The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will today gather at the Eagle Square in Abuja for it’s national convention during which a new set of officers to run the affairs of the party will emerge.
Former Nasarawa State governor Abdullahi Adamu is set to be named national chairman after he emerged the consensus candidate for the position with the alleged backing of President Muhammadu Buhari.
This follows the tradition of the nine-year-old party in electing its national leadership through the principle of negotiation or consensus-building which many see as undemocratic as it stifles the space for freedom of choice which is constitutionally guaranteed.
The party, in it’s defence, claim that building consensus helps to avert the bitter recriminations which fall out after such exercises and will foster the spirit of unity within the party.
However, this established party tradition of coronating candidates without the rigours of elections has gradually bred a band of disgruntled partymen who also have ambitions to contest for elective positions but whose hands are now being forced to tow the party line.
Some of them aspiring to vie for the chairmanship position have secretly grumbled against the President’s directive that they all bury their ambitions and support the party’s choice of Adamu. About six of them have reportedly kicked against this order and are said to be planning to stage a mutiny at the convention.
According to reports, the aspirants are aggrieved at the manner the President was dismissive of their ambition after calling all the aspirants to a dinner meeting.
Whatever the rebel-aspirants are planning may be too late to have any effect on the outcome of today’s (s)elections but the growing malcontent within the party must force leaders to re-strategize and take a more accommodating stand going forward.
