Legitimately or otherwise, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has set the stage for another intense struggle for power far ahead of the release of the timetable for the next general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Its implicit initiation of a fresh electioneering process followed the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term at the National Summit held in Abuja, ignoring the electorate’s response to the administration’s shortcomings.
The two-year old administration is marked by a tale of unfulfilled promises and disappointing expectations. But the party leadership passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu for his sterling performance, sparking criticisms from the opposition parties.
Chief Chekwas Okorie, while sharing his perspective of the unfolding political scenario with Sunday Sun, described the purported endorsement as premature, panicky and childish.
He said: “Quite frankly, I find the endorsement the President received from the APC and members of the party in the National Assembly on the occasion of his second year in office very funny. That endorsement smacks of panic because the time for endorsement of candidates is not due yet.
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Press Conference by Chekwas Okorie, the APGA BOT Chairman
“In fact, some of the statements they made indicated that they were ready to proceed from there to mobilizing Nigerians for the 2027 general elections, which is almost like starting up campaign well ahead of the time the law stipulated for the commencement of political activities. I expected them to stop at passing a vote of confidence in the President for what they consider to be his laudable performance in the first two years. A vote of confidence would have been enough and nobody will quarrel with that.
“To say that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock is to take Nigerians for fools who cannot decide for themselves what they want. If Tinubu is not able to win the next election, he won’t be the first person to lose an election after the first tenure. A recent example is former President Goodluck Jonathan. The people in APC acted childishly. They were very naïve in the way they endorsed the President for a second term two years before another election.
“Now that they have flagged off campaign, the so-called coalition forces have taken a cue from them. So, campaign for 2027 has begun in earnest. The implication is that governance will be the victim. And Nigerians will suffer more because attention will be taken away from their needs to the issue of power.”
Juxtaposing the current political reality with the APC’s endorsement, Chief Okorie gave a dicey prognosis of Tinubu’s success in the 2027 presidential election.
He said: “There will likely be a three-way battle. Peter Obi has made it clear that he is running again for the presidency. Atiku has never rescinded his ambition to vie again. And here we have the President seeking for re-election. From the PDP’s angle, they seem to be saying that they will zone presidency to the South. Whosoever they come up with, it will further divide the Southern votes, while the North may likely present one candidate. So, it will be a tall order for the North not to decide the outcome of the election.”
Okorie expressed doubt in the possibility of the Tinubu administration achieving any significant change in the fortune of the economy in the remaining two years before the next general elections.
He added: “By the end of this month, Atiku’s platform would have become more pronounced. And it is likely to be ADC. For all I know, ADC has already transferred its leadership to the new benefactors or those who have purchased their party. Peter Obi says he is still in the Labour Party, but INEC is not in a hurry to recognize Obi’s leadership in the party. For every intent and purpose, Peter Obi is using Obidient Movement to set up structures which he didn’t have before. Before, he underplayed the importance of structure, but now, he knows. He has gained some experience and it is very likely that he lands in another party at the nick of time. He may decide to go for the Zenith Labour Party which has some similarities with LP in name. Already, the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has used that party (Zenith Labour Party) to deliver the local government elected officers following the problem he had in the Labour Party.
“So, I won’t be surprised if he has an understanding with the leadership of Zenith Labour Party to do what ADC leadership has done. At the end of the day, whatever the Obidient family decides to do, one thing is obvious; Peter Obi is flying the presidential ticket. Atiku too is flying a presidential flag. ADC may decide to fly Amaechi/El-Rufai ticket. So, the Southern presidential candidates are going to dissipate the votes in the South, while all of Buhari’s men, including Malami and 12 other former ministers, are moving together to ally with Atiku. So, it is not going to be easy for the incumbent President whose foot soldiers are misleading him by saying that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Things are not looking good for him at all. He inherited a very bad economy. I don’t see any magic he will do in the remaining two years to change the fortune of the economy when campaign has almost started.”