defunct party was in firm control of the zone and Tinubu its undisputed leader as it (ACN) functioned as a bargaining tool for political patronage of the Yoruba race.
The ACN was one of the legacy parties that merged to birth APC in 2013 but apart from some Southwest APC members now plotting pulling out of the ruling party to re-launch it (ACN), the feeling within the Yoruba political establishment, according to The source’s finding, is that the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Vice President notwithstanding, the zone has not benefited enough in the merger deal.
Meanwhile, it is not clear whether Tinubu is in the know of the ACN resuscitation move but a source close to him told the Magazine that his loyalists are bitter at the turn of events in the APC.The former governor has been canvassing support for President Muhammadu Buhari.
Similarly, it has been learnt that some loyalists of President Buhari are pilling pressure on him to do something before APC slides into irredeemable coma. They fear that massive exodus from the party will severely render it a weak platform to seek election. They are therefore of the view that the President’s re-election next could run into stormy waters with APC as a platform. The President’s men, this magazine was reliably informed, want him to order the revival of his party, the defunct Congress for Progressive Charge, CPC , forge alliance or merger with some willing parties, and use the platform to stand for re-election next year.
A serving South south Minister, a number of Northern APC serving National Assembly members, a former South east governor, a former Senate President and a good number of the President’s cabinet,The Source was told, have assured him of success of the move.
While the former governor from South east has offered to get the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and Peoples Progressive Alliance, PPA to either merge with the CPC or go into alliance with it, the South South Minister is convinced he will talk the Labour party into joining the proposed pro- Buhari political platform.
In the same vein, the former Senate President, Some APC Northern governors and some members of the cabinet have pledged to get federal and state lawmakers across parties to defect to the rebranded CPC, should the President give the green light for its revival.
CPC was founded by Buhari and contested the 2011 presidential election on its platform after falling out with the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party ANPP whose flag he flew in the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections. Incidentally, the defunct CPC, ANPP, ACN and a faction of APGA were to merge in 2013 to form the APC which, with Buhari as candidate, defeated the then ruling party, PDP , in a presidential election two years later.
