Prominent Urhobo leaders have endorsed the Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, for the 2015 governorship election in Delta State.
They also urged other ethnic groups to support her bid, assuring that she would not disappoint the stakeholders.
The community elders described Olejeme as a dynamic, courageous, humble, knowledgeable, strong and compassionate person.
Olejeme visited the Urhobo leaders in Ethiope, Okpe and Udu councils to discuss political matters germane to the future of the state.
Urhobo leaders who have endorsed her aspiration include the Head of the Ibori family, Chief William Ibori, Chairman of Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Elders Council, Chief Gabriel Sefia, Commissioner in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Tom Amioku, the House of Representatives member from Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Constituency, Chief Austin Ogbaburhon , Chairman of PDP in Ethiope West Local Government Area, Chief Felix Oritsegbone, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Moses Odibo, and former Chairman of Udu Local Government Council, Dr. Henry Sakpra.
Ibori, who spoke in Oghara, Ethiope West Council, said that Olejeme has the experience and capability to rule the state, adding that her antecedents such as her public service records are impressive.
He applauded her dynamic leadership qualities, outstanding contribution and commitment to human capital development in the country.
Ibori added: “Leadership entails selfless service, dedication and zeal to serve rather than being served. We are satisfied with your profile and, by the grace of God, you will be governor of the state in 2015. We are solidly behind you.”
The PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Oritsegbone, said: “Olejeme is not known to beat about the bush. Whatever project she embarks upon, she saw to its successful execution. We believe so much in her. She is a trusted person and will not disappoint us. All our delegates will vote for her.”
Olejeme also received encouragement from top Okpe leaders. Chief Tom Amioku, who spoke on their behalf, urged the people to support the push for dynamic leadership. He said Delta State is ripe for her first female governor.
He added: “Leadership is not a function of tribe, sex or religion, but a matter of vision, determination and mission. Olejeme is a woman with a vision and a mission. She will take the state to a level higher than what we have as of now. She will make the difference.”
In Udu Local Government Area, Olejeme the leaders assured Olejeme of a bloc vote at the primaries. They described her as easy going, intelligent, articulate and frank person.
Sefia, who spoke on their behalf, said: “Her achievements and humility have endeared her to us. When the time comes, she will assume her seat as the governor of the state.”
Olejeme, who has not declared her intention to run for the governorship, thanked the stakeholders for their kind gestures.
Category: Politics
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Delta 2015: Aspirant consults stakeholders
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Can Suswam displace Gemade in Benue Northeast?
Governor Gabriel Suswam and Senator Barnabas Gemade are the leading Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)senatorial aspirants in Benue Northeast Zone. Their ambitions have polarised the district. Who gets the ticket? Correspondent UJA EMMANUEL examines the struggles of the gladiators for the ticket.
Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and Senator Barnabas Gemade are foremost Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in the Northcentral state. For seven and half year, Suswam, a lawyer, has been in the saddle as the governor. Before he became the governor, he was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years.
Gemade is also a household name in Benue. The former minister was the second National Chairman of the PDP. He and the governor hail from the Northeast District, which he represents in the Senate. The elder statesman was elected as a senator in 2011. He is interested in a second term. Since the governor is also interested in the same ticket, there is conflict between the two leaders arisen. The clash of ambition is now a source of worry to the PDP family in the zone.
A year ago, the former National Chairman unfolded his ambition for another term in the Senate. Many people supported his decision, saying that the party elder deserved the seat. However, Suswam’s supporters kicked against the move, saying that the old man should vacate the seat for a new blood.
However, certain developments in the state may have affected the 2015 calculations of the governor. The Tiv-Fulani crisis, has changed the perception of many people about Suswam. Many lives have been lost and property and crops destroyed.
Critics have alleged that, owing to the poor handling of the crisis by the government, the Tiv, who are predominantly peasant farmers, have been severely affected by the tragedy. They also alleged that the governor was aloof to the plight of the victims, until his convoy was shot by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Guma Local Government Area. But, his intervention, according to critics, came too late as the victims had been displaced from their homes. In fact, the invaders had occupied their settlement and set many houses ablaze.
APD chieftain Hon. Thomas Anajav, who is Gemade’s legislative aide, recalled that, in that moment of anxiety when Benue farmers were killed, government was helpless. He said Gemade rose to the occasion as a leader, adding that his intervention prevented more damage.
Another politician, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “Senator Gemade approached the Presidency for troop deployment to Benue State. The Presidency asked Governor Gabriel Suswam to come with Gemade as the Chief Security Officer(CSO), but Suswam, for political reason, abandoned Gemade in the Presidency and refused to appear, after giving an assurance that he was coming. This annoyed many people”.
Anajav said that, although the President initially refused to accede to the senator’s request, unless the governor was in attendance at the meeting in Aso Villa, Gemade did not give up. He later sponsored a motion in the Senate, which led to the setting up of a Joint Fact-finding Committee to Benue. The committee was led by Senator Mamman Magoro.
Anajav pointed out that Gemade’s intervention in the Tiv/Fulani crisis has endeared him to the people of Benue Northeast, adding that they have resolved to return him to the Senate.
“The Senate is for mature mind. As a founding father of the PDP, member of the BOT and former Chairman of the party, Gemade’s experience cannot be ignored”, he added.
Also, crisis is brewing between the governor and teachers over welfare. Sources said that primary school teachers have vowed to used their numerical strength to abort his senatorial ambition next year. The teacher are protesting over the irregular payment of salaries.
Suswam’s kinsmen in Tombo Ward, Logo local Government Area, also have an axe to grid with him over the handling of the Fulani’s attack on Ayilamo, the administrative headquarters of Tombo. Ayilamo is five minutes drive from Anyiin, birthplace of the governor. The people alleged that he abandoned them, although he protected his home town by ensuring that a troop the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the Police paraded the town. Thus, when the invaders overran Ayilamo and adjoining settlements, including Tse Dzungwe, Anyibe,Tse Ibwar, Gbeleve, Adzege, Mbazaar, Tse Getim, Ikyungwa, and Uzer, the governor’s home town, Anyiin, was at peace.
Before the invasion, there was tension between indigenes and settlers in the area. Therefore, the people of Tombo perceived the exclusive protection of Ayiin within the framework of the imaginary plan by Mbagesa (Suswam kinsmen) to exterminate Tombow ward because the people there perceived as settlers.
When Gemade hosted dignitaries for the burial of his mother, the governor was absent. This infuriated many party chieftains in the zone. Few days to the ceremony, Suswam announced on the radio that he was embarking on his annual leave. Before then, he had always gone on without announcement. Critics read different meanings to the unusual announcement. Some said that he did it to discourage some governors and other prominent Nigerians from attending the event.
However, President Jonathan was represented by his Vice-President Namadi Sambo. Some ministers, former governors and PDP leaders, including Chief Tony Anenih, the BOT Charman, and secretary, Prof. Jerry Gana, also witnessed the occasion.
The ceremony was like a carnival. A source said that it was at the ceremony that the decision to endorse Gemade as the candidate was taken.
“The party leaders, who appreciate Gemade’s contributions, vowed not to disgrace the former national chairman, when the time comes. For Suswan to defeat Gemade is like the camel passing through the eye of the needle”, added the source.
Since 1999, Suswam has not lost any election. Thus, he has earned the appellation of a civilian General in Benue. Will 2015 be different?
Between 1999 and 2003, he represented Logo-Ukum-Katsina Ala Constituency in the House of Representatives. Even, when his victory was disputed and he was dragged before the tribunal, he survived the barrier.
In 2007, when he contested the PDP governorship primaries, he failed to get the two-third majority of the delegates from 23 councils. But, another aspirant stepped down for him to enable him get the ticket.
He won the governorship election in 2007. He was dragged to the election tribunal by the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate, Professor Daniel Saror. The case was later withdrawn.
In 2011, Suswam defeated the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Professor Steven Ugba, during the governorship election. But, the victory is still being contested in the court.
The governor wants to be relevant beyond 2015. To remain relevant, he has his eyes on the Senate. The contest between him and Gemade cannot be a walk over. His supporters relish calling him the civilian General who always overcome difficulties. But, Gemade is also described as the rising star of the Tiv in his old age.
Will the civilian General dim the star? Who wins the contest? Time will tell.
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‘PDP governors can’t promote internal democracy’
Hon. Daniel Akpan represents Etinan Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, in the House of Representatives. He spoke with DELE ANOFI on the seeming frosty relationship between the Presidency and the House, the gale of defections in the National Assembly and the 2015 elections.
The feeling is that the defections in the House of Representatives have affected unity in the Lower Chamber. What is your view?
The House is still united. When it has to do with the nation, the House takes a common position. It is when it comes to politics that you would see members taking partisan positions …
You can understand this better from our handling of the Appropriation bill. We have been united on that. We are objectively looking at the budget; we will address every issue properly and we will pass the budget at the right time.
Why is the House always at loggerheads with the Executive?
I laugh when I hear people talk like that. There is nothing strange about our relationship with the President. We have lawmakers who are members of different political parties; they sometimes project the interest of their parties. It is a normal thing all over the world for the legislature to engage the executive to ensure good governance. What we perceive as fighting Mr. President is actually not what it is. We have a duty to ensure that the executive does the right thing for the general interest of our nation. Any day we gloss over the law of the land and allow the executive to do whatever it likes, our nation would be in trouble.
Would you say the attacks on President Jonathan over the 2015 election are justified?
I don’t think people should argue much about President Jonathan contesting election in 2015. The reason for saying that is that the President has performed creditably. He has been fair to every part of Nigeria. He has done a lot in transforming critical sectors, like education, health, roads etc. The practice the world over is that if a President has done well, people would repay him with a re-election. Jonathan’s case is not an exception.
I want to call the attention of those criticising him to what was in place before he came into office. The country had problems on all fronts. He has fixed most of those problems and has registered an outstanding achievements. Any leader that is concerned about the welfare of his people more than that of himself deserves to be supported and re-elected by the electorate. To the best of my knowledge, Jonathan has demonstrated that he loves Nigerians passionately; he has shown that the interest and welfare of the people are paramount to him.
Many Nigerians believe that the country has witnessed unprecedented crises during his tenure? What do you think?
It is an unfair assessment of the Jonathan Administration by anybody. He didn’t manufacture these crises; they were there when he came. The crises, I must tell you, are fallouts of many years of injustice, many years of bad governance by past leaders. We ought to be grateful to him that he has managed these problems adroitly. He has shown that he is a unique leader.
Governance is not a tea party, it is fraught with challenges, with; problems. The issue is not whether a leader will, in the course of his administration witness crises, but how well he can manage and handle those crises. With what all of us have seen so far, he has done well in managing these crises. There is no country in the world that is crisis-free today. Go to America, Germany, Britain, Russia, Japan, China etc; they have their own crises, which their leaders are managing. The crises were not manufactured by their leaders. Life is all about recurring challenges. President Jonathan, like I said, met some crises when he took over power, he has been managing them- both the old and new ones. Anybody who will come after him will also be confronted with similar crises and he or she will also be expected to address these crises.
APC is waxing stronger. Some governors and lawmakers have defected from the PDP to the opposition party. Do you think Dr. Jonathan can win the 2015 election?
That has nothing to do with him. It is the people of Nigeria that would elect him. He has performed creditably and Nigerians love him. They are the ones who would decide if he deserves another term or not.
Sometimes we blow events in the party out of proportion. There is no party that does not have one issue or the other that it is dealing with at one point or the other. The APC you are talking about has its own crisis. What we call PDP crisis is nothing but an internal disagreement within the party. When members disagree, they also resolve their differences. This would not have any impact on Jonathan’s re-election.
Some PDP state chapters are accusing their governors of jettisoning internal democracy. In your view, how would this situation impact on Jonathan’s re-election in 2015?
Thank you for this question. I think we need to look at it objectively. With the coming of the new PDP chairman, hopes and confidence of members have been renewed. He has promised to address some of the challenges. Sincerely, I think it is one problem that the leadership of the party must address as soon as possible. In virtually all the states, governors on their last term have one person or the other who they want to impose on the people. They are not interested in providing a level playing field for every member of the party who wants to vie for the office. That is not democracy.
It has got to a point where in some states, because these governors openly have people they are backing, you see everybody talking about the governor’s candidate and things like that.
I don’t think it is in the PDP constitution that governors should impose their lackeys on the party. I want to believe that the chairman of the party is concerned about what is happening and would swiftly address this problem in all the states. Right now, there is so much tension in most states because of this undemocratic plot to impose candidates. I don’t know if such is happening in states where other parties are in charge. But in the case of our party, it is a big challenge.
The matter is made worse by the fact that PDP governors in some states have relocated party offices to their compound to enable them control delegates and other things. This is the time the National Chairman needs to work closely with all the state chapters, so as to enthrone genuine peace in the party. If this is not done, PDP may have problem in the next election, it may cost it some states. People are likely to reject some of the people being imposed by out-going governors. We must do everything to encourage a level playing field for every member. When that is done, the party would certainly win the 2015 general election. Everything must be done to discourage imposition. We must pay attention to the calibre and popularity of aspirants. We must call our governors to order .
What is your take on the recent statement by Northern elders that Jonathan would not be re-elected?
To the best of my knowledge, it is not everybody in the North that is opposed to Jonathan’s re-election. Some people are kicking against Jonathan while others want him to continue. Anybody who wants to contest an election would always have some people who are opposed to his aspiration. What matters is the number of people that are in support.
What would determine whether Jonathan will be re-elected or not is his scorecard. Fortunately, many Nigerians are happy with the improvements in power supply, in the health sector, in education, road infrastructure, as well as in the socio-economic well being of the masses. He has tackled major problems. The ordinary Nigerian is not interested in where the president comes from; he only wants an improvement in his standard of living.
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2015: North Central turns battle ground
Ravaged by unabated ethnic violence, the North Central geo-political zone once considered President Goodluck Jonathan’s biggest hopes of capturing northern votes come 2015, based on religious and political antecedents, has suddenly become very tricky and dicey with the opposition fracturing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) strongholds, reports Sunday Oguntola
It should be a fait accompli. With four incumbent governors out of a possible six and a fourth-term Senate President in its kitty, the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan come 2015 should be a resounding success in the North Central. In the entire North, it is the region that boasts of the fiercest support base and foot soldiers for the President’s re-election campaign. It has traditionally been a conservative, establishment region with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) having a smooth ride across the states.
But these are indeed changing times. The political climate across Kogi, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), constituting the North Central zone is evolving with dire consequences for the President’s chances of carrying the region. A series of high-powered defections, internal wrangling, communal crises, general disenchantments and strategic penetrations by the opposition are conspiring to sweep the carpets off the feet of the president and his foot soldiers.
Key political realignments and the influences of heavyweights have also dimmed the President’s chances in the bastion of the PDP. From Kwara to Kogi, Benue to Niger and Nasarawa State, the PDP’s firm grips on the region are crumbling, fuelling concerns over the number of votes the President can garner at the poll.
The fact that Governors Jonah Jang (Plateau), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Muazu Aliyu (Niger) are second-termers who might be unable to superintend during the presidential polls would also further dwindle the votes Jonathan can secure from their states. The three governors are eyeing senatorial seats and will be fighting the political battles of their lives on the same day with the President.
A political analyst, James Ibe, said the governors would be so pre-occupied with their senatorial ambitions that they would have no time to deliver critical votes to the President. Ibe said: “It’s a fact that when you are up against formidable oppositions, you consider your interests first before helping your friends and allies. If you have a senatorial election on the same day as the President, it is just logical that you will be more committed to securing your future first before looking out for the President, regardless of how friendly you are with him.”
According to the election time table released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Presidential and National Assembly polls hold on February 14, 2015. Of the other three governors in the region, Idris Wada (Kogi), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Umaru Almakura (Nasarawa), only Wada is in the PDP. Ahmed and Almakura belong to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and will be motivated to deliver their states to the party at the presidential polls to guarantee their second term bids.
Kwara State
This is the state that will give the President’s re-election bid the fiercest opposition. The political leader of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, has dumped PDP for the APC with his political structures. The governor followed suit, taking nearly all the Assembly members along. It is said that Saraki has a personal score to settle with Jonathan, who has been unrelenting on his assaults against the former governor.
At a recent rally in Ilorin, the capital city, Jonathan vowed that the PDP will regain the state. He promised those who defected from the PDP that they will live to regret their actions. When his arrowhead in the state, Hajiya Bola Shagaya, led members of the Kwara PDP to the Presidential Villa on a thank-you visit, Jonathan reiterated his determination to recapture the state.
He said: “We remain very grateful and from what we saw that day, I do not think we need a soothsayer to say that Kwara is totally for the PDP. In 2015, we will know who owns Kwara. And if God gives us the opportunity, which I believe, probably we will even test our strength before 2015.
“All stolen mandates will return to PDP. And those who think they can run away with our mandates, as a member of the Assembly who refused to defect, you will have nothing to regret. Just celebrate it. If they think that PDP will allow them to run away with it, they will see it.
“We must take over the state structures of the party, the governor and the state Assembly, we must take all, because it is easy to reach the grassroots through the states than the center because the country is so big that by the time we distribute positions, you will not be noticed. But at the state level, we can touch more people”.
Saraki, on his part, said such dream remains only wishful. According to him, the election in the state will be a walkover for the APC. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology said: “We do not want to give any vote; we want to win the total votes. We want to send a message across Nigeria, we want to send a message to the pretenders that, in Kwara State; we are not seasonal politicians.
”For those that still want to learn in history, be rest assured that Kwara is solidly an All Progressives Congress (APC) state. Here, we are one family, here we are committed to delivering the entire Kwara State for the APC family”.
With the governor following his political leadership and the entire Assembly members and local government chairmen behind him, it is hard to see how Jonathan can boast any significant vote in Kwara come 2015. Among the President’s foot soldiers in Kwara include Senator Simeon Ajibola, Gbemi Saraki, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Suleiman Ajadi and Special Adviser to the President on Ethics, Sarah Jibril.
Prediction: A landslide defeat for Jonathan
Benue State
Home to Senate President, David Mark, Benue State has traditionally been a PDP state. But in 2011, it lost a senatorial seat to the APC along with many House of Representatives seats. The APC has been making spirited efforts to break the PDP’s strongholds in the state with relative successes. But the internal wrangling in the PDP and the hot battles for Suswam’s successor could turn out to work in APC’s favour.
Former governor and Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, is leading the APC’s army in the state. On the PDP’s side are Suswam, Mark, Lawrence Onoja and the deputy governor, Chief Steven Lawani. In the governorship race, the agitation by the Idoma ethnic group might be the game changer for the APC. The argument is that with components such as: Jemgbagh, Minda Kwande, Sankera and Jerchira in the Zone A and B districts of the Tiv land, there is no intention to relinquish power in the next dispensation until the last in the Tiv component, the Minda, has taken its turn.
The issue is tearing the PDP apart with Lawani, one of the main candidates from the Idoma-speaking part of the state said not to be enjoying the support of Suswam for the race. Barrister Emmanuel Jime, a House of Representatives member, is the only candidate for now to have indicated interest in the race under the platform of the APC. Before representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency at the House, he was Speaker of the Assembly.
A grassroots mobiliser and popular figure, Jime’s scholarship scheme has garnered supports for him in all the three senatorial zones. The fact that he is married to an Idoma woman could also swing votes in his favour, should he win the APC ticket. The APC boasts of many of such political figures across the state, a development that is reducing PDP’s influence.
But the greatest threat to Jonathan’s victory is the recent Fulani herdsmen invasion in the state. Several communities and villages have been sacked and destroyed by the herdsmen, leading to massive displacement of indigenes. Investigations revealed the displaced indigenes, mostly Christians, have expressed shock over the inability of the Federal Government to come to their rescue.
A community head, last week, wondered if all they have gained from the current administration is the orgies of violence unleashed against them. “We voted PDP and Jonathan, then we get all these. Yet, nothing is being done. These cattle rustlers are ravaging and ransacking us and no one is doing anything,” he began. “In 2015, we are going to try another party. Maybe they will secure us and give us better security”.
Such general disenchantments over insecurity are rife in Benue with many considering seeking alternative government. With the seeming inability of the federal government to arrest the insurgency and herdsmen’s attacks with Benue worst hit, the state is becoming an unclear coast for a Jonathan’s victory in 2015. Prediction: 50-50 for Jonathan
Plateau State
With a reliable supporter like Jonah Jang, Jonathan is losing no sleep over winning Plateau State. The governor is the recognised Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) by the presidency, a telling testimony to his loyalty. The entire state structure will be Jonathan’s for asking come 2015. Of all the states in the region, Plateau is the most guaranteed for the President. There, he has the strongest supporters, ever loyal and reliable. The Christian inclination of the state is also a big plus for the president’s re-election bid.
Prediction: Landslide victory for Jonathan
Nasarawa State
With two of the three senators belonging to the APC, Nasarawa remains a swing state for the President. The governor has lost his deputy, Dameshi Luka, to the PDP. The House of Assembly is also not entirely in Al Makura’s control. But the APC remains strong in Nasarawa, especially with the arrival of former governor, Abdullahi Adamu. Al Makura is in charge of virtually all the chairmen, swelling the grassroots support of the APC.
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, is leading the president’s men and the PDP’s machinery. Maku is believed to be nursing governorship ambition, which means he will come face-to-face with Al-Makura who will also be seeking second term. He will be a real test for the governor with the federal structure and war chest at its disposal. Jonathan has vowed to recapture Nasarawa come 2015, ostensibly to promote his re-election bid.
While registering as a member of APC, Abdullahi said: “I want Nigerians to join APC and register. I am calling on them all to be part of the great change to wrest power from the PDP. We are a party out to salvage the country from years of tortuous backwardness. Nigerians should join the change team to defeat President Jonathan in 2015.”
That defeat for the President in Nasarawa is neither here nor there. Who wins the presidential votes will be largely determined by whoever the APC fields as its presidential aspirant. Should it be a candidate with mass appeal in the north, Jonathan’s votes would be almost nil. But if otherwise, the President could carry the day. It is a swing state where anything can happen.
Prediction: 50-50 against Jonathan
Kogi State
Despite the February 21 Supreme Court judgement, which affirmed his candidature, Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, is still in the eyes of the storm. The PDP remains divided under his watch with his main challenger for the governorship ticket, Jibril Isah, popularly known as Echocho, seriously embittered. Isah, unfortunately for Wada, has large followership across the state.
During a reception in his honour after the Supreme Court affirmation, Wada appealed to Isah not to leave the party. He said his victory was a no victor, no vanquished verdict, urging Isah to join him in moving the party forward. Some sources alleged that Isah has resolved to work against the PDP within any election in the state.
Though the APC has reportedly made overtures to Isah, it was learnt that his men thought it would be better to fight as an insider for now to prove his political mettle and popularity. If he chooses to work with the APC, which boasts of former governor, Abubakar Audu and ex-Reps member, Dino Melaye, Isah will constitute a great impediment to a PDP’s victory in the state come 2015.
The APC has a senatorial seat in the state and the agitation by the Yoruba-speaking areas for the governorship slot could also work in the party’s favour. As things are, the state remains difficult to call in terms of where it will go during the presidential race in 2015.
Prediction: 50-50 in Jonathan’s favour
Niger State
The servant-governor, Muazu Aliyu, has publicly declared President Goodluck Jonathan will win the 2015 election. But political observers believe he is simply playing to the gallery. The governor, who was vociferously against the President, is suddenly singing a different tune because he was blackmailed with financial reports by the presidency, many allege.
Aliyu, who is chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, it was gathered, is simply playing along. When the chips are down, it is believed, he will never move against Northern agitation for power shift. Besides, he is nursing senatorial ambition, a development analysts say, will make him to be careful of moving against the tides.
The race for his succession is tearing the PDP in the state apart. Some are advocating for rotation while others believe the best candidates should be allowed to emerge.
By the zoning arrangement of the PDP, the Kontagora zone, aka Zone C should produce the next governor. Zone A (Bida) was in power in 1999- 2007 while Zone B (Minna) will conclude its two four-year terms in 2015.
Leading contestants include the deputy governor, Hon. Ahmed Ibeto; Commissioner of Finance, Muazu Bawa; Abubakar Sani Bello (Habu), former Commissioner of Commerce and son of retired Colonel Sani Bello and son-in-law of former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; PDP state secretary, Aminu Yusuf and former Minister of Commerce, Engineer Mustapha Bello.
Of the lot, Bello seems to be enjoying the support of key godfathers in the state though it was alleged the governor is against his choice. Bello has moved to the APC over a spat with the governor on policy matters. He is from Kontagora where the rotational policy favours. He has connections in high places with General Ibrahim Babangida, his late father’s course mate said to be rooting for him. Former FCT Minister, General Gado Nasko, is also there for him.
Should the PDP pick an aspirant from outside the Kontagora’s favoured zone, the coast might just be clear for Bello to emerge the next governor of the state. This will be more so if he goes for a running mate from Bida, which has the most voting numbers.
With Aliyu preoccupied with winning a seat to the Senate, like his many colleagues, the state might just go to the opposition for the first time in its history. The disposition of the two Heads of State, Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, who are believed to be unimpressed by Jonathan’s performances, will also certainly affect the President’s chances.
Prediction: 70-30 against Jonathan
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More states, independent candidacy
At the National Conference this week, the committees set up last week commenced sitting.
Contrary to the fears expressed earlier on that they may be constrained by the limited time available for their deliberations, reports this week show that the committees may be faster than envisaged by skeptical Nigerians.
For example, the Committee on Political Restructuring during the week adopted a resolution for the creation of an additional state in the South- East geo-political zone to ensure equity among the six geo-political zones.
Co-Chairmen of the committee, Mr. Mukaila Muhammed and Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, announced this on Thursday in Abuja at the end of the committee’s session.
The Co-Chairmen said the South-East zone deserves to have six states like other zones that have six or seven states each.
“Therefore, it was agreed that one additional state should be added to the South-East zone. That is the first part of our resolution on the issue of creation of states.
“The second part is a resolution that we recognise that there are other genuine demands for creation of states from all the other zones including the South-East itself.
“We said all these demands should be looked at, and decisions made should be taken based on the merits of such demands.
“We are to look at the viability, contiguity and other factors that determine creation of states.
“My committee members discern the need for Nigeria to have more states, and the need to have it based on merit.
“And particularly, to give the South-East at this conference an additional state bringing it in line with other zones with six states.
The Committee on Political Parties and Electoral Matters in its resolution recommended that all elected and appointed office holders in the country who defect from their political parties to another be made to automatically lose their offices or seats.
The committee equally recommended independent candidacy and unbundling of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, so that a different body can be solely responsible for registration and regulation of political parties in the country. The committee, which is co-chaired by two former Senate Presidents, Ken Nnamani and Iyorchia Ayu, also recommended that Federal Government should stop giving subventions to political parties.
Chairperson sacked
But for the Committee on Civil Society, Labour and Sports, it was a week of action as it sacked its chairperson, Bola Ogunrimade, for absenteesm. The committee replaced the sacked chair with her deputy, Issa Aremu. The committee, which is one of the ten committees of the confab sitting at the NICON Luxury Hotel, took the decision in a unanimous vote.
“Because of persistent non-appearance of the chairperson, the committee members have asked me to take over as the chairman and we intend to communicate this to the secretariat,” Mr. Aremu said while speaking to reporters after the sitting of the committee. Mr. Aremu said the former chairperson has not reported formally since the committee took off. “It is going to be difficult to drive a committee which you don’t know the concept and the idea we have been running,” he said.
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Oyo 2015: Fresh hurdles for Alao -Akala
The aspiration of the former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, to return to Agodi Government House, Ibadan, may have suffered many setbacks, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan
The aspiration of former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, to return to the Agodi Government House in 2015 may have suffered major setbacks following the failure of his legal team to quash the alleged misappropriation of N11.5 billion suit filed against him and his former aides by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFFC) and reports that the leadership of his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may have resolved to ensure the emergence of a gubernatorial candidate of Ibadan extraction for the 2015 election.
Political activities came alive within the ex-governor’s political camp soon after the New Year celebration with his posters flooding strategic places in Ibadan and other major cities of the state. Akala remains a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and sources close to him say he is interested in a return as governor in 2015.
And following series of meetings in Ibadan and Ogbomoso, Alao-Akala has come out severally to say he has been working behind the scene to bring together aggrieved PDP members in Oyo State in a bid to re-unite and strengthen the party ahead of the 2015 general election in the state.
But findings by The Nation revealed that the ex-governor may have been busy plotting his re-election agenda. He intends to seek the governorship position once again on the platform of the PDP. This perhaps explains his desire to re-unite the warring factions within the troubled party.
According to reliable party sources, his efforts led to a town hall meeting held at Plaza de Aruna in Oyo in December 2013, where he met with some of the members from Oyo Federal Constituency, comprising Afijio, Atiba, Oyo-East and Oyo-West.
Also the Ogbomosho-born politician has revived all his political machineries ahead of the gubernatorial contest. “There is no doubt that Akala is interested in returning to the Government House. He is working gradually towards clinching the PDP ticket and we are with him,” a former commissioner in the state said.
But with the Court of Appeal in Ibadan dismissing the suit Akala filed against his prosecution by the EFCC on charges bothering on criminality, there appears to be some fresh hurdles for him to cross in his bid to return as the governor of Oyo State in 2015.
Alao-Akala, Senator Hosea Agboola, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and an Ibadan-based business man, Mr. Olufemi Babalola, had appealed an earlier ruling delivered on December 12, 2012 by Justice Akintunde Boade of the Oyo State High Court that they had a case to answer.
The EFCC had arraigned the appellants before the court on 11-count charge of conspiracy, contract awards without budgetary provisions, and obtaining by false pretence. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
While delivering judgment on the ruling, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem said the appeal against the ruling of the lower court was premature. The judge reasoned that the former governor should have waited for the trial to go mid-way at the High Court before appealing it.
According to her, Otunba Alao-Akala failed to produce sufficient proof to convince the court to quash the ruling of the lower court.
Following the judgment, fellow party members and supporters of the former governor have been worried about its effect on his aspiration. According to a reliable insider, Akala himself has been very worried about the development.
“He is worried. Like every serious politician, he is considering the effect of the development on his ambition to rule the state again. His legal team worked assiduously to get earlier judgement quashed but failed. With the new judgement, it means Akala may be prosecuted any time. There is really a big reason to be worried,” an associate of the former governor said.
To further make the ambition of the former governor an obviously difficult one, there are indications that the leaders of the PDP in Oyo State are now shopping for a gubernatorial candidate of Ibadan origin for the 2015 polls following indications that the two other leading parties in the state will field candidates from the state capital.
Giving indications that Governor Abiola Ajimobi, an Ibadan indigene, will fly the banner of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), elders and stakeholders of the party met recently in Ibadan and endorsed him for another term from 2015.
The party stalwarts in control of 11 local government councils in Ibadan land said they took the decision in order to ensure continuity in governance. The state Acting Deputy Chairman of the party, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, who read the communiqué at the end of the meeting, said members in the 11 local government areas in Ibadan, after the meeting, passed a vote of confidence on Ajimobi for his good performance in office.
The communiqué was signed by 11 members representing different zones and council areas. They include Alhaji Isiaq Akeem, Alhaji Ganny Alade, Dr. Busari Adebisi, Hon. Oyeniran Oyeniyi, Hon. Awoleye Dada, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, Alhaji Najeem Abbass, Chief Laoye Sam, Chief Ayo Eniade, Mrs Matel Williams, and Chief Jamiu Adewale.
“Further and in consonance with the tradition of our progressives predecessors and in consonance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, “We hereby unanimously adopt Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi as the sole candidate of our party in the eleven local government councils consisting Ibadan land as the gubernatorial candidate for 2015 governorship election in Oyo State,” the APC leaders said.
Also, leaders of the Accord Party recently adopted Rashidi Ladoja, another Ibadan indigene as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming governorship election come 2015. Ladoja served as the state governor on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003, but was controversially impeached by a section of the state House of Assembly and replaced with his deputy Alao-Akala.
He was, however, reinstated by the Supreme Court after being kept out of office for 11 months. The former governor later dumped PDP for Accord Party where he contested for Oyo governorship seat but lost to incumbent Abiola Ajimobi in 2011.
Rising from a meeting of leaders of the Accord Party in Oyo South recently, party leaders said they believed the former governor was the only candidate that has what it takes to take the state to an enviable level. Ladoja, who is the national leader of the party, hails from Ibadan North Local Government Area.
Among the leaders who attended the meeting where Ladoja was adopted are Messrs Tunji Adeoye, Dele Adigun, Nureni Adeniran, Tayo Sarumi, Remi Ayodele and Bimbo Adepoju. Others included the party’s local government chairmen and secretaries.
The Nation learnt from sources close to the PDP leadership that the elders position on PDP candidature was informed by pressure being mounted on it to win the state at all cost in 2015. “The insistence of our national leadership that we do all things possible to win the state in 2015 and obvious plan by the two other leading parties in the state to field a gubernatorial candidate from Ibadan land is behind the move.
The reports we got from the field, after a survey sponsored by the party, is to the effect that to win the 2015 governorship election, we need to field an Ibadan candidate. That way, we will avoid the mistake we made in 2011 when we left the bulk of the votes to the ACN in Ibadan and struggled to get votes where the population is,” a party leader said.
Our source also said recent insinuations that the party may have zoned the governorship ticket to Oke Ogun in a bid to clear the way for Alao-Akala, are mere wishful thinking.
“The party is not thinking in that direction. It is the imagination of those saying that. You are aware that our party leaders in the same Oke Ogun area of the state have dissociated themselves from a recent media publication insinuating they back the rumoured bid of the former governor of the state, Mr. Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, to re-contest the state’s gubernatorial election in 2015.
PDP leaders in the zone pointed out that the recent media report attributed to one Alhaji Yusuf Sarafadeen Alani, popularly known as Ali Wajud, to the effect that the PDP in Oke Ogun had been “begging and persuading Alao-Akala to take another shot at the governorship seat, remained the imagination of the sponsor of the report.
They informed that the party is stoutly opposed to the moves by anybody within it to canvass for the return of Alao-Akala as governor of the state in 2015. They clearly said that the alleged clamour was in the imagination of the author or sponsor of the report, apparently for selfish or parochial interest.
The PDP in Oke Ogun then warned party members to be cautious of their campaign for 2015 general election which it claimed was still far away, concluding that “2015 belongs to the Almighty God and that there is also the need for us to get to the stream before crossing the bridge. That should show you the thinking within our party,” our source recalled.
Before now, the ex-governor’s camp has been worried over the large number of aspirants seeking to get the nod of the PDP to contest the 2015 governorship ambition. Unlike in 2011, when he was nearly the sole aspirant on the platform of the party, Akala will now have to slug it out with not less than 10 other aspirants ahead of the 2015 polls.
The latest entrant to the race is the CEO of Jogor Centre, Engr. Femi Babalola. Babalola submitted his letter of intent to the party’s leadership few days back. By his declaration, he has joined the likes of former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; former state chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Soji Adejumo.
Others in the race include Senator Teslim Folarin, a former Senate leader; Prof. Taoheed Adedoja; former deputy governor of the state, Hazeem Gbolarumi; renowned Ibadan-based engineer Seyi Makinde; current Minister of State of FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide and former deputy governor, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja.
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Ripples over police abortion of pro-Jonathan’s rally in Bayelsa
The recent abortion of a pro-Goodluck Jonathan political rally in Yenagoa has raised fresh speculations that all is not well within PDP in Mr. President’s home state of Bayelsa, reports Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa
It came as a surprise to many that a rally purportedly organised recently in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, by a new political movement, New Dawn Development Initiative (NDDI), in support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 was aborted by the police.
Persons who were bewildered over the development reasoned that since Bayelsa is the home state of the President, stopping a rally, which was allegedly staged to mount pressure on him to declare his second term ambition, is a sign of discordant tunes within the ranks of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
However, insiders who understand the political dynamics of Bayelsa and the variables that determine who gets what, when and how in the state believe that the cancelled rally had other objectives beyond Jonathan’s re-election.
The police who barricaded Opolo Secondary School, where the demonstration was billed to take-off, allegedlypredicated their action on a security report which uncovered rancour among the organisers of the event.
Relying on intelligence, the police said a splinter group of NDDI had concluded plans to unleash mayhem on other members of the group if they went ahead with the rally.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, insisted that if he had allowed the demonstration to hold, it would have had negative consequences on peace and security of the state.
He said: “The police have directed the group known as New Dawn Initiative Development to reschedule the rally billed to take place at Opolo Secondary School, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
“This was premised on the available intelligence to the command that a splinter group had perfected plans to attack and disrupt the rally which could lead to breach of the peace.”
But beyond the security implications of the demonstrations, there are other political undercurrents. Who is behind NDDI? The new group has been linked to the Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Dr. Wariponmowei Dudafa.
Dudafa is believed to be nursing an ambition to dislodge Dickson from the Creek Haven. He is a close associate of President Jonathan’s wife, Dame Patience, who is said to be backing him.
Dudafa served as a commissioner and special adviser in the former administrations of Chief Diepreye Alamieyesigha/Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and that of Chief Timipre Sylva.
Though he is yet to declare his ambition publicly, Dudafa is said to be the founder and financier of NDDI. Sources allege that he is secretly setting up his structures in all the eight local government areas of the state by recruiting supporters into the group.
Therefore, NDDI is generally seen as a platform for Dudafa to actualise his ambition and its activities are perceived in some quarters as an affront on Governor Seriake Dickson, who is also gunning for a second term.
Supporters of Dickson are questioning the motives of Dudafa. They are beginning to consider him as the Nyesom Wike of Bayelsa State and are expressing fears that he could be used by the haters of Dickson in the Presidency to re-enact the Rivers State political imbroglio in the state of President Jonathan.
After the aborted demonstration, leaders of NDDI, including its National Coordinator, Preye Inoro, were invited by the Disciplinary Committee of the state’s chapter of PDP for questioning.
A PDP source said the party Chairman ordered that they should appear before the committee to explain why they organised such rally without informing the party leadership in the state. The source who pleaded not to be mentioned said there were threats then that the NDDI leaders may be suspended from the party after the probe.
He however said: “They were not suspended. But they were asked to henceforth seek permission not only from the police but also from the party before holding any rally in the state. They were also told that President Jonathan has no problem in the state and that their aborted rally was unwarranted.”
Also, another source from the camp of Dickson described the aborted rally as an affront to the governor and a deliberate design to pit him against the President. He wondered why the group decided to hold a rally against the directive of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which placed an embargo on such rallies.
He said: “If the rally was allowed to go on, some people could take advantage of it to unleash mayhem in the state to give the impression that there is crisis in Mr. President’s home state in a bid to spite him.
“For the avoidance of any doubts, the governor, who is the leader of the party in the state, is well positioned to lead such rallies and naturally it should emanate from him and not any other individual or group”.
He added: “It has also come to the knowledge of the government that, no notable politician is billed to attend the rally, except for some misguided youths and miscreants.
“It must be noted that, under the prevailing political circumstances, any group or sectional rallies, without the participation of the governor and other major stakeholders of the PDP in the state, will end up sending a rather dangerous signal to the rest of the country, as it may even portray the home base of the President as a house divided against itself.
“This is not the time for the PDP and Bayelsans to be divided. We should rather pull our resources and energies together and rally the needed support for our leader and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Furthermore, the governor has said: “It is unfortunate that those who should know better appear to be embarking on wasted political adventure. In this business, we are tested warriors.
“I want to call on those dancing too early not to be like an antelope that dances too early and dances self lame before the feast. You can practice the dance but don’t get tired. If they know how we confronted sitting authorities, they should have known better. When we are ready, we will show them who we are.”
According to him Jonathan does not need a crisis in his home state at a time he is battling political forces from other zones. “We need to first put our house in order. The rest of Bayelsa should not see a divided Bayelsa. That is what we owe our leader”, he said.
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2015: Jonathan’s re-election bid splits South-East leaders
Re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan is deepening the division among political leaders and elites of the South-East geo-political zone, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan
Ahead of 2015 general election, the alleged re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan is deepening the division amongst political leaders and elites of the South-East geo-political zone. Following indications that the president who received massive support from the zone in the last presidential election, is seeking another term in office, leaders of the zone have been unable to agree on either to produce a presidential candidate who will be from the region or still put their weight behind Jonathan and the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Sources within the zone said determined to retain his support base in the region, the President has embarked on underground mobilisation to seek the support of prominent leaders and elites in the zone. According to findings by The Nation, it is the efforts of this underground campaign train, made up of PDP chieftains and other loyalists of the President that have divided the rank and file of Igbo leaders.
While the Governors’ Forum of the region is in crisis following what sources described as an attempt by some loyalists of the President to get the body to officially endorse his re-election bid, observers of the politics of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex pan Igbo organisation in the region, said the pro-Jonathan campaign train has infiltrated the leadership of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation and polarised its ranks.
Also sources within the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) says the lingering leadership tussle in the pro-Igbo party is a fallout of effort by Jonathan’s men to sell his re-election bid to the people of the South-East at all cost. Like Ohanaeze, the party’s leadership is said to have been infiltrated and polarised.
“The unending disagreement between Chief Victor Umeh, the National Chairman of the party and former Governor Peter Obi’s faction would have been resolved if not for their alleged differences on the issue of Jonathan’s 2015 presidential bid. While Umeh wants a free party that will field its own candidates, Obi is committed to Jonathan’s re-election bid,” our source said.
Signs that the division in the region may be deepening emerged shortly before the last visit of the President to the zone when according to sources, governors of the region disagreed sharply over an attempt to make the Governors’ Forum announce its endorsement of Jonathan’s re-election bid during the visits.
Sources said the South-East Governors Forum was divided along party lines when some governors suggested that the forum should officially endorse the president’s ambition. Several meetings called to discuss the issue reportedly ended in stalemates as some governors vehemently opposed the idea.
The last of such meeting, held in Enugu few days before the April 11, 2014 presidential visit, was boycotted by two governors while one other governor left the venue before the end of the meeting, which according to sources, witnessed heated arguments over the plot to get the forum to endorse Jonathan.
“The meeting ended the same way like the others before it although the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, boycotted the meeting and Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State left before the end of the meeting. In spite of all their efforts, the pro-Jonathan governors could not get the forum to officially endorse the President’s re-election bid. Even one PDP governor kicked against the idea.
“Eventually, they hurriedly conveyed a PDP governors’ meeting where they announced the endorsement of the President’s re-election ambition. The development has finally polarised the Forum and it is uncertain if the gulf created will ever heal because the likes of Governor Okorocha seems to be viewing the forum cautiously ever since,” a source said.
The situation within the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, sources say, is not better off. “The Ohaneze Ndigbo may not survive the current crisis over Jonathan’s ambition. You will recall the fierce battle for the leadership of the organisation that culminated into several court cases and disputed elections before we finally managed to get the current leadership into office.
“One thing that is obvious now is the fact that those crises were all about 2015. Now, Ohanaeze is finding it difficult to speak with one voice. While the leadership is saying Ndigbo will support Jonathan, some of our revered founding fathers are saying the man should not run. What we have on our hands now is a situation where our leaders are singing discordant tunes on the issue of Jonathan’s re-election bid,” Ralph Obidike, an ex-officio member of the body in Imo State told The Nation.
Recently, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo told constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, (SAN), and Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, in plain language that they were not qualified to speak for Ndigbo on any issue. The duo got into trouble with the organisation when they expressed their opposition to Jonathan’s re-election bid.
Addressing reporters in Awka, Anambra State, President of Ohanaeze, Dr. Chris Eluemunoh, described the two Igbo sons as selfish persons, adding that they had no locus to claim being Igbo leaders. According to him, both Okorocha and Nwabueze have been making utterances that created the impression that there was disunity in Ohanaeze when there was none.
He accused Nwabueze of printing leaflets and pamphlets aimed at discrediting the apex Igbo body in recent times which, he observed, was not expected from such a highly reputed legal luminary.
The face-off, The Nation learnt, is fallout of lingering disagreement over how the Igbos should view Jonathan’s 2015 ambition. The leadership of the Ohanaeze recently said the region will once again support the ambition of the President to rule the country beyond 2015. There were even reports that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo had endorsed Jonathan during the annual Igbo Day Celebration in Enugu State last year.
But Nwabueze had reportedly said Jonathan must shun the urge to seek re-election in 2015 and concentrate on his transformation agenda. The legal icon insisted that it was practically impossible for the President to combine efforts aimed at national transformation with contesting election. He said although the President was eligible to contest in 2015, he could become an instant national hero if he summoned enough courage not to do so.
“I still believe that the problem of this country is national transformation; that you cannot combine national transformation with contesting election. The two are so different because once you get involved in electioneering, you undermine your authority to lead the nation for national transformation and I said if I were the President, I would restrict myself to serving the nation, transforming this country and creating a new Nigeria. These would be my concern and I would go down in history as a hero.
“So, if Mr. President does that, he would become an instant hero in this country; but it is for him to choose. If I were him, I would choose to become a hero to lead the country into transformation and abandon the ambition of a second term. That is what I said and I still stand by it and that is what I would do if I were the President of this country, but unfortunately, I’m not,” he said.
Also the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East warned Ohanaeze Ndigbo not to allow itself to be dragged into partisan politics ahead of the 2015 general election. In a statement by a chieftain of the party, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the APC said the South-East was yet to get a quarter of the campaign promises made to them by President Jonathan.
“We salute the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Igariwey, his cabinet, Ime-Obi and the entire members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, home and abroad, for this time putting on the most-needed thinking-cap and strategising on how best to advance the collective interest of over 40 million Igbos.
“We recall with regrets how the former leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo hurriedly endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan before the 2011 presidential election without due strategic plan or negotiation.
“The outcome is the erroneous impression, where other zones assumed that Ebele Azikiwe is Igbo candidate; yet one quarter of President Jonathan’s campaign promises to the South-East is yet to be actualised.
“APC South-East would candidly propose that Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as we approach the 2015 general election, should harvest the opportunity provided by the emergence of two dominant political parties – APC and PDP – hence negotiate with both before casting their net.
“In summary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo should be guided by the old adage of our ancestors which posits that, if the first route is beneficial, we pass through the route again and if not we take the alternate route,” the APC said.
Similarly, the United Progressives Party, UPP, and the Igbo World Assembly, IWA, were recently sharply divided over the same issue. The two groups canvassed different views at the last World Igbo Congress held at the Crystal Palace Hotel, Enugu.
While the IWA, a group of Ndigbo outside Nigeria, expressed belief that Igbos should not contest in 2015 if Jonathan indicated interest, National chairman of UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie, insisted that whether Jonathan indicated interest or not, Igbos must contest for president in 2015.
In his speech at the occasion, the chairman of IWA, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, stated that Ndi Igbo must be ready to win the presidency in 2019, giving room for Jonathan’s interest in 2015 rather than wait to be handed the exalted position by those that always use Ndi Igbo as pawn in a chess game. He said it was shameful that even zones with less human and capital endowments are now laughing at the political ambition of Ndigbo.
But the UPP National Chairman, who received an award from IWA at the occasion, said it was unfortunate that prominent Igbo leaders had continued to postpone the actualisation of Igbo Presidency in Nigeria. He therefore promised that UPP would be a platform that would give Ndigbo the opportunity to actualise a president of Igbo extraction.
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2015: Orji and the South-East puzzle
As the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Abia State, Theodore Ahamefule Orji is faced with a Herculean task of unraveling the political riddles that have held the zone and his state down for years. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, takes a look at Orji’s take-off dance steps
Since 1999, when Nigeria returned to democratic government, the Igbo ethnic nationality in the South-East geo-political zone has made repeated allegations of socio-political and economic marginalisation. So, as President Goodluck Jonathan convokes a National Conference to resolve thorny issues within the Nigerian polity before the 2015 General Election, Igbo political elites see the opportunity as the dawn of a new beginning, believing that if properly utilized, the zone could, through the resolutions, regain its lost glories.
Coinciding with the emergence of Governor Theodore Orji as the Chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum, the lot has fallen on his shoulders to set the pace and provide the needed leadership for the people.
So, as soon as he was named the new helmsman, succeeding Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, early March this year, keen observers, aware of the political realities of the time, began to reel out their expectations. As one respondent, Dr. Ukonu Uduma, puts it in a telephone chat during the week, “Orji’s emergence as the leader of the zone’s governors at this critical time puts him at the threshold of history. There are things we must get now, through the ongoing confab and the 2015 elections. Ndigbo have suffered enough. It is either now or never.”
From his reactions so far, it seems Orji clearly understands the concerns of the people of the geo-political zone at this point in time and is striving to leave a mark.
Giving deep insight into his game plan so far, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Charles Ajunwa, said: “In his characteristic humility, Governor T.A. Orji has accepted the additional responsibility placed on his shoulders. He has also acknowledged that the task before him “is enormous.” But he remains unfazed by the new responsibility. As a man of courage and wisdom he has assured that he would not be overwhelmed by the task of leading his people. He has continued to prove it since 2007 when he mounted the saddle of leadership in Abia State. As a team player, he knows that he would not succeed alone and has therefore called for the cooperation of not only his colleagues but every segment of the South-East zone. Yes, Governor T.A. Orji is a leader who understands and applies the popular aphorism that when a man dreams alone he becomes a dreamer but when he dreams with others, he becomes an achiever. His predecessor, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State enjoyed full cooperation of the governors since 2007 when the leadership of the SEGF fell on him. It is noteworthy that the SEGF operated without rancour and bickering and ego contest that was the case before Obi took over. It is therefore expected that such brotherly atmosphere would continue to prevail under the new leadership of Governor T.A Orji.”
Regional Economic Cooperation
Insiders say that although his tenure as governor would end early next year, Orji has the tall dream of building a sustainable foundation for South-East regional economic cooperation.
Confirming this, Ajunwa said: “The chairman of SEGF has hit the ground running. He has set out his priorities right. He said he would work hard to bring to reality the elusive economic cooperation of the states of the South-East zone. The clamour for the economic integration of the component states of the South-East zone has been on since the formation of the South East Governors Forum. Proponents of the South-East economic integration are of the view that it would enable the component states to tackle common development challenges by pooling resources together and investing in such areas as power, waste management, education, infrastructure, among others through a jointly owned investment company. This could be made possible through a jointly owned investment company like the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC) that used to be the investment arm of the defunct Eastern Region. In making economic cooperation of South-East states a priority issue Governor Orji believes that it is possible for the zone to have a common investment portfolio. As a man synonymous with legacy projects, the Abia governor said that the five states of the South-East could pull their resources together and execute projects that would be of mutual economic benefit to the zone and serve as a lasting legacy for the people.”
The Nation investigation shows that although such a project may require time to be done properly, Orji has never left it out each time the governors met in Enugu and during their more regular meetings to review the ongoing participation of the zone’s delegates at the conference.
South-East unity
Another issue, which observers say Orji may have to tackle headlong, is the issue of Igbo unity ahead 2015. Shortly before his emergence, some critics of Peter Obi accused him of making desperate efforts to railroad Ndigbo to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election. This, according some reports, created some division amongst Igbo leaders.
But as Ajunwa explained, Orji, as the new SEGF Chairman, has set as his area of focus the task of ensuring “that the South-East will remain united, cohesive and to speak with one voice as has been the case since 2007 when Obi took over as chairman. Governor T.A. Orji is a man of peace and he always craves for peaceful environment and strives hard to create it. It could be recalled that he inherited a highly polarized Abia State where the political elites were fighting. But on assumption of office Governor Orji set himself to the task of reconciling all the Abia political elites and today they speak with one voice. All the centripetal and centrifugal forces tearing Abia apart and stagnating its growth have disappeared.
“No doubt, Ochendo would apply his healing balm in making the South-East to be united and speak with one voice. This has become more urgent as the Nigerian nation commences the process of holding a national conference where each zone of the country would table its demands and expectations for the emergence of a truly united, strong nation where peace and justice would reign.
“Having placed his hands on the ploughshare of leading the South-East Governors Forum, there is no looking back for Chief T.A. Orji. It therefore behoves on his brother governors, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the political elites across the South-East zone, irrespective of political leanings, and indeed every Igbo man and woman to give maximum support to the new chairman of the SEGF to work for the peace and progress of the zone.”
The zoning game in Abia
In Abia State, where he is billed to hand over to another governor in 2015, Orji also has some thorny issues to resolve. Perhaps, the major political puzzle in the God’s Own State is the zoning question. While there seems to be no argument again over the existence of what is today known as the Abia Charter of Equity, there are still some areas in the state, like the Isuikwuato area, whose leaders are alleging that the so-called charter was not the original document of power rotation.
While the argument may not be completely resolved before the 2015 elections, some informed observers said one of the most outstanding political masterstrokes Orji has made recently in the politics of Abia State is his outspokenness and firm decision to play the zoning game. Relying on the charter, the governor has stated clearly that he would support Abia South to produce the next governor of the state.
He made that decision as far back as September 2011 in faraway United States of America, at the Abia Ukwa/Ngwa Twentieth Annual Convention, when he said, ‘the implication of Abia Charter of Equity is that come 2015, after the expiration of my tenure in office, the mantle of leadership and governorship will go to an individual of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction.’
Providing basis for the governor’s stand, Mr. Eddie Onuzuruike, a poet, novelist and media aide to the governor said Orji was poised to justify equity.” According to him, Abia founding fathers had good reasons to embark on the movement for the creation of Abia from the old Imo State. It was not just for the fun of it. Certainly there were needs to exorcise the debilitating fear of domination, injustice, deprivation and displacement, most of the time based on ethnicity.
“As it was stated in page 131 of the book, ‘this agreement of good faith or declaration of principles shall be known as The charter of Equity and shall be binding on all persons of Abia State who may hold public offices, especially elective and appointive offices….’
”They were equally specific on the rotation principle. Properly stated on Page 135 as such: ‘the principle of rotation shall apply in addition to the principle of strict equality in the distribution of key political posts. Consequently, the following combination of public offices shall not be held at one and the same time by persons of the same senatorial zones/district: Governor and Deputy/ Governor and Speaker of the House of Assembly/ Governor and Secretary to the Government/ Chairman Civil Service Commission and Head of Service Etc.”
Onuzuruike added, “These and other established factors were encapsulated in the book called the Abia Charter of Equity. It is a big lesson here that conscious efforts were made to put these established facts down some years after the deed, because, if Prof Nwagbara, of Amachara Umuahia South did not make conscious efforts to capture history, the people of the Ukwa/Ngwa may not have had any supportive document to crave for this topmost position.
“In answer to their yearnings, Abia State was created in 1991, but before long, Ebonyi State came on board and excised Afikpo, Ohaozara and Edda areas, now Ebonyi South, toppling the hitherto senatorial balance. Three local governments were annexed from Old Bende and another from Ukwa/Nkwa aptly called the Abia Central Senatorial Zone. To this end, Abia is constituted with three Senatorial Zones, and presently, two out of these three have tasted the governance of the state.”
Although Orji has shown no signs of changing his mind on the resolve, we gathered that the governor has been under tremendous pressure to stick to his decision. In 2011 when the governor was campaigning for the second tenure, when he was received at Aba Township Stadium, Elder Emma Adelu, acting as the spokesman for Ngwa people, warned all Ngwa aspirants to desist from the race. Athough some Ngwa indigenes contested for the plum job, some Ngwa political leaders today still make references to that pledge.
Insiders said they have made many more representations to the Abia helmsman, including the most recent by the Ukwa/Ngwa Professionals and Ngwa Patriots. In each of these visits, we gathered, the governor has reiterated his support for the zone.
As 2015 governorship elections approaches, it has become clear to all strategists that zoning will be one of the major campaign issues. Perhaps to checkmate the opposition, which is certain to study his handling of this and other thorny political issues in the state, Orji has repeatedly pleaded with the Abia South PDP to speak with one voice, emphasizing that they would be better off if they are united. Ajunwa pointed out that the governor has also told the aspirants that they would all go through free and fair primaries and that he will support the winner.
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2015: Abia youths root for Mascot Kalu as governor
Concerned Abia State youths under the aegis of Abia Youths for Transformation, have commenced mobilisation across the 17 local government areas for Mascot Uzor Kalu to come on board as the governor of the state.
A communiqué made available to journalists, signed by Mazi Chibuike Jonas, the President of AYT, reads: “We, concerned youths of Abia State, today, April 24, 2014 rose from our meeting with a resolve to urge Mr. Mascot U. Kalu to run for Governor of Abia State in 2015.
“It is our firm belief that he has the wherewithal to restore the lost glory of the state.
“We need a reformer to transform God’s own state. “Mascot Uzor Kalu remains our hope.”
The statement further explained that preparations are in top gear amongst the youth to secure the governorship ticket for Kalu on the platform of the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA).
The group also urged Abians to support President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office.
In a telephone interview, Mascot said: “I feel humbled and honoured on the clarion call to serve our people.
“However, I am still consulting with other stakeholders. “At the right time, I will take a concrete position.”