The flamboyant inauguration of a 92-member National Central Coordinating Committee to plan and execute the forthcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) state and national elective convention scheduled for this month is an official confirmation of an imminent shake-up in the top echelon of the ruling party, the National Working Committee (NWC).

Every elective convention of any active political party certainly comes with celebration and gnashing of teeth, particularly for the members of the national leadership, regardless of whatever input they have made to turn around the fortunes of the party. The forthcoming national convention of the APC will not be different in outcome and colouration. The tension, apprehension and anxiety are already building up.

The impending change of guard, expectedly, does not come to many chieftains, leaders and more curiously members of the NWC as a surprise. It has become an inevitable ritual that provides an opportunity to many party members and gladiators to be placed at the mercy of the deciding authorities, to either swim or sink. It also provides the prospect of settling of scores and confirming who the real leaders of the party are.

Apparently, jolted by the determination and desperation to retain their positions, Daily Sun can report that some of the national officers and other stakeholders interested in the positions have deployed all manner of high-tech internal and external schemes, hide-and-seek measures to brighten their chances of clinching the positions.

The governors, curiously, eager to establish and stamp their authority as the real party leaders in their states, have equally contributed in heightening the tension through their resolve to ensure that any nominee from their states must get their endorsement to be elected.

More importantly, the fact that the Presidency, where the buck stops regarding of who gets what and as such will have the final say, has not only complicated the precarious situation of the national officers but has contributed in escalating the pressure ahead of the convention.

Expectedly, the intensity of intrigues has become high as a result of the push-and-pull among the gladiators, comprising the national officers jostling to frantically remain NWC members retaining their positions, and the anticipated nominees loyal to higher authorities aggressively rooting to replace them.

The stark reality, as of today, is that there are a few weeks to the convention; it is only an insignificant number of state and national officers that are absolutely certain of the security of their seats due to high-level treachery and networking practically rearing their ugly heads.

Their perilous situation is such that, if they escape the hurdle of winning the support and backing of the leaders of the party in their states, they will still battle the odds of securing the endorsements of the national leaders of the party, particularly the Presidency, which will ultimately certify the depths of the loyalty of the national officers and their individual commitment in the desperate efforts to deliver President Bola Tinubu in next year’s presidential election.

To underscore the enormity and extent of nervousness and uncertainty over their future, most of the national officers, except, perhaps, the national chairman and the national secretary, have already evacuated their personal belongings from their offices, preparatory for whatever might be the outcome of the convention by the end of this month.

Speaking separately to Daily Sun, the national officers admitted that the nature of their situation is so precarious, shaky and unpredictable that it has left NWC members with no option but to intensify the tempo of their lobbying.

“As you can see, I no longer have any of my personal belongings in my office,” a national officer told our correspondent, adding, “It is the same thing with many of my colleagues. That will confirm the situation that nobody knows with certainty what the future holds for us after the convention.”

Another national officer simply quipped, “I come to the office these days knowing that my days are numbered. I have never seen the level of lobbying and desperate scheming to oust some members of the NWC from their seats like what we are experiencing now. We are confronting a serious, intricate situation. But it is not a do-or-die affair. All I can tell you is that I have given it my best shot as a human being, and I have left the rest to God to perfect.”

To further confirm that everything is still wrapped in a cloak of uncertainty, the outcome of the conduct of the ward and local government congresses pose a dangerous signal of what to expect in the forthcoming state and national convention.

In retrospect, from Ondo to Delta, Lagos, to Enugu, and many other states of the federation, the ward and local government congresses featured incidents of titillating violence, infighting, and betrayal, resulting in the intervention of the security agencies, and surprisingly, consensus arrangements. For instance, in some parts of Ondo State, police confirmed the outbreak of violence, which even resulted in killings during the congress, while other victims who sustained varying degrees of injuries are still currently kept in hospital for medical attention.

This violent incident, according to a statement by the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, came barely 24 hours after the State APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, and other party chieftains were reportedly attacked during a stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat.

“Five persons yet to be identified were reportedly attacked, while a vehicle was set ablaze during the incident. Three victims sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving medical attention, while two others were confirmed dead at the hospital,” the Police spokesperson noted, assuring that investigations are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack and apprehend those responsible for the heinous act.”

In Delta State, although they conducted relatively peaceful congresses in some parts of the state, the member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, escaped by whiskers, when an attack was launched during the party’s local government congress.

Report also had it that Ibori-Suenu, daughter of James Onanefe Ibori, was heralded into the venue of the congress at Ovade community with several bullets by suspected thugs loyal to a prominent rival politician in the council area.

The orgy of violent congresses was almost the same in Enugu, where fierce fighting broke out during the exercise with chairs and dangerous weapons flying in all directions, forcing the congressmen and women to scamper for safety.

However, despite the skirmishes, Governor Peter Mbah had commended the state chapter of the party for what he described as a peaceful and democratic local government congress.

In Abia, the internal combustion between the factions loyal to Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, and other stakeholders had tensed the situation to the point of postponing the congress to a later date to pacify and calm strained nerves before it was concluded last week.

The result of the intriguing situation is indicative of what is ahead for many members of the state and national leadership, just as it will forcefully retire some hitherto strong men of the ruling party to an inconsequential state.

Regardless of the outcome, one of the major concerns to many was the accuracy or inaccuracy of the timing of the congresses and conventions, organising them very close to the peak of the build-up to a major election like the 2027 general polls.

The proponents of the timing had argued that it is capable of posing a danger of implosion great enough to not only destabilise the party but also truncate the bright chances of emerging victorious in next year’s forthcoming election.

Perhaps, miffed by such concerns and the rumblings, the tension, controversy, violence, and the intrigues trailing the conduct of the ward and local government congresses last month, the chairman of the APC National Central Coordinating Committee, RT. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, had warned party members, leaders, and chieftains that the convention will be a defining moment and litmus test for the party.

Masari, former Katsina State governor, in his acceptance speech after the inauguration of the committee, cautioned that they cannot afford to disappoint Nigerians looking up to the ruling party for direction, guidance, and to provide leadership in the country.

“I recognise all members of this great committee whose wealth of experience and commitment will undoubtedly enrich the task ahead. The national convention of a political party is not merely a statutory requirement but a defining moment in the life of the institution.

“It is a platform for reflection, consolidation, renewal, and recommitment to the sheer principles of the governing party, the APC. It comes with a greater responsibility to ensure that its process reflects orderliness, inclusiveness, transparency, and respect for internal democracy,” he added.

He also highlighted the enormity of the responsibility before the committee, promising to deliver a credible convention.

“The task before the committee is therefore clearly to coordinate all activities leading to a peaceful, credible, and successful 2026 national convention.

“We must approach this assignment with maturity, fairness, and strict adherence to the party’s constitution and guidelines. Our objectives will be to conduct a civil and free convention that will strengthen and unify our party in order to reinforce confidence in the party’s internal mechanism. We shall work closely with the NWC and all relevant organs of the party to ensure the effective delivery of the leadership to all members of our great party.

“This committee will deliver its mandate with impartiality and collective responsibility. We will consult widely and act decisively in the overall interest of the party. The entire Nigerians look up to the leadership of our party, and we must demonstrate that,” Masari warned.

The former Speaker, House of Representatives, further charged APC members to ensure “discipline in our internal affairs, and we must ensure the ambition of others do not lead to the destruction of the party. A successful convention will not only lead to our success but unite our party, the APC.”

However, playing down the intensity of the situation, the national chairman of the ruling party, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, noted that, “The inauguration of the committee will mark another moment in the progressive journey of our great party, the APC.

“National Convention like ours is not merely a gathering. It is the affirmation of our democratic values, a celebration of our internal democracy, and a demonstration to Nigerians that APC remains the most organised, forward-looking, and most viable political party anybody will stand for election in Nigeria. That can clearly be seen by all the by-elections conducted last year and this year,” he said. (The Sun)