The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • ‘Shema’s government has brought succour to Katsina people’

    ‘Shema’s government has brought succour to Katsina people’

    Alhaji Rabiu Gambo Bakori is the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, in Katsina State. He speaks with Adetutu Audu on the challenges of his job, Governor Ibrahim Shema’s achievements and other national issues. Excerpts.

    It has been four years since you were elected as the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Katsina State chapter. How has it been ?

    We thank God, but running the party has by no means been an easy task, it has simply been challenging. For one to say everything has been good and fine will amount to deceiving oneself, but then, on the aggregate, I want to state that the PDP has been solidly rooted in the state since my assumption of office. The party has, through the leadership of the governor brought succour to the people of the state through various programmes and policies geared towards alleviating poverty. So in Katsina State, I used to say that it is the people that are talking and not the government like we have everywhere. Essentially, the concept of practical politics has been introduced by the party leadership to make sure that the ordinary person in Katsina State embraces no other party but the PDP.

    But in the 2011 election, the party lost some seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Is that not a sign that the PDP is gradually losing grips in the state?

    That is what some people would say but in politics you cannot assume that you must win in all cases. Nevertheless, internal challenges caused the party to lose some seats in the National Assembly elections in 2011. And what we did apparently and quickly too was to go back to the drawing board to critically look at what went wrong? In politics, you have to make amends here and there. This explains why despite the large votes they got in the National Assembly elections, when the governorship election came, we won by landslide. And you will agree with me that the governorship election is the most important of all the elections in the state. It tells how popular the party is in the state. Even then, the so-called opposition party in the state is neither here nor there. Even among the members of the opposition party in the National Assembly, there is crisis.  And many of the people in the opposition returned to the PDP during and after the 2011 elections.

    With the emergence of APC (a coalition of several parties) in the state and the party parading eminent people like Major General Muhammadu Buhari, many people believe that winning the governorship election in 2015 would be very difficult for the PDP?

    PDP has been and still everywhere in the state, just like there is nowhere in this country that you will not find PDP. PDP is a national party; other parties, are regional parties. In Katsina, for instance, you can talk of only PDP and CPC. If you go to Yobe and Borno, you talk of only ANPP. If you go to Lagos, you are talking about ACN. Everywhere there is APC, the dominant party there would be the party the people knew before the emergence of APC. So for us here it is CPC. It is easy to know the dominant party in Katsina. Go to the streets and ask people about the dominant party in the state and the benefits they have derived since the Shema administration came in. Make your findings. It is not because I am here; the fact is that you cannot change the truth. It is constant. The development this state has witnessed in the last seven years is unprecedented.The kind of transparency in government of Katsina State is hardly anywhere else. Tell me which state government would be open and transparent such that the proceeds of its investment would be used to build the seat of government, that is, the Government House and the Governors Lodge in Abuja. The cost of these two projects is more than N6b, and this is just profits from investment. The investment is still there.

    Internal democracy challenge is one of the reasons some of your members at the state and national levels are leaving the party? What are you doing about it?

      That is relative. It depends on how you look at it. Where they are going, is it better? If it is better, why are some of their members joining us, the PDP? So that suggestion is debatable. Though there is nobody that would be happy that its members are leaving the party, any right thinking leader would do everything possible to have more members than losing them.

    Do you think this administration has done enough to warrant PDP returning to Government House again?

    This is very important. We need to do some comparative analysis for us to have a clear picture of the situation on ground. The governor has been very lucky because he was part of the purposeful government of the late Musa Yar’Adua when he was governor of the state. Initially when he became governor in 2007, some were sceptical if he would be able to meet up with the standard of his predecessor, but we were all surprised by the amount of work he has done and still doing now.

    Do you think the national chairman can go far in his reconciliation effort before the next elections?

    The chairman started on a very good note. Whichever way you want to look at it, he is reaching out to everybody. He is all out to ensure reconciliation. He cannot get it done alone. We must all support him to make the effort a success.

  • Rumpus in Akwa-Ibom PDP over SSG’s guber ambition

    Rumpus in Akwa-Ibom PDP over SSG’s guber ambition

    Governor Godswill Akpabio’s alleged support for Udom Gabriel Emmanuel’s governorship ambition is creating fresh tension in Akwa Ibom State, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Fresh crisis appears to be rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State following disquiet in some quarters within the party over the alleged gubernatorial ambition of Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the Secretary to the State Govrnment (SSG).

    Like in most of the states across the country, the most talked about thing in Akwa Ibom State today is the political battle for the coveted seat of the governor, which would be vacant in May 2015 when the current occupant, Governor Godswill Akpabio, would have completed his second term in office.

    While it has been widely rumoured before now that the governor may have brought Udom into his cabinet to prepare him as a successor, trouble started when some chieftains of the party accused the SSG of campaigning to be elected as governor while still in office.

    The chieftains alleged that the governor is working clandestinely with the leadership of the party in the state on a plot to endorse the candidature of the SSG as the PDP governorship flag bearer in the 2015 general election, which they described as against internal democracy.

    It was also alleged that while the governor orchestrated the ouster of the immediate past SSG, Umana Okon Umana, from office on the excuse that he caused distraction in governance by working towards his 2015 governorship aspiration, he is looking the other way now as his new SSG’s governorship campaign efforts grow bigger and bolder by the day.

    Speaking on the crisis threatening to tear the state chapter of the PDP apart, a chieftain of the party, Edward Ekah, who is also the leader of the Coalition for Good Governance (CCG), said by his actions, the state governor has shown that he is not to be trusted to allow for a level playing ground in the political battle to choose who flies the party’s banner in 2015.

    “The current issue which some of you have chosen to call a fresh crisis has to do with the glaring political activities of the current SSG while still in office. These are obvious campaign activities showcasing his interest in the 2015 governorship race. One would expect that he would have been cautioned by the governor or removed.

    “We are saying this not because we think it is wrong for him to play politics while in office but because we believe there is a precedence. You will recall that up till this moment, the only excuse given for the sudden sack of Umana Umana from office to pave way for the emergence of Udom as SSG was that he distracted governance with his political activities.

    “The same government that said that is not only condoning same activities by the new SSG but in fact, promoting them. To us, this is double standard and undemocratic. If Umana cannot stay in office as SSG and aspire to be governor, we think Udom shouldn’t do the same. With this singular act, Governor Akpabio has shown that he will not allow a free and fair contest for the party’s gubernatorial ticket in 2015.

    “This is why we are calling on party elders to speak out against this undemocratic norm before it is too late to tame these people,” Ekah said.

    It would be recalled that on July 31, 2013, Akpabio, administered oath of office on Udom as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG), to replace Umana, who was said to have officially resigned a day earlier, in order to pursue his 2015 governorship ambition in the state. Udom, until the appointment, was Executive Director of Zenith Bank Plc.

    Before his announced voluntary resignation from office, Umana and the governor had been at loggerhead over what sources claimed was the former’s gubernatorial ambition. It was alleged that the governor, who before then had been in support of Umana’s ambition to succeed him, had developed cold feet about the project following his resolve to back someone from Eket for the job.

    The development created bad blood between the two erstwhile friends and political allies of many years. Soon, the bad blood grew into rivalry that soon gave birth to altercations. In no time, pressure was allegedly mounted on the former SSG to quit the administration or risk being thrown out. His governorship ambition was described as a distraction for the administration.

    After weeks of holding out and vowing not to abandon his governorship ambition, even after the governor reportedly nominated him as the Managing Director of the NDDC, Umana’s resignation was announced by the government and Udom, who hails from Eket district of the state, was appointed to replace him.

    Administering the oath of office to the new SSG at the state banquet hall, Uyo, Akpabio noted that both Emmanuel and Umana posed intimidating credentials needed to run the state. He said the changes were in response of meeting the demands and challenges of the uncommon transformation of the state, urging the people to accept changes now in the interest of the total transformation of the state.

    “Today as you witness the change in the office of the SSG of Akwa Ibom State, you must remember that change is part of life and to sustain the momentum of what we are doing,” he admonished. The governor praised the immediate past SSG for his meritorious service to the state, saying: “Mr Umana Okon Umana, goes down in history as the longest SSG in the state.”

    The governor said, the state government and people of the state really acknowledged Umana’s contributions and service to the state, especially his roles in government, starting as a career civil servant that culminated in his appointment as permanent secretary, also elevation as the Commissioner for Finance and finally as SSG from 2007 to July, 2013.

    “Umana, to me is a brother and not just a friend. He has displayed exceptional competence in the discharge of his official duties and contributed significantly right from the former regime of Obong Victor Attah to the present administration.”

    Noting the credentials of the new SSG, the governor said he would bring very strong skills in the discharge of his duties. He also charged the new SSG to avoid any form of distraction while still serving the people of the state in his current position.

    But some party sources said hardly had Udom settled down in his new position before posters and flyers announcing his governorship ambition flooded the state. “Campaign offices and vehicles heralding his ambition are also all  over the state as we speak,” Ekah added.

    Also, the governor has been accused of being personally involved in the ongoing struggle to ensure the emergence of Udom as the next governor of the oil-rich state in the 2015 gubernatorial election.

    According to a Edidiong Akpan, a chieftain of the party,  “I heard that the governor recently said he will spare no cash in ensuring that Udom becomes the governor in 2015. I was told the governor made the declaration at the inauguration of a 31-member steering committee which he set up to coordinate the campaign of Udom Emmanuel across the state.

    “By the inauguration of the Campaign Steering Committee, which membership is drawn from the 31 local government areas of the state, the governor as far as I am concerned, is telling us where his interest lies ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state.

    “Information reaching us indicates that governor Akpabio is bent on making Udom Emmanuel, who has been his long-time business partner, and whom he recently appointed as the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG), the governor of the state in 2015.

    “However, I can tell you that the governor’s decisions have not gone down well with most of our leaders in the PDP. And I know that other political stakeholders in the state are ready to confront the undemocratic plot with stiff rejection. This is why you can see that the governor is having a running battle with interested parties who feel that such an imposition may not augur well for the growth of the party in the state.

    “Recently, we formed a coalition in our resolve to resist the attempt of the governor to foist his stooge on the people. This is the reason for the current tension within the party. If Ukpabio could sack Umana for having govrnorship ambition, we think he should not be supporting Udom to promote his own ambition with tax payers’ money,” Akpan said.

    Chief Edet Nkpubre, a former South-South national vice chairman of the ruling party, while reacting to insinuations that the governor may have settled for Udom as his successor, recently said the governor cannot choose a leader for the people.

    “Well, I don’t know who the governor is supporting. He has not told us who he is supporting. The day he tells us we will tell him no. He has not told Akwa Ibom people who he is supporting. All we are hearing are rumours. The day he tells Akwa Ibom that he is supporting Udom Emmanuel or that Udom Emmanuel is his candidate, you will see the reaction of the people both from Annang and Oron. There is Law of Succession.

    “When Judas was removed as one of the disciples when he betrayed Jesus; when they were looking for a replacement, what did they (disciples) say? Look for a person who has been with us for some time; who has been coming in and going out with us. They didn’t go to bring an outsider. If the governor is looking for a successor, he should look around those who have been working with him and there are so many of them in Oro Nation.

    “Democracy without fairness is not democracy. We don’t want a democracy that is not inclusive, which discriminates against other ethnic groups because you are the largest and you want to lord it over other ethnic groups forgetting that they are the bread winner of the state. That is a democracy based on injustice. It is a democracy that would create crisis. A democracy that is based on injustice is a democracy that would create crisis,” Nkpubre said.

  • Ekiti 2014: From Fayose to mysterious third opponent

    Ekiti 2014: From Fayose to mysterious third opponent

    The intrusion, or should we call it emergence, of Ayodele Fayose, as PDP’s governorship candidate in the Ekiti governorship elections coming up in June, has compelled the dynamics and the equations of Ekiti politics to be reconfigured. Ekiti has become the latest theatre of the absurd where peace itself is calling for help and protection

    Before Fayose’s “victory” in the PDP primary, all attention was on the incumbent Kayode Fayemi and Opeyemi Bamidele of the Labour Party. The stakes were indeed very high and the whole world was looking forward to an exciting political contest between two erstwhile friends.

    Those who understand the dynamics of Ekiti politics felt that at last, Ekiti State will continue to be governed by a reasonable, responsible, educated and civilised leader should anyone of these two emerge.

    Kayode Fayemi is a Ph.D holder who has distinguished himself as an international scholar of outstanding and remarkable talents. He has the advantage of using his achievements and excellent performance to boost his electoral value at the polls. Opeyemi Bamidele is a brilliant lawyer, a former commissioner, a member of the House of Representatives and a dignified gentleman of complex character. His passion and zeal for progressive politics galvanised his relationship with people like Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande, Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, Femi Ojudu, Femi Falana, Lanre Arogundade and Adams Oshiomole. But his dramatic switch to the Labour Party was an anti-climax to an already complicated political profile riddled with a history of perfidious grandstanding. Notwithstanding, Opeyemi’s intellectual profile is still a sufficient credential for the position of a governor in a state like Ekiti.

    Suddenly, a dramatic twist was introduced into Ekiti politics when, against all expectations, Fayose became the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, the ruling party at the centre.  On behalf of the people of Ekiti, I felt scandalised and embarrassed that the PDP assaulted and insulted their cultural ego and collective pride by asking them to vote for a man like Ayo Fayose and even went to the extent of celebrating him in Abuja.

    It may be true that politics in Nigeria has indeed declined in quality and character, it is the height of immorality and irresponsibility to take it to the level of a Fayose. But that is the situation in Ekiti.

    Now that he is in the race, Fayose’s rascality, not his profoundity (does he even have it?) has pushed him into limelight with analysts assuming the ridiculous that the election is going to be a very tough and straight battle between the two Ifas-Fayemi and Fayose.

    My good friend, Opeyemi Bamidele, is no longer being factored into the whole equation. It is a shame that even some members of the elite in the state are also anticipating the possibility of a Fayose triumphing over both Fayemi and Bamidele, alluding to his defeat of Femi Falana in 2003. Since when did the people of Ekiti degenerate into Okada and Kerosene politics?

    If Fayemi has his performance as the governor of Ekiti State to flaunt, and Opeyemi Bamidele showcases his legal and political pedigree, what does Fayose have to show? Yet, some elite are joining okada riders to celebrate a man with a puzzling profile.

    But the greatest puzzle of Ekiti politics is the existence of a faceless opponent that is more dangerous and harmful than Ayo Fayose.

    In his maiden rally/campaign in Ado-Ekiti, Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed to his supporters that half of the members of Fayemi’s cabinet, that is Fayemi’s commissioners and special advisers, are his strong supporters. He confessed that they are not ordinary supporters but financiers of his governorship project. One, there is the possibility that Bamidele is playing mind games. Two, there is also the possibility that he (Bamidele) is only using that to destabilise the government and cause friction and confusion within the cabinet. Three, he may be saying this to create the impression that Fayemi is not only unpopular in the state  but that even his cabinet members do not like him.

    I know that politics is full of betrayals and disloyalties. And if Bamidele is saying or implying that some aides and commissioners of Fayemi are his secret supporters, I advise Fayemi to take the disclosure very serious. Judging from his antecedents, Bamidele understands betrayal when he sees one.

    Though this is a very dangerous situation, it can be well managed if there are no sentiments and sympathy for those who indulge in perfidy. It is unfortunate that every member of the cabinet has to be treated as potential suspect. Everyone of them should be under the searchlight because nothing kills easily than the death that resides in the house. Nothing could be more wicked than having people who sit at the supper table with you plotting your fall and your death. Jesus Christ knew who Judas Iscariot was and still tolerated him and even allowed him to sit at the same supper table. He encouraged him to go ahead with his evil machinations knowing that it was the only way that nations and humanity could receive their salvation. The difference is that Jesus was not a politician but Fayemi is. The only way the poor people of Ekiti can be salvaged from their poverty is if Fayemi remains the governor of the state. For Fayemi to remain the governor of the state, he needs to be alive. For Fayemi to be alive, he needs to be alert to the clandestine intrigues and machinations of the Fifth Columnist in his cabinet. Most politicians are “gambling investors”; they are here and there scheming to eat their cake and still have it. They are working with Fayemi, plotting for his fall with Bamidele and romancing and flirting with Fayose, so that whoever emerges victorious at the polls will still be their friend. One needs wisdom from above to be able to unmask them.

    From experience, I know that Fayemi, as a perceptive leader, knows those in his cabinet who fall into this category but he needs to be very careful. I must let him know that from my interactions with a cross section of people in the state, he is well loved by the people but some people dislike him because of his liberal attitude to some members of his cabinet whose excesses the people abhor with a passion. Some of the people I spoke to in Ekiti commended him for his humility, hard work and love for the poor. But the same people condemned some of his close aides for their arrogance, selfishness, irrational behavior and lack of respect for the people. All these people are those I conveniently refer to as the third opponent.

    Ayodele Fayose is opponent number one. Opeyemi Bamidele is opponent number two. The unidentified Judas in Fayemi’s government (and they are legion) is the opponent number three.

    I agree that Fayemi has been very outstanding and unique in terms of governance. I agree that his achievements in less than four years of being the governor of the state are sufficient credentials to guarantee him victory at the polls. I agree that Fayemi deserves another term as a kind of appreciation for his hard work and rapid transformation of the state. I agree that Fayemi has a massive advantage over Fayose and Bamidele in the coming elections but this can only come to play if he can pray for wisdom to conquer the opponent within. My dear friend, remember Artemidorus’ letter to Julius Ceasar? May the good Lord help you.

  • ‘Fayose must conclude court case before contesting elections’

    ‘Fayose must conclude court case before contesting elections’

    Mr. Olufemi Aduwo, the National Coordinator of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG) in this Interview with Adetutu Audu and Innocent Duru, advises Ayo Fayose, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State, to jettison his ambition and wait till the case of corruption filed against him by the EFCC is determined. Excerpts:

    What is your take on the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State?

    When I see PDP fielding people that have cases as candidates, for me it doesn’t speak well. Take for example Fayose, you have a case, you were a governor and then you were alleged of stealing by the EFCC and the matter is still in the court. Over the years you have been the one foot dragging so that the case is not concluded. If tomorrow you become a governor, what happens to that case? People that have moral problems should not go near public office. You have a criminal case that is still pending and then, you want to become a governor again. I told Muazu that all those that have criminal cases should not be allowed to take over the party in any part of the country. It will not work well. It is even a warning to even Mr. President and the PDP. South West is the only place where we don’t allow money bags to dictate politics to us.

    The chance of PDP in the forthcoming election in Ekiti is zero. It will not sell. I know Jonathan for one thing because of my closeness to INEC, he does not interfere with elections. I served INEC as a board member during an election and I know Jonathan does not interfere with election results. So, if anybody wants to use the power of the Presidency to win elections, it will not work. Today Nigerians are wise, especially here in the South-West. You don’t bring controversial people that have problems to be leaders of the people. If you go to the obas in Ekiti State, Fayose has problem  with them, with the elites, he has problem and so it is with every other group. If they believe that he can use violence, it will not work. The PDP has simply lost the election in Ekiti. If you want to have a free and fair elections, you start from the nomination with people that are credible. The PDP did election in Ekiti and people complained bitterly. These people that are aggrieved will work against the party.

    In normal circumstances, we should make sure that the case against Fayose is completed and have the court set him free before he can contest elections.

    Yes, he is innocent until proven guilty but if I were him, I will make sure the case is concluded. Today nobody can call Chief Bode George an ex -convict because he allowed the process to take its cause and had his name cleared by the court.

    How do you think INEC would fare in the coming elections?

    I think that with what happened in Ondo State House of Representatives elections, the majority of the people that went out to vote found their names at the appropriate places. Rigging elections starts from a process whereby people cannot find their names. This time around, permanent voters’ card are being distributed in Osun and in Ekiti.  They are going to display it in the next one month or so. If a voter does not find his name, you go back and have it corrected. The major challenge of INEC  is about logistics but they are improving in that regard now.  Jega has made sure that INEC staff go for one training after the other to learn how to handle election issues. When it comes to election management, INEC is a major stake holder. The other stake holders, like the police, the political parties also have roles to play. When ballot box is snatched on an election day, it is not INEC that should be blamed. The electoral law says that the policeman at the polling unit must not carry arms and ammunition but those elements that are coming to snatch ballot boxes are armed. I have said it long ago that armed Nigerian army should be allowed to guide the polling units. I believe Jega would do something wonderful in the coming elections.

    The National Assembly is trying to divest INEC of the power to determine the time of election. What do you make of this?

    The National Assembly is looking at how they can remove the power to appoint the secretary of the commission from the chairman. Before, that was the position. The government appointed anybody to fill that position but  Yar’Adua  gave the commission the power to do so. It is a wonderful step and  part of the autonomy that we are talking about. The secretary of INEC is even more powerful than the chairman because he is the chief accounting and administrative officer of INEC. We don’t want interference from politicians. They should allow INEC to appoint the secretary. Coming to the issue that elections should be done in one day, that is immaterial. INEC does not have the power. It is not possible for logistic reasons. I was in the UK as an election observer with the INEC and we saw the mess that happened in a very developed democracy. If they have been able to do what we asked them to do, there would not have  been any need for the National Conference.

    What results do you think the on-going National Conference will produce?

    Two-third of the people that went for the National Conference lobbied to get there. Today, Jonathan is lamenting that Anyim messed up the list of delegates. The conference is a talk shop for people to just come, talk and go. Nothing will come out of it. For the past weeks, they have been discussing Mr. President’s letter. The issues that they are meant to discuss, they have abandoned. They will only talk for three months and go.  You will see that some of them would be walking out one by one in the next two months. They just wanted to collect the allowance for this month and the next. What is Clark at the age of 86 doing in that conference? He was indicted as a minister. Murtala and Obasanjo government seized 14 properties from him. It was IBB that later gave them to him. Today, he is talking as an elder statesman. That conference will not end in the next three months. Those guys will foot drag so that the money will continue rolling in.

  • ‘Mimiko’s administration a huge failure’

    ‘Mimiko’s administration a huge failure’

    Labour Party chieftain in Ondo State and immediate past commissioner of the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barrister Benson Enikuomehin, is worried over his party’s abysmal performance reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    A leader of the ruling Labour Party in Ondo State, Barrister Benson Enikuomehin, has described the five years of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in charge of the state’s affair as a huge failure given the total absence of meaningful development in most parts of the southern senatorial district of the state.

    Speaking on the inconclusive House of Representatives bye-election in Ilaje-Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state, Enikuomehin, who hails from the local government area, said the only thing that will prevent the area from witnessing crises over the election is if the wishes of the people is allowed to prevail.

    “What I can see from what happened on Saturday is that the people are determined to see their votes count,” he said.

    Enikuomehin, a legal practitioner and immediate past commissioner of the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said the inability of the ruling party to register an outright victory during last weekend’s bye-election in Ilaje-Ese Odo was because the people of the area are dissatisfied with the current administration over the many unfulfilled promises made to them in the past.

    The LP chieftain said in spite of the about N800million that should accrue to the council monthly as an oil producing area, there is nothing to show to the people as the dividends of the same democracy they have diligently supported with their votes and efforts in the last five years.

    “Billions of naira come to the state as derivation on a monthly basis. 40 percent of this should come to Ilaje Ese Odo as an oil producing area in the state. If you calculate that in five years, that is a lot of money. The question the people are asking is where is this money? They are asking because there is nothing on ground in terms of development to show that such huge amount was spent anywhere near our locality.

    “It is this situation that the people revolted against on Saturday by not voting for our party the way they used to do. I am a member of the Labour Party. We have complained severally but nothing came out of our complaints. We urged the governor to do something about the neglect of the area. He didn’t do anything. He only came around on Thursday to flag off the campaign for the election. Just two days before the election. That was why we lost in my ward.

    “Government must put in effort to persuade the people of our area. The hen that lays the golden egg shouldn’t be abandoned this way. The inability of the party to win is the reaction of the people to the inaction of this administration in the area. I am not saying the governor, but the government. This government has failed the people of Ilaje Ese Odo.

    “I pray we win the re-run election but if the people of the area decides otherwise, we should see it as a lesson for us as a party. We should simply accept it as a message from the people that they are unhappy with our government and our party. That will help us to correct our mistakes. Our chances in this election is similar to that of a dying man on life support with the gas running out,” he said.

    Enikuomehin said in spite of the fact that the governor practically relocated to the area to canvass for votes, his party could only manage a 1,000-vote lead margin closely followed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to him, this is a sign that the party is no longer popular amongst the people of the area.

    “I will tell you this, from what I know of politics, it is largely about development of the people and about things accruing to the personalities involved. No single footbridge has been constructed in my place in five years by this administration. I know some people will say this is anti party, but I don’t care. They may say I am working for the PDP. But I ask, what will the PDP give me? Money or what? Without being arrogant, I am a modestly successful person.

    “I know what I am saying although I am also aware of what this can cost me . But I cannot help saying these because I am used to saying the truth. The LP in Ondo State today is a government of one man for one man by one man. This is the truth. As I speak, the secretariat of our party in Akure is under lock and key. Who do we complaint to?

    “Apart from the market in Igbokoda, the OSOPADEC House at Igbokoda and the mega school at Igbokoda, let somebody come and show me any other project anywhere else from Araromi to Odoebihan and the likes. Igbokoda is just one ward out of 12 wards. We need to tell ourselves the truth. I owe it to my conscience and my people to speak the truth,” he said.

    He also expressed sadness that “the national leadership of our party is part of all these. I am disappointed and frustrated by this administration’s failure to develop our communities. This government has failed us. We have nothing to show for many years of supporting the Labour Party all these years. It is so bad that in 2012, as the election was approaching, I gave people from Akingboye, Obefenhin, Obe-Iji etc money to go and mend existing footbridges while hoping that the government will do something after the election. Nothing has been done ever since.

    “I want the OSOPADEC chairman to confront me on all these things I’ve said. I respect the person and office of the governor but with what has happened to my people in Ilaje in the last five years, I say this administration is a wash out. We are lucky to still have some votes at the bye election. We should have scored zero. Promises made to the people are not fulfilled,” he lamented.

    Speaking further, the LP chieftain said he is not afraid of being suspended or expelled from the ruling party over what he said about the state government.

    “The young man contesting on the platform of our party is very close to me. I am an ardent supporter of his aspiration but I wouldn’t rig the election for him. H e was unable to win last Saturday because, as a party, we have failed the people. The people are aggrieved and they have told us so in clear terms. It is left for us to adjust ourselves.

    “If the LP is angry over what I have said here, they have just two options. They can summarily throw me out of the party or summon me and question me. But if they don’t do any of these two, I remain a member of the Labour Party in Ondo State. If they throw me out, I have options too. We have the APC there and we have the PDP. Any other party that I feel will advance the cause of my people is a choice I will gladly follow,” he added.

  • Morning shows the day

    The most important events on the political calendar this year are the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States. They point the way to the general elections next year. The signs emerging show that the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), might have decided to adopt strong arm tactics in a bid to record victory somehow and somewhat. In Lagos, Musiliu Obanikoro who was recently appointed Minister of State for Defence recently mobilised troops to stop a housing project being executed by the state government at Ilubirin. The minister, who was a former commissioner in the state before he defected to the PDP, would not be swayed by arguments that, in a democratic setting, whenever there is a disagreement between governments, institutions or officials, the appropriate organ of government to turn to is the judiciary that has the sole duty of adjudicating disputes and interpreting laws.

    Obanikoro has maintained that the said parcel of land belongs to the federal government, while the state government insists that it was only recently reclaimed by it and thus belongs to it. The conflicting claims ought to have been taken to court for adjudication. It is either Obanikoro does not understand this or believes that the mill of justice grinds too slowly for him. In either case, it is unfortunate that such a person is handed such a sensitive assignment at a time the country needs men of knowledge and honour to handle the security challenge confronting it. He took recourse to self help and challenged the state government to head for court. This is an example of brigandage and utter disrespect for the rule of law.

    The same script was acted in Osun State where Jelili Adesiyan, the Minister of Police Affairs, was reported to have used police men to harass leading aspirants known to be contending for the party’s governorship ticket just before the primary. Isiaka Adeleke, a former governor of the state and also a former Senator, complained that he was assaulted by Adesiyan who chose to turn himself into a terror in the build-up to the primary selection scheme. Backed by the infamous federal might, Adesiyan was said to have got his men to train their guns at Adeleke. The ex-governor could not stand what things had turned to and eventually withdrew from the race before the selection.

    If, in the internal selection process adopted by the PDP, Adesiyan could be so desperate to get his godfather adopted as to pounce of opponents, it is best imagined what he would do during the election. The same mindset informed the use of soldiers by Wole Oke during the 2007 poll. The ex-lawmaker chose to abuse his office as chairman of the House of Representatives committee.

    So early in the day, President Jonathan’s appointees are showing why they might have been appointed to the defence and Police Affairs Ministries. The Nigerian Police Force is funded by the Nigerian state and is supposed to be impartial in discharge of its functions. In previous elections, we had seen police men used to illegally thumb-print ballot papers, aid the snatching of ballot boxes and perform other criminal acts. Soldiers had been deployed in some states to terrify the people away from the polling units and provide cover for those altering figures at the collation centres. The signs are that nothing has changed. It must however be noted that such practices would be resisted by the governments and people of the Western states.

    The people are politically sophisticated and would not suffer fools gladly. These are early days yet. We hope that the right questions would be asked in days ahead. All candidates must be held to account. In Ekiti State where Governor Kayode Fayemi and ex-Governor Ayo Fayose are the main contenders, both men should be asked to report what they contributed to growth of democracy, good governance and provision of infrastructure. Fayose’s regime ended abruptly. Why? He must explain, especially since the government at the centre was also elected on the platform of the PDP. How did confusion break out with the state having the dubious distinction of the only one in the history of Nigeria of having about three governors, two House of Assembly Speakers and two Chief Judges at the same time. What could have led the federal government to post a military agent as Administrator in a democratic setting? These are questions that must be answered.

    In Osun, Mr. Omisore had been deputy governor. What prompted his termination of his tenure? Was he impeached or did he resign? If, as he has continued to claim, he resigned, why? The former Senator must also be asked all he knows about the murder of Chief Bola Ige. It is a dark chapter in the history of the West and anyone who has ever been linked to it should be grilled before he is handed a bigger assignment. The combination of Adesiyan and Omisore could be deadly ominous.

    It in my hope and prayer that Omisore gets the opportunity to fully explain his role. The PDP choice of Fayose and Omisore is pregnant with meaning, but I hope it does not portend evil. I hope it does not suggest that the PDP elected to go for warriors for a civic exercise like contesting for executive role in a democracy. It is my prayer that the conditions that forced operation wet e on the old western Region is not replicated.

  • Restructuring, census debate and other matters

    Restructuring, census debate and other matters

    It was another week of drama, intrigues, and hot exchanges at the confab reports Sam Egburonu

    Some of the major issues that caught the attention of delegates this week at the ongoing National Conference include restructuring of the country, the seemingly unending census debate and the ever touchy isue of resource control.

    Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd), former Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, and former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, amongst others, canvassed restructuring of the country.

    In his contribution, Nnamani said Nigeria should be restructured so that federating units wll become the geo-political zones and not states.

    This, according to him, will imply that the power for creation of local government areas should cease to be that of the federal government. In this arrangement, the states would be given the power to create local government areas.  He said the “Conference must focus on the future of Nigeria by ensuring that the burden of power currently placed on the federal government was reduced and given to the federating units, the states and the local government areas.”

    Nwuche pointed out clearly that Nigeria and Nigerians have exhibited signs of a failed state for a long time and that it was time to arise and build.  He challenged delegates to ask basic questions:  Where did we go wrong?  At what point did we take the wrong turn? As an answer to these questions, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives traced the cause of the problem to what he described as “a faulty structure,” adding that “Nigeria needs a structure that would enable its best to step forward and provide the required leadership.”

    Former Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, spoke in support of devolution of power, emphasising the advantages of evolving a weak centre and strong geo-political zones.

    Also supporting this call for restructuring, retired Major-General Ike Nwachukwu emphasised that the purpose of the conference was to negotiate for a new Nigeria.

    He insisted that “restructuring the country would provide national security, employment for youth, women’s rights and economic development.”

    Other delegates that spoke in support of devolution of power include Chief Jim Nwobodo and Professor A. B. C. Nwosu.

    Population and census debate

    Perhaps the most dramatized issue at the conference this week bothers on the age old census debate. Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, a former Presidential Political Adviser during the President Shehu Shagari’s era, reignited the census controversy when he said the population of Northern Nigeria has always been higher than that of the South.

    The elder statesman told delegates that the issue of unending controversy on the actual census figures of the Northern and Southern parts of the country should have been put to rest since there is incontrovertible evidence that the North is greater in population than its Southern counterpart.

    According to him, the reason for the unending argument has so much to do with  “political representation and resource allocation, among other things,” adding that the prevailing situation “portends unhealthy rivalry that is inconsistent with the spirit of unity and collective cooperation that should be indelible hallmarks of our continued coexistence.”

    Chief Ajibola Ogunshola from the South-West cautioned against excessive population growth which when not counter-balanced with adequate productivity is a major cause of massive unemployment and other social problems. He supported the restoration of local, state and zonal policing which was abolished during the military era, and said the possible fear of abuse could be reduced by appropriate legislation. He said under devolution of power the federation should no longer fund local councils directly and that zones, as the federating units, could have as many states and local government areas as they needed.

    Resource control and other matters

    His Royal Highness, Dr Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha, the Lamido of Adamawa, whose contribution and threats to walk out from the conference at the outset of the conference raised dust in the polity, also shocked other delegates and other Nigerians monitoring proceedings at the conference this week when he said on Thursday, probably sarcastically, that oil bearing states should be allowed to receive 100 percent revenue accruing from their resources.

    Apparently rebuking southern delegates that have been canvassing for resource control, the royal father added that states that do not have oil should have 100 percent of their land, or, as he explained, 100 percent revenue from the use of their land resource.

    Making references to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and commercial areas in the north, Mustapha warned that if oil producing states receive 100 percent resource benefits, then non- indigenes in any part of the country may have to pay rents for use of properties.

    Like his contribution and threat to walk out of the conference, this contribution is likely to elicit more reactions next week.

  • Osun 2014: ‘Aregbesola deserves second term’

    Osun 2014: ‘Aregbesola deserves second term’

    In this brief encounter, Dr Charles Onuoha, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), current chairman, Imo State Housing Corporation and governorship aspirant in Imo State ahead 2015, lauded the achievements of the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, explaining why the governor should be re-elected. Sam Egburonu reports

    It is alleged that you are aspiring to contest the governorship election in Imo State on the ticket of APC in 2015. Is Governor Rochas Okorocha in support of your aspiration?

    He has a policy in Imo State which I truly understand and can analyse.

    It is only somebody who can analyse it that will sustain it and I am surethe governor knows that, so the issue of weather he is backing me or not does not arise at all because the governor is the father of all in Imo APC and I am sure he will back any eminently qualified candidate in APC who really understand his policies to succeed him and by the grace of God, I am eminently qualified, mentally sound and has been following his policies that have changed Imo State positively. I am also a loyal party man of APC, so why won’t he back my aspiration? Let me tell you, his interest is to make sure that it is only the right person who really understand what is going on in Imo State that will succeed him.

    Being so close to Okorocha and acknowledging that he has done well in Imo, your aspiration to succeed him in 2015 suggests he would not contest for re-election then. Are you saying Okorocha will not contest for re-election in 2015?

    I have told you how close I am with my governor. Come to Imo State today and see for yourself what he has done. Every man and woman in Imo, irrespective of political association or party, are very happy with him. In fact, since late Chief Sam Mbakwe ruled Imo State, we have not had it so good. His policies has changed the old face of Imo State which the PDP government messed up in the state.

    Don’t you agree with me that I am very close to him and have really worked with him to put those wonderful policies in place. So, if I succeed him, I will sustain his vision. Now, there is free education in Imo State, can somebody who don’t know the policy of free education in Imo State sustain if? No. I am from Ogbe in Ahiazu Mbaise L.G.A. I aspired to be the governor of Imo State in 2011 under the plafform of Labour Party. When Owelle Okorocha came campaigning, I have already put in place a very solid structure that would have made the change in Imo State then. But the governor heard of me and he approached me. We had an agreement and so, I collapsed my structure into his own and from there we moved on. Of course you know the result today in Imo.

    When we sacked PDP, he appointed me Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, and also Commissioner for Special Duties. I also served the governor as his SSA, MDGs and currently, I am the chairman, Imo Housing Corporation.

    Why did you leave banking for politics?

    When I was in the banking industry, I was a general manager. Many people have asked me, on many occasions, why I left banking for a game like Nigerian politics? My answer has been that I have a call from God to go and serve the public as a leader. So, when I was leaving the banking sector, I did not have any regret and truly, till tomorrow, I did not have any regret leaving banking for Nigerian politics which people always describe as dirty. I always disagree with those who say Nigerian politics is dirty. We are learning. It is a gradual process. We have joined to sanitise it.

    I learnt you have strong views about the politics of Osun State and the performance of Governor Aregbesola, do you still consider his achievements good enough to warrant his re-election?

    Governor Aregbeshola deserves a second term. You don’t change a winning team. I am not saying this because I am a member of APC, no, rather since I know him when he was the works commissioner in Lagos State under the then governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Almed Tinubu, he has been an achiever. Even when he was elected as governor of Osun State, I knew he will perform. What he has done so far in Osun State has proved me right.

    Aregbeshola has done wonderfully well as the governor of that state. I used to go to Osun some years back when PDP government was in charge. What Osun is today, under Aregbe, is not what it used to be then.

    As an Imo State indigene, would you say Aregbesola’s government has favoured non indigenes in the state?

    The report from Igbo indigenes in Oshun State is very encouraging. They are very happy living in Osun State and the governor has been so friendly with non-indigenes in that state. There has been no marginalisation, according to them. So from the bottom of my heart, I can say he has developed Osun State; he has created value in that  state economically and other wise. People can easily visit Osun State now than before because he has put in place things and activities that can attract other people from other states and country to Osun State.

    What is the future of APC, given PDP’s resolve to fight back ahead 2015?

    APC has come to stay. In case you don’t know, APC is the peoples party in Nigeria. By the special grace of God, APC with Aregbeshola will definitely win massively when Osun people will go to the poll, no doubt about that. Which party can stop APC? The party is very much on ground in Osun and in every state in Nigeria generally. Our victory in Osun is not negotiable. They said iron sharpeneth iron. APC is a sharp iron and Aregbeshola is a sharp iron too. Do you think the two combination will not fly? They are flying already.

    Come 2015, APC will surprise all the doubting Thomoses in Nigeria. I can tell you PDP is afraid of the potentials of APC. Wait and see what the performance of APC will be in Ekiti and Osun this year. The party knows there is a political battle ahead and they are bracing up for the challenges.

    Though you are not from Osun State, what special message would you give Osun people and government?

    Although I am not from the state, the achievements of Governor Aregbeshola has really moved me. So, I am publicly commending him for the good works he is doing in his state, the reason he deserves to come back.

    As an Igbo man, I am using this opportunity to tell non-indigenes in Osun State, especially the Igbos in Osun, to massively support Aregbeshola’s re-election bid. Non-indigenes in Osun, especially the Igbos, should support him because he has been very friendly with them there, according to their report. I see him as a detribalised Nigerian who believes in one Nigeria. So, the Igbos living in Osun State, I want to tell you that Aregboshola is gold which cannot be replaced with any bronze and so I recommend him for a second term.

  • Nyako and Adamawa’s emancipation project

    Nyako and Adamawa’s emancipation project

    Aside the security and political challenges in Adamawa State, Barnabas Manyam in Yola reports that the Governor Murtala Nyako’s government has recorded so much developmental strides

    The likes of Admiral Murtala Nyako, the governor of Adamawa State, are not easily found in the present Nigerian society where tribal jingoism has become the order of the day.

    This explains why he is receiving accolades for making the state proud with so much achievement in spite of the peculiar circumstances .

    Since he crossed over to the All Progressive Congress (APC), Nyako has been receiving commendations from people like Engr Markus Gundiri and General Buba Marwa who later left the All Progressive Congress to the PDP but former minister of State for Internal Affairs and an APC stalwart Alh. Abdulrahman Adamu, told journalists that Gundiri and Marwa left the APC on personal interest not because of any impunity in the party.

    Abdulrahman Adamu said Nyako is likened to the great late Nelson Mandela, as he chose to bring only two executive party members instead of five as provided by the APC Party guidelines.

    Before the selection of the APC Interim executive in Adamawa State, there were fears that Nyako will dominate the party but when he opted for only two exco members as a state governor, many people, like Boss Gida Mustapha, B. B Lawan and Hajiya Fati Balla, poured encomiums on Nyako for standing out as a politician that is not self centered but considerate.

    It is this attribute that boost belief that he has the capacity to realise the task of emancipation of Adamawa State. So far, the list of achievements has become so long and impressive.

    Under land expansion, more than 28 very large new layouts were created and adequate land for development has been allocated to the general public in the state capital alone while the state government also created 28 additional layouts in 21 local government areas to give industrial development and residential plots to the people.

    Nyako also established the Adamawa Geographic Information System (AGIS) to handle all land related matters. The Greater Yola Master Plan  was reviewed alongside the Greater Mubi Master Plan to accommodate the teeming populace.

    The government has successfully allocated arable land to farmers, grazers developers and other industrial concerns. Within the same period, the Ministry of Land and Survey realised more than N8billion as revenues on N50, 000 development levy on residential plots allocation, which has surpassed the previous 20 years revenue put together in the ministry. This is another achievement of the Nyako government.

    The governor also ordered security surveillance equipments which were supplied to all security units in Adamawa while motorcycles were banned in some local governments to curb the security breaches.

    The governor’s quest to lead the North East in terms of development is broadened with the establishment of the Nigerian Law School in Yola, where he provided land, infrastructures and adequate assistance for the school to take-off; the state government within the period of Nyako’s administration also established the Adamawa State Court of Appeal Complex by providing the needed land and infrastructures for the Appeal Court to take-off, the court has since commenced its operations in Yola.

    From 2007 to date, Nyako spent about N40 billion on roads development alone to reposition Adamawa State.

    Today, Shagari Housing Estate is a beautiful place to behold as the governor has since built state of the art roads  constructed world class drainages in all the streets in Shagari Estate. Nyako also provided adequate construction of the General Gibson Jallo and that links the Gibson Jallo Cantonment in the 23 Armored Brigade, Nigeria Army Barracks, Yola.

            He also provided 21 ambulances in the 21 Local Government General Hospitals and he also constructed the world class Adamawa State German Diagnostic Centre which comprises of orthopedic unit, x ray unit, CT scan and MRI units as well as VVF Centers among other sophisticated facilities at the Adamawa State German Diagnostic Centre the best of such in the North East.

            The governor also established the Adamawa State Health Insurance Scheme for the workers of the state. He also employed 52.000 jobless youths as (SA) Special Assistants. These 52,000 aides live and worked mostly in the rural areas and earn about N10, 000 monthly each from the (SA), Assistant Programme. The programme is to curb the unemployment level of the state, besides, youths who are benefiting from the programme are more in number than the entire Adamawa Civil Service package.

            Apart from the political scene which has portrayed Adamawa State as a turbulent pandemonium there is concrete development introduced by Nyako since he assumed duty as the state governor in 2007.

  • Lagos 2015 guber race: Ikorodu stakeholders lobby Dabiri

    Lagos 2015 guber race: Ikorodu stakeholders lobby Dabiri

    The forthcoming general election  in Lagos State has been generating heat with groups and individuals angling for ascendancy in the build-up to the polls. In this piece, Remi Adelowo appraises the agitation of Ikorodu Division to produce the next governor of Lagos State.

    For so long, the issue of the alleged marginalisation of the people of Ikorodu in the politics of Lagos State has been on for some time with the affected people discussing the issue in the comfort of their homes and offices until recently when a member of the lower legislative chamber provided a platform to accentuate their misgivings.

    Honourable Abike Dabiri, the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora stirred the honest nest when her move to empower her constituents soon turned to a forum for agitation by the people.

    Their specific request was that the ruling party should look at the direction of their division for the next occupant of Lagos Government House when the tenure of the incumbent governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, runs its full course next year.

    No doubt, the three-term lawmaker is facing yet another challenge in her political career.

    The challenge has to do with the calls from her constituents for her to take a shot at the plum office.

    For those not too familiar with the political configuration of Lagos, the state is divided into three senatorial zones, among the five administrative divisions, namely Lagos Island, Epe, Ikeja, Badagry and Ikorodu divisions.

    Of all the divisions, only the Ikorodu and Badagry divisions are yet to produce a governor for the state since its creation in 1967. The only time an indigene from Ikorodu mounted the office was during the military administration of late Group -Captain Gbolahan Mudasiru in the short lived Muhammadu Buhari-led military junta.

    Citing the perceived injustice, stakeholders from the area are alleging that the leadership of the APC may have accepted to zone the office to the area.

    The case of Ikorodu division has further been boosted by the fact that their kith and kin in Epe had produced Micheal Agbolade Otedola in the Third Republic. Ironically, this presumption that the zone may produce the next governor of Lagos State has already pitched the people of Ikorodu Division against their Epe kith and kin.

    To give vent to their aspirations, the traditional rulers in the zone have been mobilising their subjects towards realising the objective.

    With the field wide open to sons and daughters of Ikorodu Division to take a shot at the plum job, some prominent indigenes had approached Abike Dabiri-Erewa to join the Lagos State governorship race.

    The right occasion provided itself during the recent empowerment of her constituents in Ikorodu Town Hall last Saturday when the call for her candidature became more deafening with the preponderance of opinion asking her to contest, saying the state was ripe for a female governor.

    Present at the event, which took place at the Ikorodu Town Hall included a former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief Abiodun Ogunleye and a former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun.

    The traditional ruler of Ikorodu land, Oba Salaudeen Oyefeso, was represented by his wife, Hajia Muibat, who set the tone for discussion on the occasion by calling on Dabiri-Erewa to consider the possibility of joining the race.

    Speaking on behalf of her spouse, Oyefusi said, “Dabiri-Erewa has all it takes to be a capable governor. She has our support and we urge the party to give her the ticket.”

    Oyefusi commended the lawmaker for her outstanding gifts and empowerment scheme, which have provided means of livelihood to many families.

    “Abike Dabiri-Erewa has, no doubt, distinguished herself in her current political assignment and it will not be out of place to place in her a higher responsibility.

    What more, Lagos State, being the centre of excellence, will be scoring another milestone if it elects the first democratically elected female governor in Nigeria in 2015.”