2019: Cabal Hijacks President Buhari’s Campaign – Vanguard

* Plots to shutout APC NWC members

*Underground battle for campaign funds control rage

*Why presidential campaign council is yet to be set up

*No one can hijack our campaign — APC

* Campaign may last for five weeks

By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

THE
crises ravaging the All Progressives Congress, APC, across some states
appear to be eating into President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election
campaign

Party sources told Saturday Vanguard that a cabal
has hijacked the campaign and there is an intense plot to relegate
National Working Committee, NWC, members in the scheme of things.

The plot, piloted by what a senior party official referred to as
“presidency hawks” would see the party leadership attending campaigns
like guests without strong inputs into the planning and organization.
Indeed, it was gathered that some governors, who are at daggers drawn
with the APC hierarchy over the recent primaries in which some of their
loyalists lost out, want to teach the party leadership a lesson.

How?
They can only contribute funds to President Buhari’s campaign if the
funds would not be controlled by the APC leadership. President Buhari
had months ago named Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi as Director
General of his Presidential Campaign Council, with Festus Keyamo, SAN,
as campaign spokesman. Since then, a full campaign structure had
neither been named by the party nor the presidency.

Why campaign council is in limbo

While
some presidency officials had attributed the delay in constituting a
campaign council to paucity of funds, it was gathered that some members,
who worked in the 2015 campaigns when contacted to serve on the council
were not keen on taking up the job. “Many of those, who actually worked
during the campaigns were sidelined.

Some people were the
eggheads but others took the rewards because of their closeness to Mr
President. So, some of those who were practically left in the lurch are
not enthusiastic about taking up new tasks because of past experiences.
In fact, even those of them who were contacted to be part of some of the
various reconciliation committees in the party turned down the offer”, a
party official told Saturday Vanguard. The development is in spite of
President Buhari’s promise, last week, to reward those who will work for
his re-election.

About two years ago, Wife of the President,
Hajia Aisha Buhari complained about the hijacking of the presidency by a
cabal and the neglect of those who worked for Buhari’s election in 2015
and threatened that she might not campaign for Buhari in 2019 unless
the anomaly was addressed.

Now, the APC top shot added that the
party leadership is not leading the 2019 campaigns because certain
forces close to the president have hijacked the process. “One would have
thought that with the pedigree of our National Chairman (Adams
Oshiomhole) that some of these forces would give him a freehand to
organize things, but that is not the case.

Except if the
chairman has information on the role we are expected to play, I can tell
you that many of us do not exactly know much about the campaigns. The
party has only recently been able to convince the presidency on the need
to at least kick-start the campaigns before the end of this year and
that is why we might be going to Akwa Ibom soon for what might pass for
the formal launch of our campaigns.”

Campaigns may begin second
week of January, last five weeks The source added that some of the
president’s handlers have designed a template that would see the APC
presidential campaigns lasting for only five weeks.

Control of campaign funds

Speaking
further, he said: “It is not about the capacity of the party leadership
to drive the campaigns. I think some people just want to prove to the
president that they can do it alone or perhaps some people want to be in
control of campaign funds because there is nothing strategic about
delaying the campaigns or not naming a campaign council less than two
months to the elections.”

No one can hijack our campaigns — APC

However, in his reaction, National Publicity Secretary of the party,
Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said no one can hijack the party’s campaigns.
“Hijacked by who? If they hijacked it, to do what? Can they campaign
without the president? Can they campaign without the party? We are all
working together and there is no issue.

Very shortly, the
campaign council will be announced and campaigns will start. Election is
February 16 and I keep telling people that campaigns are not all about
rallies. There are several platforms of engagement with the voters. Many
other aspects are ongoing. Our activities are ongoing. Yesterday, the
president commissioned the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe
airport.

That is campaign to show that the same country that was
not working is now working. That is what Nigerians are going to vote
for in February. Nigerians are travelling this season, they will see
activities going on on the roads. The roads that were not free for
several hours, they are now going to be spending fewer hours. That is
part of campaign.

It is for people to go and see improvements
and see possibilities and see that their country is now working. We are
going to do rallies across the country. We are a party that is so proud
of our achievements and we are very confident that our achievements are
speaking for us already”, he said.

Source:- Vanguardngr