The impression being created in some quarters that the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, CPC bloc is dominant in the All Progressives Congress, APC, is a red herring and indeed is a misrepresentation.
One of such impressions was created in the article titled ” Who become APC National
Chairman?” on the nation newspaper online edition, dated 12 November 2021, written by Emmanuel Oladosu. In the article Emmanuel Oladusu wrongly asserted that they are complaints of the domination of the Party by CPC.
In this article, I will attempt to correct this erroneous impression by graphically presenting the facts concerning the strength of the old CPC bloc in APC.
HOW CPC HAS FARED IN THE POLITICS OF APC FROM 2013 TILL DATE
INTRODUCTION:
The defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)was registered as a political party in December 2009.
In January 2013, the then national leader of the CPC, General; Muhammadu Buhari, appointed a Merger Committee to open negotiation with the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on the possibility of a merger with it.
MERGER TALK
The merger talks between ACN and CPC started in February 2013.
However, ANPP later joined the merger talk. Also, the factions of the Democratic Peoples Party,
DPP, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) joined the merger talks after a meeting of the Opposition Progressives Governors Forum announced the coming together of ACN, CPC, ANPP, APGA to form the All Progressives Congress on the 6 February 2013.
REGISTRATION OF APC
The All Progressives Congress was registered as a Political Party on 31 July 2013. It was born due to the merger of three political parties the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP, and Congress for Progressives Change, CPC and two factions from the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APG (after this referred to ass the” Legacy Parties”).
The Joint Inter Merger Committee (JIPMC) was the canopy under which the ACN, ANPP, CPC, APGA, and DPP Merger Committees negotiated the formation of APC.
One of the tasks undertaken by the JIPMC, which was chaired by the former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, was the allotment of party positions in the interim National Executive Committee to the legacy parties.
ALLOTMENT OF POSITIONS TO LEGACY PARTIES
Accordingly, the following positions were allotted to ACN: National Chairman is National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Treasurer, National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Youth Leader, two vice chairmanship seats, and two ex-officio members.
ANPP was allotted the following positions: National Secretary ANPP, National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, two vice-chairpersons, and two ex-officio officers.
CPC was allotted the following positions thus: National Deputy Chairman (North); National
Deputy Secretary, National Treasurer; National Women Leader; National Youth Leader; National Vice Chairman, North Central; Deputy Legal Adviser; Bala Jibrin from Bauchi State as Deputy National Auditor; and Muse from Lagos State as an ex-officio member.
APGA was allotted the following positions thus: National Organising Secretary; Deputy National Chairman, South; Deputy National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Women Leader; one vice-chairman, and one-ex-officio.
Lastly, the DPP was allotted the position of National Auditor.
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FORMATION OF APC NATIONAL INTERIM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The interim National officers selected to form the National Executive Committee were:
Chief Bisi Akande, National Chairman (ACN)
Alhaji Tijjani Tumsah, National Secretary (ANPP)
Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Deputy National Secretary (CPC)
Aminu Masari, Deputy National Chairman (North) (CPC)
Sadiya Farouq, National Treasurer (CPC)
Sharon Ikeazor, National Women Leader (CPC)
A. Lado, National Youth Leader (CPC)
Gen Aboki, National Vice Chairman, North Central (CPC)
James Ocholi (SAN) Deputy Legal Adviser (CPC)
Bala Jibrin, Deputy National Auditor (CPC)
Muse, ex-officio member (CPC)
Lai Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary (ACN)
BD Lawal, National Vice Chairman, North East (CPC)
Alhaji Nasiru Danu, Ex officio (CPC)
Senator Annie Okonkwo, National Deputy Chairman (South) (APGA)
Senator Osita Izuanso, National Organizing Secretary (APGA)
The interim national officers piloted the affairs of the Party from August 2013 till 14 June 2014, when the first national officers were elected in the maiden national convention held in Eagle Square on the 10th-14th June 2014.
The national officers elected include thus:
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun – National Chairman (ACN)
Engineer Segun Oni – Deputy National Chairman (South) (ACN)
Senator Lawal Shuaibu – Deputy Chairman (North) (ACN)
Mallam Ibrahim Bala Gubi – National Secretary (ACN)
Mr. Orji Ugofa – Deputy National Secretary (New PDP)
Chief Pius Akinyelure – Vice Chairman (South West) (ACN)
Inuwa Abdulkadir – Vice Chairman (North West) (New PDP)
Zakari Abdullahi Ede – Vice Chairman (North Central) (ANPP)
Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Alhaji Suleiman Manko Hunkuyi (ANPP)
National Treasurer, Bala Mohammed Gwagwaruwa (ANPP)
National Financial Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Olawutan Bello (ACN)
National Welfare Secretary, Dika Umaru Lada (CPC)
Deputy National Welfare Secretary, Mr. Jock Alamba (ANPP)
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (ACN)
Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank (New PDP)
National Legal Adviser, Mr. Muiz Banire (ACN)
National Woman Leader, Hajia Ramatu Tijani (ANPP)
Deputy National Auditor, Oputa Ado
Hillard Ettah, National Vice Chairman of South-South (ACN)
National Youth Leader, Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo (CPC)
Hillard Ettah, National Vice Chairman, South/South, (ACN)
BD Lawal, National Vice Chairman, North East )CPC)
Zonal Youth Leader North Central, Mr. Tempe Adigwe.
Zonal Youth Leader North West, Shehu Marshal
Zonal Youth Leader North East, Michael Tanko
Zonal Youth Leader South West, Adedotun Oluwasegun
Zonal Woman Leader South East, Mrs. Helen Ojukwu
Zonal Woman Leader North East, Fatima Danjuma
Zonal Woman Leader North West, Aisha Kaita (CPC)
Zonal Woman Leader South-South, Rachael Bassey Akpabio (ACN)
Zonal Woman Leader North Central, Hajia Hassana
Zonal Woman Leader South West, Kemi Nelson
Ex-Officio Members South East, Nduka Anyanwu
Ex-Officio Members North East, Mallam Mamman Isah Azare
Ex-Officio Members South West, Mallam Razak Ayobamiseresile
Ex-Officio Members North West, Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu (CPC)
National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu (ANPP)
You can see from the above that the defunct ACN got the majority of the party positions in the National Executive Committee elected in the June 2014 national convention.
These national officers were in office from June 2014 till June 2018, when another crop of national officers led by Comrade Adams Oshiomole was elected.
Below are the names of the elected officials.
1. Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole – National Chairman
2. Lawali Shuaibu – Dep. Nat Chairman (North)
3. Otunba Niyi Adebayo – Dep. Nat Chairman (South)
4. Mai Mala Buni – National Secretary
5. Victor Giadom – Dep. Nat. Secretary
6. Hilliard Etagbo Eta – Nat. Vice-Chairman (SS)
7. Inuwa Abdul-Kadir Esq. – Nat. Vice-Chairman (NW)
8. Ahmed Wambai Suleiman – Nat. Vice-Chairman (NC)
9. Mustapha Salihu – Nat. Vice-Chairman (NE)
10. Emma Eneukwu – Nat. Vice-Chairman (SE)
11. Bankole Oluwajana – Nat. Vice-Chairman (S/W)
12. Emma Ibediro – Nat. Organizing Secretary
13. Babatunde Ogala Esq. – Nat. Legal Adviser14. Tajudeen Bello – Nat. Financial Secretary
15. Ibrahim K. Masari – Nat. Welfare Secretary
16. Adamu Fanda – National Treasurer
17. Bolaji Abdullahi – National Publicity Secretary
18. George Moghalu – National Auditor
19. Salamatu Baiwa – National Women Leader
20. Sadiq S. Abubakar – National Youth Leader
21. Misbau Lawal Didi – Disabled Leader
ELECTED MEMBERS OF NON-WORKING COMMITTEE
1. Sunday Jacob Chukwu – Deputy Nat. Fin. Secretary
2. Mohammed Sani – – Deputy Organising Secretary
3. E. I. Adoh-Ogbuta – Dep. Nat Legal Adviser
4. Mohammed Tanko Zakari – Dep. National Treasurer
5. Jock Alamba – Dep. Welfare Secretary
6. Nabena Yekini – Dep. Nat Pub Secretary
7. Isa Modu Chul – Dep. National Auditor
8. Ihuoma Onyebuchukwu – Dep. Nat Women Leader
9. Hafiz Bolaji – Dep. Nat Youth Leader
10. Tukur Abdulkadir Gusau – Zonal Secretary (NW)
11. John Uwaede – Zonal Secretary (SE)
12. Zakari Mohammed – Zonal Secretary (NC)
13. Ayo Afolabi – Zonal Secretary (SW)
14. Dave Okumgba – Zonal Secretary (SS)
15. Abubakar S. Ajiya – Zonal Secretary (NE)
16. Onyeka Olisemeka – Zonal Youth Leader (SE)
17. Kashim Bello Maigari – Zonal Youth Leader (NE)
18. Terver Aginde – Zonal Youth Leader (NC)
19. Lanre Olarewaju – Zonal Youth Leader (SW) 20. Koteteh Ibadan – Zonal Youth Leader (SS)
21. Abubakar Saadu – Zonal Youth Leader (NW)
22. Abdulmanaf Muhammad – Zonal Org. Secretary (NW)
23. Timothy Amah – Zonal Org. Secretary (SE)
24. Ibrahim makun Abdul – Zonal Org. Secretary (NC)
25. Ferdinand Adie Atsu – Zonal Org. Secretary (SS)
26. David Olufemi Egbedeyi – Zonal Org. Secretary (SW)
27. Shuaibu Abdulrahman – Zonal Org. Secretary (NE)
28. Amina Manga – Zonal Woman Leader (NE)
29. Yahanasu Buba Ahmed – Zonal Woman Leader (NW)
30. Olukemi Nelson – Zonal Woman Leader (SW)
31. Rachael Akpabio – Zonal Woman Leader (SS)
32. Hassana Abdullahi – Zonal Woman Leader (NC)
33. Blessing Onugha – Zonal Woman Leader (SE)
34. Koteteh Ibadan – Ex-Officio (SS)
35. Omolaoye O. Akintola – Ex-Officio (SW)
36. Nelson Alapa – Ex-Officio (NC)
37. Nduka Anyanwu – Ex-Officio (SE)
38. Mamman Isah Azare – Ex-Officio (NE)
39. Nasiru Danu – Ex-Officio (NW)
APPOINTMENT OF NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE
The Adams Oshiomhole’s led National Working Committee was in office from June 2018 till 20 June 2020, when it was dissolved.
A National Caretaker Committee was appointed to conduct an extraordinary national convention of the Party for six months.
The members include thus:
Mai Mala Buni chairman (ACN)
Akpan Udoedehe(ACN)
Governor Gboyega Oyetola (ACN);
Governor Sani Bello (New PDP)
Ken Nnamani (New PDP),
Stella Okorete (New PDP)
Dr. James Lalu,
Senator Abubakar Yusuf,
Honourable Akinyemi Olaide,
David Leon,
Abba Ari, Prof. Tahir Mamman
Ismail Ahmed (CPC).
The caretaker committee is also saddled with conducting an extraordinary national convention to choose the Party’s new leadership within the next six months.
HOW CAN WE RESTORE THE VALUES REPRESENTED BY THE DEFUNCT CPC IN APC?
The above has starkly and graphically shown how badly the CPC is in the politics of APC. Every political party usually has a wing or bloc or tendency to expose a particular ideology. The APC tendency within the APC is the most progressive in terms of ideology or idealism.
Unfortunately, one can say without fear of contradiction that the CPC tendency within the APC has been emasculated. Maybe, this is why the APC has become conservative and reactionary and on the verge of losing its progressive appeal. The defunct ACN and ANPP tendencies are the most dominant in the APC, not CPC.
Chief Okoi Obono-Obla
10/11/2021
