Category: Sentry

There seems to be no end in sight for the storm that has been rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since the period preceding the 2023 elections.

The decision of the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to choose former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate instead of former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who came second in the party’s primary had stirred a serious crisis that pitted Wike and four other PDP governors against the party.

The grouse of the governors was that the North could not produce both the presidential candidate and the chairman of the party, hence Iyorchia Ayu, an indigene of Benue State, should step down for someone from the South to become the party’s chairman.

The demand made by the G5 governors, which also included Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, however, fell on deaf ears, prompting them to withdraw support for Atiku’s candidacy; a move widely believed to have contributed in no small measure to Atiku’s defeat in the election.

It would seem, however, that the dust around the beleaguered office of PDP National Chairman is not about to settle as the rumoured bid by former Senate President Bukola Saraki to take over the party’s leadership appears to have reopened the old wound. 

The Atiku camp is said to be eyeing Saraki with suspicion because they believe that he is not a stable politician or one that can be trusted. For instance in the last presidential primary of the PDP, he pledged support for Atiku only to later seek to fly the banner of the party.

Indeed, as he was leaving Atiku after pledging his support, the former VP was said to have told party members who were with him that “that boy, you cannot rely on what he says.” The former Vice President was said to have smiled in vindication as the former governor and Senate President threw his hat in the ring.

Read Also: Life outside power is challenging, Igbinedion, Saraki tell outgoing governors

The G5 block is also said to be uncomfortable with Saraki as the former Kwara State governor reportedly played the ostrich in the former’s face-off with Atiku and Ayu before the presidential election.

But Saraki’s supporters see him from a completely different prism. As far as they are concerned, he is more capable than anyone else to rebuild the party and even woo back into the fold some of his co-travellers who defected from to APC in 2015.

Tambuwal, Dickson: the agony of defeat

These are not the best of times for two PDP senators and former governors, Seriaki Dickson and Aminu Tambuwal. Both are yet to recover from the shellacking the party got in the selection of principal officers of the Senate.

With their party boasting 36 senators, they had looked forward to a seamless election. Among the PDP senators are former governors and experienced lawmakers who see themselves as the conscience of the party in the red chamber.

In the election of the Senate President, they had pitched their tent with Senator Abdulaziz Yari of the APC who contested the Senate President seat against Senator Godswill Akpabio, the preferred candidate of the powers that be in APC with the aim of humiliating the ruling party. They did not reckon with fresh senators and other minority members. But they met their Waterloo as Yari was roundly beaten by Akpabio.

Few days to the resumption of the Senate, Dickson and Tambuwal had confidently stormed the PDP secretariat to ask for a letter from the party’s acting chairman, Umar Damagum, or any top official of the party nominating Tambuwal for Senate minority leader. At the secretariat, they were tossed around. Damagum, they were told, was not in the office. They asked to see other senior executives but they were told that none was around.  Furious, disappointed and dejected, they left, wondering what the executives were up to.

At the resumption of the Senate on Tuesday, Dickson, Tambuwal and their collaborators sat glued to their seats, staring blank as their hopes were dashed. Tambuwal was not the choice of minority senators. Rather, 38 of the 50 minority senators wrote a letter to the Senate President declaring the Senator representing Plateau North, Simon Davou Mwadkwom, as their choice.

The quiet but bruising war between Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and the Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, has finally blown open with accusations and counter-accusations from the camps of the two politicians, each claiming that the other worked against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s interest at one point of his presidential aspiration or the other.

The first salvo had been fired by Daniel who accused Abiodun of working against Tinubu in the latter’s battle for the keenly contested ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the build-up to the February 25 election eventually won by Tinubu. The governor, for his part, accused Daniel of working against Tinubu in the election, pitching his tent with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

There was indeed an unsubstantiated allegation by Abiodun’s camp that Daniel collected a sum ranging between N500 million and N1 billion from the candidate of PDP in Ogun State in the last governorship election, Ladi Adebutu, to support the latter’s governorship aspiration as well as the aspiration of Atiku.  Adebutu defeated Abiodun in Ogun East Senatorial District during the March 18 governorship election because Daniel allegedly switched camp.

Somebody in the senator’s camp rubbished the claim, saying that the former governor was too principled to betray his associates. He also said he was not a politician that can be bought with money.

Yesterday, Adebutu joined the fray. In an advert in a national newspaper, he lambasted Abiodun, accusing him of poor performance, especially in Ogun East Senatorial District, where the trio (himself, Daniel and Abiodun) hail from. He said the poor performance, rather than the alleged betrayal of Daniel, was responsible for the rejection of the governor in the district at the governorship election.

While the veracity of the accusations and counter-accusations between the two camps remains a matter of conjecture, there is an audio recording in Sentry’s possession that tends to portray one of the parties as lying.

Sentry gathered that at the bottom of the rivalry between Abiodun and Daniel is the Ogun East senatorial ticket of the APC in 2027. Both men are believed to be eyeing the prize and are not willing to leave anything to chance in this regard.

Daniel is said to have seen Abiodun as a veritable threat to his chance of a second term in the Senate when his current tenure runs out in 2027, while the governor is also said to have his eyes firmly fixed on the ticket with his second term also due to lapse in that year.

But while Daniel is working to nip Abiodun’s aspiration in the bud, knowing that the governor had previously contested the seat in 2015 and failed, Abiodun is also said not to be ready to give up his plan for a stint in the Senate after completing his second term as Ogun State governor.

There lies the crux of the quiet but bitter feud that has been raging between the two political rivals.

Did some elements in the Delta APC work for the Labour Party in the last presidential election? There was no doubt that LP was the party to beat in that election in the state. Youths, students, civil servants, spare parts traders in major markets in the state all chanted ‘Elupee, Elupee.’

The news that made the rounds then was that some leading contestants in the APC abandoned their party for the ‘Elupee.’ They shouted APC during the day and ‘Elupee’ at night.

While some APC candidates succeeded, the main contestant among them failed woefully when it mattered. The dust raised by the perceived divided loyalty on account of which the main contestant lost the election is yet to settle.

Feelers from the state indicate that except reason prevails, the party may be engulfed in fresh crisis. The cause: the alleged defiance by Senators Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central, and Joel Onowakpo, representing Delta South of the APC of the national directive that its senators should vote Senator Godswill Akpabio for the office of Senate President.

Both Dafinone and Onowakpo were said to have voted for Senator Abdullazeez Yari. Notable stalwarts of the party in the state are alarmed by what they perceive as betrayal and disloyalty and are holding a godfather in Abuja responsible.

When security chief warned state governor

In the thick of the currency swap or naira redesign crisis, many erstwhile friends and associates parted ways. Governors fell out with fellow governors, friends turned foes and political godsons took on godfathers. It was either you were for the policy, in which case you were for the government, or against the policy and thereby anti-government.

The head of a law and order agency threw caution to the wind and warned a governor vehemently opposed to the shoddy implementation of the policy about the consequences of his action. In a letter to the governor, the security chief said unless the state chief executive stopped his opposition to the policy, his security would not be guaranteed.

A governor’s security not guaranteed? That was the letter from the security chief. You may call it cheeky, impudent or vexatious, but the times allowed such indecorous conduct. With a new Sheriff at the Villa, however, everybody knows the limits of his power. Curiously, the law and order chief is frantically begging not to be shown the exit door.

Opposition, ex-public office holders jittery over Tinubu’s strides

Since he took over the reigns as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces on May 29, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made deft moves that have left both admirers and detractors in awe of his managerial skills. Like a bolt from the blue, he had announced the removal of the controversial subsidy on petrol which for ages had constituted a cog in the wheel of the nation’s social and economic progress. The move has elicited widespread commendation as everyone hails the former Governor of Lagos State for his courage in treading the path his predecessors had dreaded.

Hours after he assumed office, he had given a hint of the decisive style with the swift manner he resolved the dispute between two critical government agencies — the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) — over the right occupant of an office complex in Ikoyi, Lagos. In less than two weeks into his administration, President Tinubu had also signed some critical bills into law, among which are the student loan and electricity acts.

But while majority of Nigerians appear to be pleased with the manner the President has hit the ground running, there are many others who are not comfortable with the new state of affairs because it runs counter to the advancement of their selfish interests.

For instance, the way Tinubu ordered the DSS to vacate the disputed office complex in Lagos in favour of the EFCC was said to have been interpreted by some former public office holders to mean that the anti-graft agency might become one of the most active agencies in the new dispensation. Their fear is said to have been further heightened by the recent suspension of both the Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and the boss of EFCC himself, Abdulrasheed Bawa.

A source in the President’s political camp told Sentry that those who think that corruption will be business as usual under the Tinubu administration could be in for the shock of their lives as the new President is not one who would fold his arms while some government officials loot the treasury dry.

The source said: “I am aware that Tinubu is one of the most vilified politicians in terms of insinuations regarding his source of wealth. But if they are not biased or sentimental, they will appreciate the fact that he is the most investigated politician in our clime.

He even submitted himself for trial in a law court but they could not find anything against him beyond the conjectures by certain individuals who are simply envious of his accomplishments.

“I cannot say whether the new President will go out of his way to set up probe panels for former public office holders, but I am certain that in terms of how government resources are handled, it will not be business as usual.”

But while former public office holders are apprehensive of their fate with the new administration, the opposition is jittery over the growing popularity of the President after his first few days in office. Such has been his popularity that Amobi Ogah and Obi Aguocha, two members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the rival Labour Party, could not help hailing his brilliance after a meeting he (Tinubu) held with newly elected lawmakers ahead of their inauguration.

It would not come as a surprise to keen political observers that the LP swiftly issued a statement disowning the lawmakers, knowing how much his comments could further enhance a growing popularity that could eclipse the party in no time.

THE curtain will be drawn on the race for the four top offices of the National Assembly on Tuesday. New lawmakers are expected to be sworn in and immediately elect their leaders, namely the Senate President and his deputy, and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the House of Representatives.

Aspirants to the top offices have stepped up their campaigns. Abuja is a beehive. Nigeria’s most luxurious hotel, Transcorp, is the centre of action for the Senate race. An aspirant holds court in the hotel, doling out cash in local and hard currencies. 

Prominent figures from different states are trooping there to “obtain” – apologies to a politician from Delta State in the General Ibrahim Babangida era. The abode of the newbreed politician, as Babangida called them, who was campaigning for governor, had turned into a collection centre for anybody, relevant and irrelevant, who desired thousands of crisp naira notes.

At the Transcorp last week, a chieftain of a socio-cultural group whose kinsmen are known to protest perceived marginalisation in governmental affairs, visited an aspirant with the deepest of pockets to pledge support. A senator-elect and kinsman of the chieftain ushered him into the aspirant’s suite.

Read Also: Senate shifts valedictory session as Tinubu meets Senators-Elect tomorrow

Once they got into the suite, the Senator-elect showered praises on his kinsman. He spoke of his towering stature as a politician, businessman and leader of the socio-cultural organisation. With him, he assured the aspirant, senators from the zone of the chieftain will vote for him. A senator present almost shouted “Chineke!” that is “my God!”

Satisfied that he had secured the commitment of every senator from the zone, he thanked the chieftain for his coming and support. Of course, that came with a massive envelope containing some bundles of the much sought-after dollar notes.

PDP plot against APC

The main opposition party is plotting to take control of at least a chamber of the National Assembly. Its plan is to get its member to win the race for either Speaker of the House or President of the Senate.

Alternatively, it is plotting to back a recalcitrant APC member, thereby torpedoing the zonal arrangement of the ruling party.

The worst case scenario for the PDP is a re-enactment of the 2011 episode when Aminu Tambuwal defied the PDP and aligned with the then ACN to defeat Mulikat Akande for the office of Speaker.

The arrowheads of the PDP onslaught are Bukola Saraki, whose wings have been clipped in Kwara, Tambuwal who failed to install his preferred candidate as governor in Sokoto and some erstwhile journalists-turned consultants and strategists.

The PDP chiefs are queuing behind Yari and keeping their choice for Speaker close to their chests. Their resolve: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not have his way.

Abdulaziz Yari is the senator representing Zamfara West Senatorial District and two-term former governor of the state. He is a currently in the race for the presidency of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

The interesting thing about his interest in the position is that he is the lone holdout after the All Progressives Congress (APC) came out to officially zone the Senate Presidency to the South-South and, specifically, to Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Before then, the other notable aspirant from the Northwest was Barau Jibrin who represents Kano North Senatorial District. He has since dropped out to run as Akpabio’s deputy.

Yari’s is insistent on contesting in defiance of the position taken by his party. He casually dismisses all arguments about religious and ethnic balancing, given that President-elect Bola Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima share the same faith. A Senate President from the Northwest mean the top three leaders in the country would be Muslims.

The senator isn’t moved by such arguments, insisting that his zone contributed so much to APC and ceding the Senate Presidency to them isn’t asking too much. He goes on to make the case that if the ruling party is allowed to have its way, the three arms of government would be headed by Southerners, and that would be unfair.

But anyone seduced by Yari’s arguments just needs to be reminded of a couple of facts. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, took over last year, not as a result of zoning or any other political consideration, but because he was next in line in terms of hierarchy in the judiciary.

He was preceded in office by Justice Muhammad Tanko, a Northerner from Bauchi State who took office on January 25, 2019. At that point, the Senate President was Bukola Saraki, from Kwara State in the North-Central zone. The Speaker of the House of Representatives was Yakubu Dogara, another Northerner from Bauchi State. At that time Muhammadu Buhari from Katsina State was president.

In June 2019 Saraki was replaced as Senate President by Ahmad Lawan who is from Yobe State. That means that as at June 2019 the heads of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary were all Northerners. Yari didn’t make waves over the lopsidedness back then. It’s a bit rich that he’s doing so now.

He is within his rights to contest, but must look for other credible and factual ways to make his case. The current APC zoning arrangement isn’t offering something unheard of in Nigeria. Facts are facts!

Nigeria’s seat of power, Aso Rock, is currently being renovated ahead of the inauguration of President-elect, Bola Tinubu, billed for May 29, 2023.

Sentry gathered that work is currently going on in and around the Villa as enthusiastic presidency officials and staff prepare for the coming of a new president.

A tweet by the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, yesterday, confirmed the preparatory renovations being witnessed in Aso Rock. Sharing picture of a man at work painting a wall, he wrote “painter at work. Villa wearing a new look for the incoming President.”

Tinubu, who will become the eighth Nigerian leader to govern from Aso Rock, is expected to move from the Defence Guest House into the Presidential Villa immediately after he is sworn in on May 29th.

As Kogi residents prepare to elect a new governor on November 11, the Okun (Yoruba) people in the Kogi West Senatorial District are in a dilemma over the candidate to adopt between their son and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Usman-Ododo.
It ordinarily would have been a straightforward decision for them since their son is in the race, except that they are not impressed with the attitude and carriage of the former member of the National Assembly, – especially during his time as a member of the House of Representatives.
Okun leaders are said not to be too comfortable with the candidacy of Melaye on account of what one of them termed his embarrassing attitude during his time in both chambers of the National Assembly as he engaged his counterparts in the hallowed chambers in physical combat on many occasions, while his escapades as a senator, particularly his dramatic engagements with law enforcement agents, is still leaving a sour taste in their mouths.

Read Also: Breaking: Masked policemen whisk away Senator Dino Melaye

“Considering the undignifying ways he conducted himself first as a member of the House of Representatives and then as a senator, we are worried about the kind of governor he would make if he becomes one. Yet many of them feel that his emergence as the candidate of PDP is the best opportunity we have as a people to produce the state’s governor for the first time,” a prominent Okun leader said.
He added: “There is no Igala candidate in the leading parties and that leaves us with Ododo as the only option to Melaye. But Ododo is an Igbira man from Kogi Central like the outgoing governor. Voting him in would mean that the Igbira would be occupying the governorship seat for 16 years while the Igala had ruled the state since 1999 before Yahaya Bello ascended the seat in circumstances occasioned by the sudden death of former Governor Abubakar Audu after winning the governorship election in 2016.”
The Okun leader also recalled that Melaye failed to fulfill some of the promises he made to them to secure their votes in the elections he won previously and there are fears that he may not be a governor that keeps his promises.
“But we are meeting and consulting as the election draws near, praying that God will guide us on the path to tread in the next dispensation,” he said.