Tales of Unceremonious Exits of Parties’ Leaders

Tales of Unceremonious Exits of Parties’ Leaders
By Kabir Akintayo,

The unceremonious exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, is one out of many hurdles faced by party chairmen, most especially, the ruling and main opposition parties.

For example, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), since the Fourth Republic has sacked almost all its National Chairmen, from 1999 till date, likewise the ruling party APC.

APC came into existence in 2013, after the amalgamation of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and some faction of the new PDP and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

The party had issues with all its party chairmen, from Chief Odigie John Oyegun to Adams Oshiomole. Not even the Chairman Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Mai- Mala buni was spared. And now, Adamu.

But Senator Adamu’s resignation as APC’s National Chairman was long over-due, this is because, many political pundits predicted his removal when Tinubu became the President. On many occasions, Adamu shot himself on the leg.

And also, his open support to the former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, during the APC Presidential Primary, put him in the black book of the Tinubu Presidency. Adamu’s ‘rejection’ of the National Assembly (NASS) Principal officers list announced by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representative, also put him on a collision course with Tinubu’s handlers.

While the Turakin Keffi may now be ruing the gaffes that cost him his APC Chairmanship, Politics Digest profiles some ex-PDP and APC chairmen who ignominiously were embarrassed out of office, after colourfully assuming office as their party’s Chair.

Solomon Lar

Dr. Solomon Lar was a former governor of Plateau State in the Second Republic. He became the first National Chairman of PDP in 1998. His problem started when the then President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted a total control of the party and the National Assembly. Chief Lar who was also a pioneer of the PDP, was not cooperating and this led to his replacement by Chief Barnabas Gemade in 2002.

Barnabas Gemade

Chief Barnabas Gemade, a former Senator representing Benue North Senatorial District, was elected Chairman of PDP after replacing Solomon Lar in 2002. This is with the solid backing of Obasanjo. At this period, the then President had total controlled of the party. He decided who becomes who, when and how. Unfortunately, Gemade spent just a year in office. Reason: Obasanjo felt the Benue-born Senator won’t be able to deliver the party at the 2003 general election.

Audu Ogbe

Obasanjo had replaced Gemade with Audu Ogbeh, who pundits said the president felt would have the power to galvanise the party to win the 2003 elections. But, Ogbeh’s tenure was even more dramatic as his effort to assert independence, different from his predecessor, landed him in trouble. He was allegedly forced to resign under duress after he advised President Obasanjo to take action over the crisis rocking the party in Anambra State, where Chris Uba, an ally of the president, was said to have caged Governor Chris Ngige and forced him to resign, amidst other issues.

Ogbeh was forced out of the party in 2005 by Obasanjo, who later brought in Ahmadu Ali, a long-time associate with a military background.

Vincent Ogbulafor

Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, became the national chairman of the PDP in 2007 during Yar’Adua ‘s administration. The Abia-born Prince was forced to resign, following squabbles between him and his state governor, Theodore Orji.

The struggle for the soul and structure of the party in Ogbulafor’s state was so intense that he had to resign after he was slammed with a corruption allegation of about N100million state fund when he was a minister.

He was replaced by the former governor of Enugu state, Okwesilieze Nwodo, who also got sacked in the same year by a court in Enugu in a controversial circumstance, after a dispute with his then state governor, Sullivan Chime.

Thereafer, Dr Haliru Mohammed was appointed acting national chairman in 2010, and he supported a change to the PDP’s zooning formular so that former president Goodluck Jonathan could run for re-election in 2011.

Bamanga Tukur

Alhaji Tukur was the PDP chairman from 2012 to 2014. He was in the good book of former President Jonathan. But Tukur’s problem started from his home state, Adamawa. He had a logger head with the former governor of the state, Murtala Nyako, over control of party structure in Adamawa.

Before the 2015 general elections, several governors, including Nyako, asked for his removal, fearing that Tukur, a key ally of the then President, would lend his support and turn over the party’s machinery to Jonathan, should he seek re-election.

Meanwhile, between 2014 to 2016, PDP had Adamu Mu’azu known as the game changer. He was accused of working with the then opposition APC, during the 2015 presidential election. Afterwards, Senator Ali Modu Sherrif was adopted by some PDP governors, to head the party leadership. It became a tussle after court recognized Ahmed Markarfi as the authentic Chairman.

Uche Secondus

In the case of Secondus, some southern forces, led by his state governor, Nyesom Wike, were said to have drafted him to lead the party and protect their interests. But when the centre could no longer hold, Wike was among those that allegedly encouraged the executive in ward 5, Ikuru town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State to suspend Secondus. He followed it up with his ouster.

Iyorchia Ayu

Senator Ayu’s case is indifferent from that of Secondus. After his openly displayed of support to Atiku Abubakar, during the PDP Presidential Primary, a decision that upset Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and also, an aspirant for the PDP Presidential primaries. He used all his arsenals to make sure the party failed at the 2023 general election after the party refused his called for the removal of Ayu.

However, Ayu was later booted out after the elections.

APC’s National Chairmen and how they fared

John Odigie Oyegun

The former governor of Edo State, Oyegun became the first substantive national chairman of the APC after its registration.
He succeeded Bisi Akande, an interim chairman, following intense negotiations and horse-trading among various contending forces in the party. His nomination was subsequently ratified by delegates at the first national convention of the party held at the Eagles Square in June 2014 in Abuja.

Oyegun’s candidature was promoted by the national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, now the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN).

However, Oyegun’s trouble started after Tinubu called for his removal over his incapability and egoistic nature of leadership. He served for only one term and couldn’t stand the pressure but withdrew his second term ambition.

Adams Oshiomhole

The former chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and governor of Edo State had the support of former President Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu and other top leaders of the party.

But his tenure was characterised by intense crisis in the party, following his disagreement with the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki which led to his suspension from his word.

Buhari had to dissolved the NWC and appointment the governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni to serve as the Chairman APC, Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC)

Mai Mala Buni

The Yobe state governor, during his appointment was given six months to organize a convention that will produce another substantive chairman of the party, unfortunately, Buni couldn’t organize any convention even after spending one year in office. Although, he was able to unit aggrieved members of the party and also attracted bigwigs from PDP to the party.

However, he was also being threaten to be removed disgracefully, but Buhari came through saving him from such treatment. He quickly organized a convention that produced the recently resigned national chairman Adamu.

Kabir Akintayo is with PoliticsDigest