C'River APC Vs Usani Uguru : It's Not Yet Uhuru For Uguru, Supporters

Usani Uguru Usani, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs

Leadership crisis has been brewing in the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in Cross River State since Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, former state Chairman of the party was appointed Minister of Niger Delta Affairs by President Mohammedu Buhari. Choosing a substantive Chairman to replace Usani plunged the party into crisis that is today threatening the soul and its survival in the state.

Normally, Usani's successor was supposed to come from the central senatorial district according to APC rule that if a position is zoned is vacant for any reason, somebody from that zone should be elected or appointed to fill such position. But this didn't happen immediately as touted thereby giving rise to Sir John Ochalla who was the deputy State Chairman to assume responsibility as the Acting State Chairman.

Ochalla held the position for almost two years largely not due to his unwillingness to relinquish power to the Central but due to the failure and inability of Usani who by virtue of his position as Minister was supposed to be the leader of the party in central and state to organize the people to produce a substantive Chairman. Skilled in cutting corners and doing things wrongly, Usani tried about three times fruitlessly to put a state Chairman through the back door.

But luck was on his side the last time as he had more stakeholders to his side who said since his tenure which his stooge Etim John was coming to complete was barely two months to end, his illegality should be condone to avoid further crisis in the party.

Just like he failed to play his rule well as the leader of the party, Usani because of his love and insatiable avidity for impunity and illegality couldn't manage the new friendship and coalition he formed with the likes of Sen. Owan Enoh, Prince Otu Bassey, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba etc. The saying that a pig will remain a pig no matter how many times it's watched perfectly describes who Usani is. He remains Usani, the king of impunity and illegality no matter how others try to manage him.

The last ward Congress opened the eyes of those who thought a leopard skin will change overnight. A day to the ward Congress, there was stakeholders meeting where Usani promised to work with all stakeholders to ensure a hitch free and credible Congress. But being who he is, he couldn't keep to his promise as his supporters were cut filling results sheets in Danic Hotel while party members were waiting for materials for the congress. He did this in connivance with the Congress committee headed by a very corrupt Dr. Ekezie.

This singular act, as expected made all those who hitherto worked with him to bring Etim to pull out and form another unbeatable coalition against him.

Although, Usani's puppet, Etim John went on AIT to announce that ward Congress held that day, Sen. Owan Enoh and South South National Vice Chairman of APC, Ntufam Hilliard Eta led a team of who is who in APC in the state to persuade national to sack the committee sent to Cross River and replace with people of integrity. Fortunate enough, the national leadership of the party oblige.

Retired. Man. Gen Musa was sent as a new Ward and Chapter Congresses chairman to replace the very corrupt Dr. Ekezie and the Congresses held smoothly.

Across the 194 wards in the state, Usani's team didn't win up to 10%. In the chapter, the only notable local government Usani's team won is Obanliku which is still in contention. Even his Yakur where he allegedly imported Niger Delta militants to intimidate those opposed to his illegality, prominent among which is his former boss and ex-Governor, Chief Clement Ebri failed. He didn't win the chapter election.

Like a devil as recorded in the scripture that goes up and down to destroy, Usani, having failed to carry out his illegality at the ward and chapter levels, returned again with another agenda to cut corners in the state Congress.

Originally, the state Congress of APC across the nation was billed for Saturday, May 19. But until yesterday, some local governments like Biase, Akamkpa, Yala were yet to hold chapter Congress or at best come up acceptable Congress report. Hence, stakeholders agreed that the state Congress should be shifted to allow those local governments complete the exercise. This was among other pertinent issues that needed to be addressed before the state Congress.

As expected, Usani took advantage of this to mobilize thugs to cultural centre which was not the initial venue of the APC State Congress to fill names of some of his stooges in the name of state executives of the party. That ruling PDP provided a venue and security for the illegal Congress say it all.

Ordinarily, I would have maintained my principle of not joining in a fight when political leaders are fighting but being that Usani is not in a fight with anybody specifically, but the people and the APC, I consider it appropriate to also express my opinion.

The news of a purported Congress has gone far. Sen. Ita Giwa who is today the only stakeholder supporting Usani to destroy APC for the PDP government where she still holds appointment and have come out severally to openly campaign for  granted Channels Television interview to hoodwink the national leadership of the party that Congress held. Like Etim failed with the ward Congress in AIT, Ita Giwa will fail too.

Although, to the believers of illegality, Usani has stole the show but let me advice the Minster that it's not yet uhuru because darkness can never rule over light. His joy is limited because as he failed before, he will fail again.

He allegedly tried to assassinate his opponent in Nko, his home country when vehicles that conveyed chapter materials going to the northern part of the state and Boki were attacked, he failed. Nobody died. Our God is not an author of confusion. Truth will always prevail.

Truth is truth no matter how hard people try to twist it.

Usani want to destroy the very party that he has been the biggest beneficiary in the state. He became the State Chairman even when the position was zoned to the south. He became a Minster even when he didn't support President Buhari or APC as state chairman of the party in 2015. The fund provided by the national leadership of the party for the 2015 elections was allegedly syphoned by him yet he became the biggest beneficiary.

APC gubernatorial candidate in 2015, Mr. Odey Ochicha campaigned for himself and President Buhari alone in all the 194 wards in the state with his personal resources. Usani as the state Chairman never followed him to any campaign rally.

To demonstrate his high level of greed, Usani has unceremoniously declared to run the Governorship election which is zoned to the north. The party has insisted that all the zoning arrangement in the party is for eight years and the APC gubernatorial ticket was zoned to the north in 2014 ahead of the 2015 election.

Why is he now coming to alter the zoning? Is Usani bigger than APC as a party because he's an unfortunate Minster? Is APC Usani's personal enterprise?

In any case, what threat will a serving Minster who failed to win a state assembly rerun election pose to the ruling PDP in a governorship election? A man who ho couldn't win a chapter Congress election in his own local government cannot be trusted to fly the APC guber  ticket in 2019.

In the APC Congresses across the country, prevoius zoning arrangement subsisted.

That Usani want to snatch the ticket confirms the suspicion that he is working to truncate the chances of the party winning the governorship election by trying to rape the north of the ticket so he can use it to negotiate for another Ministerial appointment should Buhari win.

The big question is, must everything go to him in APC? A man who became state chairman without spending a dime. Became Minster without supporting the party in election is still not satisfied with his fortune. Must he always be the only voice?

There is a saying that when the gods want to kill a man, its first strike him with madness. Indeed, Usani has been slammed with madness in order to kill his political greed.

To all those speculating that Congress held, like in the ward Congress, truth will definitely come out and Usani will be disgraced again.

My advice to Usani is to give peace a chance in APC Cross River state.

To the National leadership of the party, this is the time to choose between light and darkness. The party must choose between supporting Usani's illegality and prepare for the final burial of APC in the state or support light and watch APC have a good outing in 2019.

Inyali Peter is concerned APC member