The victory recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 presidential polls was a feat. Here is a spotlight on the roles played by some personalities who are believed to have contributed to the sweeping victory of the APC in the March 28 presidential polls. Abah Adah and Paul Chiama write.

Rotimi Amaechi

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is the fifth and outgoing governor of Rivers State, having served two successive terms since 2007.

A staunch member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the beginning, Amaechi, who fell out with the President Jonathan-led PDP government, became one of the earliest top shots in the party to defect to the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was one of the seven PDP governors, popularly known as the G7, who openly decried the direction the party was headed, and one of the five who consequently defected to the APC in 2013. The remaining two, Governor Babagida Aliyu (Niger) and Governor Sule Lamido (Jigawa), quickly beat a retreat at the last minute and stayed back in PDP. Obviously, they never believed that that the wind of change was nigh.

Amaechi was appointed his new found party’s campaign manager to spearhead the campaign of the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd). He became the tool used by the APC to oppose President Goodluck Jonathan. For several months, after switching camps, he used every available fora to chip away at Jonathan’s political foundations while showering accolades on his new found family, the APC.

His usually down-to-earth, matter-of-fact and captivating speeches during the campaign helped to add verve to APC’s campaign.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

There is no doubt that the avalanche of criticisms received by the Jonathan-led government from former President Olusegun Obasanjo at different times was a big blow to President Jonathan’s re-election bid.

Although Obasanjo (popularly called Baba), who left the presidential seat in 2007 after two eventful terms, is reputed to be the hand that brought Jonathan up the ladder to become Nigeria’s president under the PDP. The two later parted ways when Obasanjo accused Jonathan’s government of allowing corruption to flourish in Nigeria like never before.

He conveyed his misgivings through an open letter to President Jonathan in 2013, pointing out Jonathan’s ineptitude, the height which corruption had attained under his regime and the dangers it posed to Nigeria as a nation. This was followed by attacks and counter-attacks between Baba and Aso Rock.

Baba’s exposition, at one time or the other, concerning what he believed was poor stewardship of President Jonathan, to a large extent, increased the people’s yearning for change. He also publicly showed his preference for the opposition party and its candidate, General Buhari (retd) always posing for photo sessions with him.

In the most poignant rejection of the PDP, he publicly, and happily, tore his PDP membership card to shreds, signifying a point of no return to a party that plucked him from prison to president. These actions, in no small way, helped to weaken the PDP and strengthen the APC.

Barnabas Gemade

Barnabas Andyar Iyorhyer Gemade, the current senator representing Benue North-east in the National Assembly, was the second national chairman of the PDP and also Board of Trustees (BoT) member.

Gemade had been a PDP stalwart and had been loyal to the party until recently when he defected to the then opposition party, the APC, after he felt short-changed in his bid for re-election as a senator for a second term at the PDP primaries.

He promptly defeated the sitting governor, Mr Gabriel Suswam, to retain his seat at the Senate chamber.

The abrupt defection of the PDP chieftain to the APC actually thickened the muscle of the campaign already set in motion for success of the APC in Benue State by George Akume (himself a former PDP governor) and his sponsored gubernatorial candidate, Samuel Ortom, who had also defected from the PDP after losing in controversial circumstances at the PDP primaries in Makurdi.

Gemade’s estrangement from the PDP and his subsequent pitching of tent with the APC must have contributed to the APC’s victory at both the presidential and gubernatorial polls.

Femi Fani-Kayode/Ayo Fayose

The personality hate campaign launched by the PDP presidential campaign team, spearheaded by the team’s spokesman, Femi Fani-Kayode, and the Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has also been seen as a misfired strategy that broadened Buhari’s chances of clinching victory, as it earned him more sympathy from the electorate, instead of alienating them as intended.

As the central working committee and the presidential campaign organisation of the party traded blames recently, the trio of Fani-Kayode, Fayose and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, were fingered for causing the crushing defeat of President Jonathan at the poll with their hate speeches and unjustified verbal assault against Buhari and other leaders of the party. One may want to ask what remarks such as “He is too old”, “He will soon die”, etc., which were hurled at Buhari have to do with proper political campaign.

Patience Jonathan

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, displayed the height of desperation in the quest to see her husband succeed in his re-election bid. She appeared to take the presidential campaign even more seriously than her husband. In so doing, she employed hate campaigns, reeling out unguarded utterances aimed at disparaging the candidate Buhari.

Many saw her verbal indiscretions as unbecoming of the office she and her family occupied. Hence, her actions, rather than winning voters for Jonathan, may have strengthened their resolve to go with Buhari.

Bukola Saraki

The former governor of Kwara State and current senator for Kwara Central Senatorial District, Dr Bukola Saraki, is a former staunch member of the PDP. He served as Kwara State governor for two terms on the platform of the PDP. In 2011, he was elected senator. However, Saraki later dumped the PDP for APC. In Kwara, Saraki is not an ordinary politician. His family practically controls the entire political life in the state.

Therefore, his defection to the APC meant pulling off of a large political crowd of party members and supporters from the PDP in the state. With himself and incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed as members of the APC in the state, Kwara thus became an APC-controlled state. It was not, therefore, so much a surprise that Kwara electorate opted to vote for the APC in both the presidential and governorship elections.

Sam Nda-Isaiah

The chairman of LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah, came in as a new entrant in politics. Desirous of change, he aspired for the exalted seat in Aso Rock on the platform of the APC, but lost to the president-elect at the party primary. However, he delivered a compelling speech at the convention in which he underlined the clear and present danger of elongating the present administration and called for change. Despite his loss, the seasoned publisher remained resolute in working for the victory of the APC.

Even before this time, Nda-Isaiah had all along paved the way for APC’s acceptance in the minds of Nigerians through his contributions, using the media, particularly his Monday column in LEADERSHIP, My Last Word, with special spotlight on the inadequacies of the present administration and the need for a change.

Atiku Abubakar

Another heavyweight in the political circle who also contributed to Buhari’s outstanding victory in the presidential election is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku, a former PDP chieftain and number two man in Nigeria on the party’s platform, defected to the APC in February 2014, thus adding political clout to the opposition. While defected to the APC, Atiku said: “I will do all within my God-given powers to help the APC win elections all over Nigeria and bring true change to our country and its long-suffering people.” And he meant it.

Even after losing the APC presidential ticket, Atiku continued to mobilize support for the party as the campaign heated up. With his hordes of supporters from his political base in Adamawa State and around the country, Atiku offered no small advantage to APC in the presidential election.

Buhari Factor

Muhammadu Buhari’s influence and strength of supporter solidarity, which has increased over the years, in no small way favoured the eventual victory of the APC at the March 28 presidential election. Buhari’s profile as incorrupt, his doggedness and resilience were seen by many see as virtues uncommon in the polity. He had repeatedly run for the presidency in the three previous elections held in 2003, 2007, and 2011 and lost in all. And each time, he cried wolf and contested the results in court but he lost there as well. But rather than give up, he continued to fight on until he gained a sweet victory in the 2015 presidential poll to become Nigeria’s president-elect, waiting to be sworn in on May29, 2015.

“I will stop corruption” has been Buhari’s campaign mantra and, considering his pedigree, right from the time when he reigned as military head of state, Nigerians see Buhari as someone that can tackle the menace head-on. There are politicians who joined the APC because of the desire to remain in the same party with the retired general whom they see as a man of integrity. So his factor as a person contributed, in no small measure, to the victory of the party.

Bola Tinubu

Former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the APC, Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, largely facilitated the emergence of Buhari as the party’s presidential flag bearer. Tinubu also ensured a near-total dominance of the South-West states by APC, with the exception of Ekiti and Ondo states, where PDP still holds sway. During the presidential election, for instance, APC swept the South-West states, except Ekiti.

Tinubu threw his weight behind Buhari throughout the presidential campaign tour. He led the party from the position of opposition to the enviable status of ‘ruling’ as the party would soon be referred to after May 29. Tinubu, who could be described as the kingpin in APC’s victory, sacrificed it all, including his own ambition, to ensure the party’s victory.

Aminu Tambuwal

Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, representing Kebe/Tambuwal federal constituency of Sokoto State, in the House of Representatives is the outgoing speaker of the lower legislative chamber. The number four man in the hierarchy of political power, who had been flying the flag for the PDP in the National assembly since 2011, enjoys a lot of popularity amongst his colleagues.

Tambuwal’s sudden dumping of the PDP for the APC in the countdown to the 2015 general elections did, in no small way, strengthen the campaign of his new party.

Pulling out at such a critical moment, with all the political clout he wields, and the large discipleship he built for himself within the political circle, to start campaigning for the new party, may have further helped the APC to gain more grounds at the polls.

Evidence to this is the easy way he won the governorship contest in Sokoto from the PDP which had ruled the state in the last eight years.