A deft move by the G-5 governors who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress has seen them wrestle control from the original power brokers of the party.
Party sources said the governors have hijacked the partyand now dictate who gets what post.
This according to them is manifest in the list of zoning arrangement list for the sharing of office for the National EXCO released by the party ahead of its national convention, tomorrow.
With none of the not less than three power blocs within the party ready to cave in, the emerging scenario is that a direct contest for the national chairmanship is imminent between the APC governors-backed former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva and former foreign minister, Chief Tom Ikimi who is believed to have been thrown up by forces loyal to former vice president Atiku Abubakar.
Curiously, the candidates allegedly supported by the duo of General Muhammadu Buhari(rtd) and former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that is, John Odigie Oyegun and Nasir el-Rufai for national chairman and secretary respectively, appear to have lost out in the scheming that has thrown up fresh permutations arising from the APC’s zoning arrangement.
A member of the current interim national executive committee of the APC who spoke in confidence told noted that the current zoning arrangement was masterminded by ‘PDP elements within the APC’.
“My brother, we now have at hand a very dangerous situation whereby the PDP governors have totally taken control of the APC machinery; a party we toiled to put together when Nigerians were in need of a vehicle for change in the country.
“I can tell you this- the eleven APC governors do not just understand politics and they have been following the so-called G-5 governors as if without them they cannot move ahead.
“When the party was planning the convention, some of us warned that the PDP forces will over-run us but we were not taken seriously. Now, you can see what has happened; the chairman of the convention committee is one of them and now, both the national chairman and secretary are likely be produced by them because the 16 governors have zeroed on Sylva while they might likely impose Kashim Imam to become secretary.
“As I am talking to you now, there is controlled tension because no one in the legacy parties is likely to hold either of the two most important positions in the party; it is unfortunate that we are already in this kind of situation even before 2015,” he added.
In the zoning arrangement released on Tuesday night, the South-South will produce the National Chairman, Deputy National Secretary, and Deputy National Legal Adviser; while South West gets National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Chairman and National Financial Secretary.
For the South East are National Organising Secretary, National Auditor, Deputy Financial Secretary and Deputy Women Leader even as North Central gets National Publicity Secretary, National Women Leader, Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Welfare Secretary.
National Secretary, National Youth Leader, and Deputy National Auditor are for the North East to produce while North West has the Welfare Secretary, Deputy National Chairman, National Treasurer and Deputy National Organising secretary zoned to it.
Each of the six geo-political zones is expected to produce the following- One Zonal National Vice Chairman, One Zonal Women Leader, One Zonal Youth Leader and One Ex-Officio.
Those who approved the new zoning arrangement were: Prince Abubakar Audu, Deputy governor Borno, Goveronor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor Murtala Nyako, Chief Segun Osoba, Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, Timipre Sylva and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Others were Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Sen. George Akume, Sen. Kanti Bello, Sadiya Umar Farouq, Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Sen. Danjuma Goje, Hon Kawu Sumaila, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, Gov. Umar Tanko Almakura, Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Babatunde Fashola, Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, Hon. Bayero Nafada, Gen. Lawal Jafaru Isah, Sen. Bukola Saraki, Sen. Ahmad Sani Yarima, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Eng. Buba Galadima, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, Mallam Nasir EL-Rufai, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Bisi Akande, General Muhammad Buhari, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari and Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu.