by Alexander O. Onukwue

While the jury remains divided on whether Mrs Alhassan’s open admission of support to Atiku Abubakar was ethical or not, there has been no doubt as to the impact her remarks have had on the image of the APC.

Since its formation at 2014, the ruling party has appeared to be too big for itself. That size may have enabled it win the 2015 elections but administering the party and having a common direction has eluded them. The inability to hold a national convention is usually pointed as evidence to this, with the accusation also that the party’s leadership is worn and incapable.

The difficulty of managing the party may be due to the fact it was formed by a combination of parties and some part of the PDP. This difference plays out in the differences experienced between members of the Legislature and the Executive, right from the beginning of the elections for officers in the upper and lower chambers.

Amidst these fractions, the party has dragged itself on. It has a committee tasked with coming up with its definition of true federalism, and its national working committee has kept up with its duty. The present issue of Mrs Alhassan was not rashly reacted to, despite the pressures on social media from APC supporters (and derision from the PDP) for it to show that it was not harbouring internal structures that make it look weak.

Mrs Alhassan will not take back what she has said but that she has been invited and her apology received with the least possible noise demonstrates the APC’s understanding of the nature of the damage it could have done its reputation to blow the matter out of proportion. They acknowledged that she is a leader in the party and treated her with the utmost respect.

Now they can move on to other matters less mundane and away from distractions about Buhari’s future, at least until 2018.