CPC Crisis Worsens - Aliyu Tilde Ph.d

Just three hours ago, the former CPC Chairman of Kano, Alhaji Haruna Danzago, who was removed by the Party's Board of Trustees (BOT), completed a press conference in Kano where he presented a fresh letter signed by the National Chairman of the Party,  Senator Rufa'i Hanga, showing that the party's Chairman has reconfirmed his appointment as the CPC Chairman in the State. The letter was also copied to the State Commissioner of Police, State Director of SSS and the State Resident Electoral Commissioner.   The development came barely two days after Engr. Buba Galadima announced the dissolution of the party executives of Kano, Katsina and Kebbi States as fallout from the decisions taken by the BOT which is chaired by Muhammadu Buhari.  

  The dissolved executives of Kebbi State also publicly declared their defiance to the dissolution order in an interview granted by their Chairman to the BBC yesterday. Similar statements were made by the ones in Katsina.  

  It is now clear that there is a dangerous power tussle within the party, with Buhari and his aides like Engr. Buba Galadima and Sule Yahaya Hamma, both BOT members and former members of The Buhari Organisation (TBO), on the one hand and the Chairman of the Party in whose name it was registered and who was not part of TBO.  

  It seemed that National Chairman had accepted the earlier decision of the BOT to dissolve the executive committees until his attendance of the joint meeting between INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, and Chairmen of political parties in the country.  

  Observers believe that Hanga made a u-turn after being bolstered by the categorical announcement of Jega that only congresses and primaries that were conducted according to the constitution of each party will be recognized by the electoral body. According to CPC constitution, the highest decision making body is the NEC which is chaired by Hanga as the Chairman of the Party, and not the BOT that is headed by Muhammadu Buhari.  

  Also, according to the Party's constitution, only financial members of the party can partake in its congresses and primaries. This provision gives the Chairman an advantage over the BOT which decided a week ago that the congresses be open to all supporters of the party. In Kano where the National Chairman is preparing to contest for governorship, the much discredited ward congresses that were conducted last Saturday and which were cancelled by the BOT were attended only by card carrying members of the party. The cards, numbering only 54,000, were largely sold only to followers of the National Chairman, other aspirants allege.  

  This development has resulted in two caretaker executive committees in Kano, Katsina and Kebbi States, one appointed by the National Chairman and the other by the BOT.  

  No comment is heard yet from the BOT on the recent development.    

  The congresses of Katsina, Jigawa and Bauchi states are billed for next Saturday, 18 December 2010.  

  Until recently, Alhaji Haruna Danzago has been on the side of Buhari and was the most critical voice from the camp of the former General against Shekarau, the present Kano State Governor.  

  Two days ago, Engr. Buba Galadima, who has been the chief spokesperson for Buhari recently, has in an interview he gave to BBC two days ago threatened to leave the party if justice will not be done to every aspirant by following due process. The threat, coming from one of the closest aides of Buhari, has led some observers to predict that if push comes to shove, Buhari too may abandon the party, thus pulling the carpet from underneath the feet of the many moneybag politicians who have flocked the party in order to cash on his credibility to fulfil their electoral aspirations.