by Kolapo Olapoju

We are 50 days away from May 29, the day President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, will assume position as President of Nigeria, and consequently, the All Progressives Congress will take control of the Federal government.

Already, the new-ruling party is bedeviled with 2 major problems that may or may not influence public opinion towards the party.

One problem lies in Ekiti, as the 19 APC lawmakers are making moves to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose, while the second dilemma is in Lagos, where Oba Rilwan Akiolu may or may have not derailed the chances of Akinwunmi Ambode of emerging governor of the state.

In regards to the Lagos brouhaha, the APC must be having series of damage-control meetings to determine how to address the utterances of the Oba of Lagos, especially as it has evidently swayed Igbo voters and some undecided voters to the camp of Jimi Agbaje, candidate of the PDP.

Condemnation of the Oba of Lagos has come in truck-loads and inadvertently, APC gets to take a share of the blame, as the monarch is seen as a strong supporter of the party.

While the likes of Bode George and Ohanaeze Youths Council have condemned Oba Rilwan Akiolu for his threats against the Igbos, others like the Peoples Democratic Party, Afenifere group, Femi Fani-Kayode, have directed their chaste at the APC.

To the others, the monarch is acting the script of the APC and they appear to be fully convinced of this, and as such, have commenced what will be a continuous attack against the party until the governorship election is held on Saturday.

With all these, APC’s chances of winning Lagos has now suffered a huge dent.

The problem in Ekiti is more complex than the one in Lagos, and sadly, it seems to be getting little attention from the powers-that-be, as the situation dangerously deteriorates.

The APC lawmakers, who have been serving in absentia for months finally returned after Buhari’s victory, only to come up with an impeachment notice for Fayose.

The governor has laughed off their attempt to impeach him, saying they have no right to serve him the notice, owing to the fact that their leader, de facto Speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Adewale Omirin, remains impeached.

Fayose has gone further to say that whoever wants to impeach him will first have to impeach God, stating in essence that removing him from office a second time, will never happen.

On Monday, the deputy governor of the state, Dr Kolapo Olusola, aides of the governor, members of the Peoples Democratic Party, and some concerned citizens laid siege on Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Their aim was to take over the complex and thwart any attempt by the 19 APC lawmakers to sit and carry out impeachment proceedings. They managed to successfully block all major roads leading to the House so as to prevent the APC lawmakers from gaining access.

At the moment, things seem calm down there as the APC lawmakers haven’t made any effort to appear at the complex.

As it stands, the national leadership of the APC has a lot on its plate, and has to move swiftly to address the two dangerous situations, else be prepared to lose Lagos state and lose public sympathy if the Ekiti scenario plays out ugly.

There’s a Yoruba adage that says ‘Omo wa ise, omo ri ise’, which translates as- ‘He who seeks the work must be ready to do the work’.

The APC sought power and now that they have it, they must act decisively and fairly.