The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Filani joins race for vice chairman

    Filani joins race for vice chairman

    The Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chief Ishola Filani, has declared his ambition for the national vice chairmanship of the party.

    But the Southwest congress, which is expected to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, before the national convention billed for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will not hold, until after the national convention. The zonal chapter is engulfed with protracted crises.

    Party sources said that Filani will slug it out with former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni, who was shoved aside from the National Executive Committee (NEC), following complaints that the zonal congress that produced him at Osogbo, the Osun State capital, did not follow the laid down rules. Many are also kicking at Filani’s ambition, saying that, as the interim zonal leader, he should not have vied for any position.

    However, a prominent PDP chieftain in Ekiti State said that Oni, who was supported by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is exploring ways of bouncing back through legal means. He also said that the former governor will not approach the election in a do-or-die manner. “The position is zoned to Ekiti. Both Filani and Engineer Oni are from Ekiti. Oni is a gentleman and, since it appears President Goodluck Jonathan and the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, are backing Filani, he may not contest again”.

    Before his appointment as the Southwest PDP interim chairman, Filani was a special adviser to the National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur. Although he is not a member of the Obasanjo camp, he has consistently paid respect to the former President as a key factor in the ruling party. Recently, Filani had also engaged the Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Commodore Bode George (rtd) in a war of words, describing him as a drowning politician.

    Following the declaration of intention by Filani, who is the Asiwaju of Egbeobaland, the party has appointed a party chieftain from Lagos, Mr. Deji Doherty, to act as the caretaker chairman.

    However, the contest for the national secretary has polarised the Southwest, following the moves by Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Mr. Owolabi Salis and Dr. Remi Akitoye to contest against the zonal consensus candidate, Prof. Wale Oladipo, who was endorsed for the position at a party meeting in Ibadan.

    It is believed that the position was zoned to Osun State, where Oladipo and the former national secretary, General Olagunsoye Oyinlola, come from. But Doherty explained that, if other aspirants-Adeniran (Ekiti), Salis and Akitoye (Lagos)-insist that they will participate in the race, they are at liberty to exercise their rights.

    Oyinlola is still in court to reclaim the seat, claiming that the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the PDP congresses and convention did not find fault with his election as the national secretary at the zonal congress.

    Doherty said that the zone is ready for the special congress and convention, adding that PDP will emerge a stronger party after the exercise. He added: “Chief Ishola Filani has stepped aside as the Southwest Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party to contest for the position of the national vice chairman. The congress where the election will take place will hold at Ibadan, Oyo State at the date to be announced soon.

    “For the position of the national secretary, which is also zoned the Southwest, Prof. Wale Oladipo is the consensus candidate. There are others aspirants who are warming up. They have the right to participate in the election too.”

  • Balewa: Presidency is nobody’s birthright

    Bauchi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Dr. Abduljhalili Balewa is the son of former Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He spoke with reporters in Lagos on the reconciliation efforts in the party, agitation for power shift by the North and national security. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

    What is the solution to the insecurity in the North?

    There is no river without a source. A lot of bad decisions, dry decisions have been made by past leaders. In the olden days, politicians used to tell the people what they were going to do. I am going to build bridges, construct roads and all of that. All those ones have now gone overboard. Now, it is a case of which religion or ethnicity you represent. There are many educated young men in the Northeast that have not been employed. Programmes such as SURE-P, YOU WIN are however, benefitting these unemployed youths and empowering them. But for a very long time, a lot of these politicians had access to these young people and they were using them as political hooligans and jettisoned them after election. These young men have internalised all these and that was why, when the unrest first started, you can see that they were attacking government establishments and installations because those were the people who used and abandoned them.

    Unfortunately, this was linked to the fact that they were fighting western education. That of course is not true because the question is: how many illiterates can man and time bombs? How many illiterates can have the military know-how to attack military formations? Many of our youths lack access to opportunities and jobs. The devil always finds jobs for idle hands. We need to start engaging these idle hands.

    Do you think that the amnesty programme for the Boko Haram sect is working, despite the amount spent so far on security in the troubled region?

    To say the amnesty programme is not working is erroneous. Last year, the government spent close to N1 trillion on security votes. But that is terrible because it could have gone into education, healthcare reforms, among others. Our monitoring and evaluation skills have to be sharpened so that we are not just going to be pouring water into basket. We should be able to monitor how the money goes out.

    There is a dearth and a vacuum left for this present administration by previous governments. This is what this government is correcting. As you can see, the bloodshed appeared to have simmered in the last couple of months and it is going on. A lot of dialogue has been going on with these young people.

    There are many young men within this militant faction who are even ignorant of what Boko Haram insurgency is all about, but there may be politicians who are encouraging them, a totally different vigilante. Until we are able to get to the root of it, there will be a wide range in dialogue.

    Prominent Northerners have been agitating for power shift in 2015. What is your position on this?

    It is okay to agitate that power must shift to the North or to the South, but it is the voters that is important here. If you are able to convince the citizenry and they agree with you, they will vote for you. In democracy, the position is not as like what you get in the traditional feudal system.

    It is not a God-given right whereby when you get there, you will stay there until you die. This is about politics. It is about trying to convince the citizenry on how best your programmes and thoughts are. Not everyone could be a billionaire either. But God has done in a way that in this kind of democracy, everybody needs to work harder. It is not about right. President Goodluck Jonathan, as a citizen of Nigeria, has every right to run for a second term.

    Against the background of his performance, does he deserve a second term and will you vote for him?

    You can count on me. I will vote for him. There has never been any Nigerian President, since independence until now, that has done so well in appointing women that constitute like half of our population to ministries and embassies across the world. Terrorism, as many people seem not to notice, often take a long time before it could be calmed down. Take a look at Iraq, Syria, the Philippines of old and even, Ireland ,where you can say there was a long ethnic crises and you will see that Nigeria’s case is improving. Of course, Nigeria is in dire need of peace and that is not only in the North East but also the South as well. Today, Nigerian currency is getting stable and stronger.

    But will the protracted crises not consume the PDP before the next election?

    It is an internal wrangling. We will find a way of settling it. We will sort it out. I am a card-carrying member of the PDP and I believe that the PDP is the only real national party in Nigeria. The other regional parties recently came together under the platform of the APC. I think it is good that we have an opposition party. It is a learning process. But they are not there yet. As time goes on, I think they can as well grow.

    What is your reaction to the Rivers State crisis, which the President has mismanaged?

    How can the President be accused of mismanaging it? It is not a national crisis. It is a Rivers State crisis. But frankly speaking, everywhere in Nigeria, our culture is that, whatever we call head, you don’t walk on it. There is a President and a governor in the same family. The President is like the elder brother to the governor. There should be a conference of ideas, whereby the older brother should be able to talk to his younger brother and advise him. The crisis in Rivers State is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is just that every individual has different methods of managing crisis. I believe very soon, the issues will be resolved.

  • ‘Agitation for power shift to North is laughable’

    ‘Agitation for power shift to North is laughable’

    Senator Chris Ukpabi was elected into the Second Republic  Senate on the platform of the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) from Imo State. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elder from Abia State spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU  in Lagos on the crisis rocking the ruling party and other issues. 

    What is responsible for the protracted crises in the PDP?

    I wouldn’t call it crisis. It is a question of somebody wanting to occupy a position and another wanting to occupy the same position. And that is life. Somebody can’t tell you I want to be President or governor and you just allow him. In democracy, people struggle. The very moment you say you want a position, there would be disagreement, naturally. And as a mature political grouping, we disagree to agree.

    Don’t you think the crisis is a cause for alarm, in view of the emergence of APC?

    There is nothing like that. I can tell you there is no cause for alarm. I am telling you that we will settle the matter. Anybody who thinks we are down and out because of this crisis must be joking. They will be making a big mistake. In fact, for me, we will be stronger than ever. Didn’t you see those days when Chief Akin Omoboriowo and the rest of them would kick themselves and still come back together? That is what you call politics.

    What has Jonathan Administration done, which makes you to think that the President’s re-election bid should be supported by Nigerians?

    He is humane and he looks at matters very dispassionately. He gets along with people. He has come to show Nigerians that politics is not a do- or – die affair. And because of his Christian nature, knowing that he has reached the peak, he now decides to take everybody as himself, believing that it is better to make people realise their mistakes than to force them.

    A number of times, people have tried to mess him up. They use languages that are not very complimentary to the President of a country. But he has not reacted. This is a man who has all the powers. If he says ,kill it happens, and if he says, spare it happens. But he decides to follow the part of peace and love for every human being that comes around him. That is very unique.

    But his critics see this as weakness…

    It does not show any sign of weakness. It is not for you to start hitting people back because there is strength and valour in making sure that the man who has insulted you is shown kindness. That is why the religious side of it is better. You don’t go to and take revenge; leave God to do the rest for you. And anybody who says that is weakness may not know the will of God for you.

    In concrete terms, what has the administration achieved?

    There is no President, governor, chairman of local government that can handle all the problems around him. They come in, do their bit, and move on. That is the background around which I will lay out some things he has done. Look at the railway system that has been moribund for so many years. Many people from my own place who speak Hausa today do so because they are offsprings of those who worked in the Railway Corporation. And that has helped in binding the country together.

    Now, from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, it is only a small place in Aba, that is left; it would have been completed. Look at the Lagos to Kano route, people can now use it. And the more you use these rails, the more our roads last longer. It makes me remember those days when we used to go to secondary schools. We will just jump into the train. Sometime,s we don’t pay. We get to the next station, we stop. Look at electricity; he has taken it to a whole new level. I was reading one of the reports and it stated that, from 1999 till Jonathan came into office, we were still using only 2000 megawatts.

    Is that the reason he is seeking for a second term?

    There are other areas. Go to the agriculture. We are almost 60 percent self-sufficient in the production of rice. But not only that, look at the jobs it has brought. It is something to be glad about. If you know the amount of money we used in importing rice in the past, you will know that he has done so well. He will do the much he can do and leave the rest for others. There are a lot of areas that Jonathan has shown he is ready to work. Last year, as someone from the Southeast, we were afraid where we would be in a position to get to our villages. The roads were so bad, but he set up a team. Incidentally, the chairman of that team is my friend and they had to do the roads. Now, I can drive from Abuja here to my place in the East without any problem.

    Look at the Second Niger Bridge. Our people were jubilating and praising God when Julius Berger mobilised to the site to start work. Most of these things have been left all along and this young man is doing them. Why don’t we appreciate him for once. I am sure people can travel through our airports in recent times and you would be proud to say you are a Nigerian. Before now, it was an eyesore. But toda, it is very beautiful. These are things Jonathan would be remembered for within such a short time, just two years. I was reading somewhere where somebody was scoring him low. Unfortunately, for those writings, they were hooking the failures of the past administrations on him. How can you? If you are looking at past administrations, then, blame those responsible for that and praise him for what he has done within such a short period.

    Why is indiscipline rampant in your party?

    What I can tell you is that there is no where you can have 100 percent perfection. As far as I am concerned, they are doing the best they can. Don’t forget that, if you go to the extreme, more problems are going to emerge. But as far as party discipline is concerned, there is the party constitution and I don’t expect anybody to go above that. It is just like when people accuse Jonathan of corruption.

    I laugh because there is no government that can come on its own and start hitting people because they did one thing or the other that is not supposed to be done. The right thing is to hand it over to the law enforcement agencies. Jonathan and his team have set up institutions that should handle these things. We have the EFCC, ICPC, the courts; these are the people that should take care of those things. If you just come on your own, outside the purview of the law, then, you are heading for anarchy. As far as I am concerned, nobody will expect 100 percent, but they have done the best they can.

    Some Northern leaders and elders are agitating for power shift to their the North. What is your reaction?

    It is a laughing matter. They are merely playing out a script, which had been handed over to them by that our respected leader from the North, Sarduana of Sokoto. That is the script they are playing out. On the 12th of October, 1960, that highly respected sage said this nation called Nigeria is their own private property bequeathed to them by their great grandfather, Usman Danfodio, and that they will resist any change in power. Take note, he said they will resist any change in power; that the minorities of the North will be manipulated while the South will be regarded as conquered territory.

    This is the script they are playing out. Unfortunately, they cannot do that. How can they be talking about this now after how many years of Nigeria’s independence? The Northerners have ruled for more than 38 years. Others are also entitled to be there. You can’t rule for 38 years and expect others to continue to look at you. Nobody will take it.

    Now, these 38 years, they maintained that they were military. But, I want to tell you this, whether civilian or military, they are Northerners.

  • Governors for Senate, Senators for governor

    Politics is in the air. Ahead of the 2015 general elections, politicians have returned to the drawing board. Many governors want to go to the Senate. Many Senators and House of Representatives members want to become governors. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN write on the ambitions of the governors and legislators and their implications for governance.

     

    It is the season of endorsement of aspirants for the governorship and Senate. Party supporters, cronies, and loyalists are part of the game being hatched to intimidate political opponents and convey real or imagined impression of political superiority. In some cases, crowds are rented to sing praises of the contenders. Traditional rulers, community leaders, women and youth groups, and clerics are also motivated to lend support. Across the six geo-political zones, the story is almost the same.

    Periodic elections are the primary gains of democratic political stability in this dispensation. The exercise creates opportunities for choice and change of leadership at the federal and state levels. Usually, the electoral process is a nightmare because of the struggle for few elective positions by many aspirants. The number of aspirants is inversely proportional to the number of the vacant slots. For governorship and federal parliamentary elections, the battle is fierce. Following the completion of a round of elections, the preparation for another round begins.

    In the United States of America (USA), which has set the pace for the practice of the presidential system, the practice is that governors and senators would want to become the President. In terms of hierarchy, the senator is senior to the governor. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Many factors are responsible. The political culture of zoning, which is not backed by the 1999 Constitution, often excludes many governors from the presidential race, if it is not the turn of their geo-political zones. Yet, as party leaders in their respective states, the governors control the party structures. They personalise power and use their enormous financial muscles to a maximum advantage by dictating who gets what, where and how during elections. Since 2003, except in few instances, no governor, federal and state parliamentarian, minister and council chairman has emerged without the input and endorsement of the governor.

    Governors from the ruling parties are reluctant to serve under their colleague, the former governor-turned President, as ministers because a minister does not enjoy a permanent tenure. Since 2007, no former governor, who was appointed as a minister, stayed in the office for four years. The trend is that they ‘retire’ into the Senate as backbenchers. In 2007, the population of former governors in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly was four. They are Senator Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara State), Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Senator Ken Nnamani (Enugu), and Senator Ahmed Adamu (Sasarawa) In 2011, it rose to 11 when former Governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Ali Modu Sherif (Bornu), George Akume (Benue), Bukar Abba Ibrahim 1(Yobe) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau) were elected senators. However, in 2015, it may rise to 25.

    In the Second Republic, two senators, Cornelius Adebayo (Kwara) and Don. Etiebet (Cross River), blazed the trail, when they became governors in 1983. In 1999, Senator Bola Tinubu became Lagos State governor. In 2003, Senator Rashidi Ladoja became the governor of Oyo State. Now, Senators Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), and Liyel Imoke (Cross River) are governors.

    Many senators acknowledged that some former governors-turned senators have endowed their senatorial seats with honour and visibility. They have spoken without fear and exhibited maturity. For example, Senator Saraki blew the whistle on the oil subsidy saga. The activities of some of them have also ensure stability in the Senate and contributed to the effective management of crisis between the Presidency and National Assembly.

     

    Recycling leaders

    Political scientists have explained why politics, which is a vocation, has become a career for the ‘professional’ politicians. While some aspirants perceive their next political office as a call to service to the state, others perceive the corridor of power as an avenue for private accumulation. The former works hard to erect lasting legacies. The latter merely strives for relevance and pecks of office.

    A political scientist, Boniface Ayodele, reflected on the desire for upward political mobility by the senators and governors, stressing that the polity tended to permit a situation whereby leaders are recycled. He explained that African leaders are usually reluctant to leave power, pointing out that the 1999 Constitution, which specifies a definite tenure, is the saving grace for democracy. Ayodele alluded to a “cult of leadership,” which has made the polity to become a fiefdom dominated by certain powerful figures, who are entrenched in the system. “What is happening is elite circulation”, he said, adding that the entrenched powers have become the “gate keepers and gate closers” in the polity. “The governors are evolving political families created in their own image and it may be extremely difficult for anybody outside the circle to get into political office. As gate keepers, they prevent a lot from entering political offices; as gate closers, they shut the gate after admitting their men. The polity is dominated by power barons,” Ayodele stressed.

    The University of Ado-Ekiti teacher said the governors in the Senate may enjoy the tenure for a long time, since the Senate has no terminal tenure, until the time they may not be in the good book of their successors or when they are toppled as the leader of the political establishment in their respective states. “It has advantages and disadvantages. The governors in the senate may act as agents of political stability and compendium of knowledge of administration and governance. If the craving for wealth is not their goal, they can make impact as statesmen and fathers of the nation in the National Assembly. But some of them may also be firing salvos from the Senate to their governors and other competitors for power in their states, thereby creating tension”, Ayodele added.

    He lamented that the governors are now pre-occupied with their future ambitions than governance. He said: “When politicians win elections in Nigeria, they start to prepare for another election. Performance in office should be the creteria for upward political mobility. But it is no so in Nigeria.”

     

    Governors eyeing the Senate

    Akpabio

    The two-term governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio, declared his senatorial ambition last year. He was the first Chief Executive to have unfolded his plan for the Senate. It sparked off a controversy. The incumbent Senator, Alloy Etuk, was said to have been enraged. But party sources said that Etuk was not on the dark from the beginning. He knew that the governor would definitely edge him out in 2015. Today, Akpabio is the political leader of Akwa Ibom State. He is loved by many people because of his developmental programmes. He is hated by the opposition and rivals in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Since the beginning of this year, various groups have been holding endorsement rallies to support his aspiration. Traditional rulers are not left out. His political profile is soaring because he has continued to advertise the “uncommon transformation”, which has endeared him to the people. Recently, Senator Etuk alleged that Akpabio unleashed his “hit squad” on him. He also alleged that he had been receiving threat text messages advising him to renounce his ambition for another term. But the governor dismissed the allegation as “paranoid, deceitful, baseless and mere hallucinations that serve no purpose”.

    Many also criticise Akpabio for opposing the decision of the former Secretary to Government, Okon Umana, to run for governor. They said that it is unfair, unjust and unkind for Akpabio to object to the ambition of Umana when he is working assiduosuly to realise his own ambition.

     

    Nyako

    Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State will complete his second term in two year’s time. Party chieftains confided that pressures may be put on him by his camp to contest for the Senate, so that he can remain relevant in the state. In 2007 when he became the governor, he did not nurse the ambition. But former President Olusegun Obasanjo advised him to declare his interest. The former President was looking for a strong man, who could assist in checkmating his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the state. Nyako, who was leading a PDP reconciliation team in the Southwest, accepted the challenge. The former military governor and Chief of Naval Staff was assisted by gthe Presidency to win the election. In 2011, he was re-elected. The combined forces of Atiku, Prof. Jubril Aminu and Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), have failed to checkmate the governor.

    What is not certain is whether he will remain in the PDP to realise his senatorial ambition or contest on the platform of another political party. Nyako and other four PDP governors are alalegedly floating a new party, the Voice of the People (VOP). But, if he chooses to stay in the ruling party, it may be difficult for him to win the party’s ticket because of the war of attrition between him and the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who is also from Adamawa State.

     

    Shema

    Governor Ibrahim Shema is a pro-Jonathan governor. But sources said that eyes are on him as the North intensifies its agitation for power shift. He is loved by the Northern elders. But he is also President Jonathan’s ally. If the North fails in its push for power shift, the only option for political career advancement for the Katsina governor is the Senate. The governor of Katsina State is eyeing a senatorial seat in 2015.

    Shema was initially endorsed by the Presidency for the chairmanship of the troubled Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). He is one of the few governors who have the ears of the President. Picking the PDP ticket for the senatorial election may not be a problem for him. The Katsina PDP is in his pocket. His greatest challenge is the growing popularity of the newly registered All Progressive Congress (APC). One of its leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), is an indigene of Katsina State.

     

    Wamakko

     

    Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko is among the five PDP governors pushing for reforms in the party. Fate had catapulted him to the number one seat from the position of the deputy governor in 2007. The PDP governorship candidate and former Water Resources Minister, Alhaji Mukthar Shagari, was persuaded by Obasanjo to step down for the ANPP defector. Wamakko is a man of few words. People who are close to him said that when he is annoyed, his anger is like that of the thunder. The governor is popular in the Northwest zone. When the PDP suspended him for ant-party activities few months ago, the entire zone rejected the punitive measure. It was a sort of popularity test for the governor. Party chieftains, including the Northwest zonal leader, Alhaji Ibrahim Kazaure, and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, attended the solidarity rally held for him on his return from abroad. Tukur and President Jonathan saw the handwriting on the wall and retraced their steps. The suspension was lifted without delay. Wamakko and Senator Maccido will slug it out at the primaries, if the senator does not step down for the governor.

     

    Aliyu

    Ebullient and folk-tongued Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu is a controversial figure. The retired federal permanent secretary from Niger East is the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum. He had earlier declared his presidential ambition in a radio programme. He disclosed that President Jonathan signed an agreement with the PDP governors from the North that he would serve one term as a condition for endorsing his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election. The governor has not released the agreement to the press. He has also failed to clarify whether it is a written or oral agreement. But the Presidency has denied the existence of any agreement. Since Aliyu let the cat out of the bag, peace has continued to elude the biggest party in Africa. Yet, the experienced technocrat-turned politician cannot underrate the power of the Presidency. Sources said that the unfolding events within the PDP may have influenced Aliyu to change his mind on his presidential ambition. He is now said to be eyeing the Senate.

     

    Lamido

    Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State is an experienced politician from the Jigawa Central. In the Third Republic, he was the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 1999, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. His second term as the governor will elapse on 2015. Lamido is not a politician that will quit the stage soon. He has presidential ambition. Obasanjo has tactically threw his weight behind him. The former President was in Dutse, the capital, to commission the projects completed by the governor at a time he was expected in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on ‘Democracy Day’ as the guest of President.

    Lamido is among the five PDP governors fighting the party. But there is no evidence that he will defect from the party. He is perceived as a performing governor because of his people-oriented projects. Party sources said that Jigawa Central will not object to his senatorial ambition in 2015.

     

    Suswam

    Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State is eyeing the Benue Northeast Senatorial District. His senatorial ambition has pitched him against Senator Barnabas Gemade, who is interested in a second term. Suswam was in the House of Representatives when Gemade was the PDP national chairman. Now, the Benue Northeast PDP is polarised by the two gladiators. The last local government primaries was bloody. The supporters of the governor and senator clashed.

    Gemade’s supporters have accused the governor of mischief and conspiracy against his constituents. They said that he has disrespected Gemade, a party elder. But Suswam’s supporters have objected to the claim, saying that the men of the old order should vacate the stage for the younger ones.

    Suswam is one of the Jonathan “boys” in the Nigerian Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and PDP Governors’ Forum. Definitely, he has the backing of the President for his senatorial ambition. Analysts predict a tough senatorial shadow poll in the Benue Northeast District.

     

    Jang

    The latest information from Plateau State is that Governor Jonah is interested in representing the Plateau North Senatorial District at the National Assembly in 2015. This cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand, judging by the fact that the governor agreed to become the factional NGF chairman, in a bid to become more relevant. Party insiders confide that Jang had perfected a smooth entry into the Senate when he sponsored his former Chief of Staff, Mr Gyang Pwajok, for the position last year, following the death of Senator Gyang Dantong. Observers say Pwajok is holding the position in trust for Jang. Jang’s tenure in the last six years has witnessed several ethno-religious crises, which led to the loss of many lives and property.

    Jang is at the centre of the NGF crisis. He lost the chairmanship election with 16 votes to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled19. Yet, Jank, who has the backing of the Presidency, claimed that he won.

     

    Chime

    Governor Sullivan Chime is likely to take over the Enugu senatorial seat occupied by the Senate Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu. The incumbent senator is eyeing the Enugu Government House. It is a dicey situation. Both Chime and Ekweremadu are from the same district. The governor has maintained that the governorship should shift to Enugu North. If Chime and Ekweremadu decide to lock horns, it will be a messy race.

     

    Imoke

    Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke had served as a senator and minister before he was elected as the governor in 2007. As he bows out in 2015, age will still be on his side. Party sources said that he is eyeing the Central District seat, which the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, had occupied since 2003. Many believe that Ndoma-Egba may not vie again, after spending 12 years in the Senate.

    Imoke, who represented the district between 1992 and 1993, may return to the Senate without a serious opposition from his party.

     

    Kwakwanso

    In the Third Republic, Musa Kwakwanso was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Between 1999 and 2003, he was the governor of Kano State. He lost to Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau of the ANPP in 2003. But former President Obasanjo made him the Minister of Defence. He regained the lost seat in 2011. He has not given hints about his next move, but sources close to him said that he is nursing senatorial ambition.

     

    Amaechi

    Contrary to speculations that Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is nursing a vice presidential ambition, sources close to him said that the governor actually wants to go to the senate in 2015. That was before the PDP crisis engulfed his state.

     

    Alao-Akala

    Former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is scheming to get the PDP senatorial ticket in the Oyo North District.. He will struggle for the ticket with his political associate, Senator Hosea Agboola, who is currently occupying the seat. Agboola was Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the Alao-Akala Administration. Agboola, who hails from Okeogun area, is relying on the goodwill of his people and his philanthropy activities to retain the seat. But Alao-Akala believes his popularity as a former governor transcends Ogbomosho, his country home. The former governor is very active and he is the arrowhead of the polarised PDP chapter. President Jonathan has confidence in him. In fact, when it was impossible for former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State to properly coordinate the President’s campaign in the Southwest in 2011, he asked Alao-Akala to take over the role.

     

    Daniel

    Otunba Gbenga Daniel left power as the governor of Ogun State in 2011. When it was obvious that he would lose out in the power game with Obasanjo, President Jonathan advised him to conceed the governorship to Obasanjo camp, so that he could negotiate for the Ogun East senatorial ticket. The governor agreed.But when he tabled the matter before his associates, they kicked against it, saying that he had the power of incumbency to defeat Obasanjo and the ACN. It was a miscalculation. He lost out in the PDP. His PPN also failed at the polls. Today, Daniel is seeking refuge in the Labour Party (LP). He is said to be taking the previous advise given to him by the President seriously, but in a wrong manner. Will he achieve in the LP what he failed to achieve in the PDP? Time will tell.

     

    Federal legislators eyeinggovernorship

     

    The senators and House of Representatives members eyeing the governorship are not expected to resign from the National Assembly, when they become governorship candidates.

     

    Solomon

     

    Senator Ganiyu Solomon represents Lagos West District in the Senate. He declared his ambition to vie for the 2015 governorship election on the television, almost a year ago. He is the former Chairman of Mushin Council and member of House of Representatives. In 2007, former Lagos State Governor Tinubu opted out of the senatorial race and the ticket landed on Solomon’s palm. His ambition has caused a stir. Other aspirants who have not come out openly may have been relating to him as the number one rival. Solomon is not a baby politician in Lagos State. He has the network. He is also rooted in the grassroots. Many perceive him as a political mobiliser and a close associate of Asiwaju Tinubu. It is not the first time Solomon will be eyeing the governorship. In 2007, he was among the 14 Alliance for Democracy (AD) aspirants itching to succeed Tinubu. His supporters have started canvassing for open primaries for the aspirants. In 2015, Solomon will slug it out with the House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mr Abiru, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Senator Gbenga Ashafa, if they join the race.

     

    Bamidele

     

    House of Representatives member from Ekiti Central Constituency and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele has declared his intention to rule Ekiti State. Observers attribute the development in the Ekiti progressive camp to the personality clash between him and his compatriot, Governor Kayode Fayemi. Party sources said that the APC may prevail on the federal legislator to jettison the ambition to erace the impression that there is a crack on the wall, ahead of the poll.

     

    Akinlade

     

    Abiodun Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives from Yewa (Ogun West), has declared his ambition for the governorship. The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain became a legislator in 2011 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He is now a chieftain of the APC. Akinlade unfolded his plan to rule the Gateway State at a time Governor Amosun is seeking re-election. A chieftain of the APC in Ogun State, Otunba Deinde Banjo, said that Akinlade is joining the race without sparing a thought for the political developments in the state. He said that it will be difficult for him to defeat Amosun at the primaries because the governor has lived to expectation. The legislator has objected to this. He said he will perform better than the governor, if elected. Akinlade maintained that power should shift to Yewaland, claiming that no indigene of the old Egbado Division has occupied the State House. Sources said that he may defect to the LP to realise his ambition. However, analysts are of the opinion that, if he waits till 2019, he can succeed Amosun.

     

    Ekwunife

     

    Another House of Representatives member, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife of APGA, indicated her interest in the Anambra governorship early this year. She is a veteran governorship aspirant. Although the politician is popular in her constituency, some forces in the party have aborted her dream as they did in 2009. She lost her deposit at the recent APGA primaries.

     

    Lanlehin

     

    The senator representing Oyo South, Olufemi Lanlehin, is a lawyer and seasoned politician. He inherited political skills from his illustrious father, the late Pa. S.O. Lanlehin, one of the pioneer members of the Western Regional House of Assembly from Ibadan and treasurer of the defunct Action Group (AG) led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In the Third Republic, he was a member of the House of Representatives. Between 1999 and 2002, he was Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters in Lagos State. Until last week, when the party leaders brokered peace between him and Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the senator was a serious contender for the governorship in the Oyo APC. In 2011, he was an aspirant. But he was prevailed upon by party leaders to step down for Ajimobi, who has been endorsed as the consensus candidate by the party. However, Lanlehin has not renounced his governorship ambition.

     

    Okowa

     

    Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is from Delta North, a district that is mainly populated by Anioma people. The Aniomas have been agitating for power shift because they have not filled the slot before. Therefore, they are insisting that it is the turn of the district to produce the next governor. Power shift, Okowa explained, will give the people of Anioma a sense of pride and belonging. Besides, he said that power shift will foster equity and justice in the state. If this sentiment gains the sympathy of the other ethnic groups , then, Okowa has prospects as an aspirant. The senator is a former Secretary to the State Government. His constituents are impressed by his performance in the Upper Chamber, where he chairs the Senate Committee on Health.

    No fewer than 15 aspirants are in the race for the Delta State Government House. Five of them are in public office. Leading the pack is the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who hails from Delta South like Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. It has been speculated that Orubebe was anointed by the Presidency to succeed the governor in 2015. But the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has kicked against the choice of Orubebe by President Jonathan. The rejection of Orubebe by Clark, who is perceived by many as the political godfather of the President, may make it difficult for Orubebe to achieve his governorship ambition.

    The recent entry of the Special Adviser to the President on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, may have also affected Okonwa’s calculations. He is also from the Delta North. Sources said that prominent indigenes of Delta North are backing him. Among them are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and former Managing Director of United Bank of Africa, Mr Tony Elumelu. Others in the race are a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Festus Okunbor, also from Delta North, Victor Ochei, and former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, a former Minister and the Speaker Delta House of Assembly.

     

    Gaya

     

    In Kano State Senator Kabiru Gaya, who was the governor of the state in the Third Republic, is staging a come back. He is a serving senator and a chieftain of the APC.

     

    Kawu

     

    A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulrahaman Kawu Sumaila, has been nursing governorship ambition since 2011. He is also in the APC. He was endorsed by some groups in the defunct ANPP last year.

     

    Okonkwo

     

    Senator Annie Okonkwo is one of the chieftains of the APC. He is interested in contesting for the Anambra governorship. But the endorsement of his rival, Dr. Chris Ngige, by the Southeast APC may be a setback to his aspiration.

     

    Arise

     

    Senator Ayo Arise was in the Senate between 2007 and 2011. The politician from Oye-Ekiti is struggling for the Ekiti governorship ticket on the platform of the PDP.

     

    Aluko

     

    Also, in Ekiti, Senator Gbenga Aluko, a PDP chieftain from Ode-Ekiti, who was in the lone PDP senator in the Southwest in 1999, is struggling for the governorship tickect in the state. He is also agitating for power shift to Ekiti South, based on the controversial zoning principle.

     

    Ningi

     

    Senator Abdul Ningi represents Bauchi Central in the Senate. Before his elevation into the Senate, he was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years. His brilliant contributions to House debate won him the respect of his fellow legislators. He was the Majority Leader of the House during his tenure. As the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Ningi is very close to the Presidency and maintains a good working relationship with the seat of power. The senator is also in the good book of Governor Isa Yuguda. However, zoning may affect his chance of becoming the governor. The people of Bauchi North Senatorial District claim that it is their turn to produce the governor. They argued that, since 1999, the zone has produced the governor. The last time that Bauchi North produced the governor was in 1979 when the late Alhaji Tatari Ali was elected on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

     

    Ngige

     

    Senator Chris Ngige is itching to return to Government House , Awka to continue his transformation agenda in Anambra State. He has been endorsed by the Southeast APC for the position. Ngige was elected as the governor in 2003, but his election was nullified by the tribunal. While in power, he embarked on massive road construction, thereby opening up the rural areas. These projects endeared him to the common people. Ngige’s name is synonymous with road construction. He contested for the Senate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defeating Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), despite the fact that APGA is the ruling party. Ngige is the deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Health.

    A grassroots politician, Ngige is from Anambra Central. He enjoys the goodwill of the people. He will rely on the same goodwill to prosecute his governorship project. He has touched many lives through his economic empowerment programme. His party, the APC, has not zoned the governorship ticket to any zone.

     

    Uba

     

    Senator Andy Uba from Anambra South has failed to emerge as the PDP governorship candidate for Anambra State. He had a brief stint as governor in 2007 for 14 days before he was deposed by the court. The role played by the Ubah ‘s family in the political drama that eased out former Governor Ngige is still fresh in the memory. Andy and his brother, Chris, deployed their huge financial resources to make a point. When he was elected as the senator, reality dawned on his detractors that he was still popular. Uba enjoys the sympathy of the top party chieftains who denied him the ticket in 2011 in favour of former Central Bank Governor Charles Soludo. However, he has missed the chance again.

     

    Abe

     

    Before the crisis in the Rivers State PDP escalated, many members were rooting for Senator Magnus Abe as the likely successor to Amaechi. The senator is from Ogoniland, a zone that has not produced any governor. In fact, Amaechi is supporting power shift to this zone to correct the imbalance in the power sharing. However, it has been alleged that Mrs. Patience Jonathan, the wife of the President, preferred her fellow Okrika man, Nyesom Wike, Minster of State for Education, for the job.

    Abe’s choice was premised on his loyalty to the governor. He remains an ally of the governor during this turbulent period. But his ambition may hit the rock because the governor does not have control over the state PDP executive committee that will conduct the primaries.

    Prior to his election into the Senate, Abe was a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Information and Secretary to the Government. He is perceived as a man of integrity in public life. In the Senate, he is the Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream). He was the chairman of the Senate Joint Committees that probed the fuel subsidy scam

    .

    Ekweremadu

     

    Senator Ike Ekweremadu is the Senate Deputy President. He is a governorship aspirant in Enugu State. He was tipped for the job in 2007, following the expiration of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani’s second term. But the political family, Ebano Group. opposed his candidature. What makes observers to believe that Ekweremadu still nurses the ambition is the array of projects he has commissioned in his constituency. Many people have benefitted from his Ikeoha Foundation. he has the financial muscle required for the contest. He is also close to Aso Rock.

    But the zoning arrangement has knocked him out of the race. Ekweremadu is from Enugu West like Governor Chime. But the governor is has said that the slot would be zoned to the North. This has not deterred the senator, whose campaign posters have continued to adorn Enugu and Nsukka. The posters is a pointer to brewing feud between him and the governor.

     

    Eze

     

    Senator Ayogu Eze represents Enugu North in the Senate. Many believe he stands a better chance in the Enugu governorship race because he hails from Nsukka, which is favoured by the zoning. The last governor from the zone was Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, who ruled between 1992 and 1993. The zone accounts for 40 per cent of the voting population, according to the last national census.

    Ayogu has never hidden his ambition to become the governor of Enugu State, especially among his fellow senators. Senate President, David Mark refers to him as the “Enugu Government House” whenever he wants to gain his attention. He is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Works. However, the elite in the Nsukka axis perceive him as too ambitious. he has also not mended fences with the Nwodo brothers, who are his benefactors and mentors.

     

    Uzodinma

     

    Senator Hope Uzodinma is from Imo West Senatorial district. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was the head of the special panel set up to investigate the leadership crisis in the Taraba PDP. He’s also a member of the National Reconciliation Committee of the PDP mandated to unite warring factions in the states. The law maker is also very close to the chairman of the PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

     

    Anyanwu

     

    Senator Chris Anyanwu may not find it easy this time around in her bid to maintain her seat in 2015. This is because a different setting from the 2007 that worked in her favour is likely to emerge. She had wanted to contest the Imo East Senatorial seat on the platform of PDP, she was opposed by Mrs Kema Chikwe. she defected from the PDP to APGA, where she contested and won.

    She owed victory at the poll largely to the support given her by the former Interior Minister, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho. Even though Iheanacho belongs to the PDP, he was said to have supported Anyanwu greatly in actualising her ambition of returning to the Senate, despite the serious opposition from Chikwe and the former governor, Ikedi Ohakim. But she cannot be intimidated by any politician.

     

    Ihedioha

     

    House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha is warming up for the governorship race in Imo State. Ihedioha and Anyanwu are from the same zone and the implication is that they will share the votes from their senatorial district at the primaries.

     

    Nwogu

     

    Senator Nkechi Nwogu is a woman with a heart of steel and stone. She wants to make history as the first woman to be elected governor. Nwogu represents Abia Central in the Senate. She was a member of the House of Representatives. She was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking in the Sixth Senate. Now, she chairs the Senate Committee on Gas.

     

    Abaribe

     

    Senator Anyinnaya abaribe represents Abia South in the Upper Chamber. He came into limelight in 1999, when he was elected deputy governor. During his trying period as the deputy governor, he enjoyed tremendous support and sympathy from the political elite. Abaribe is a grassroots politician, which makes him popular among the youths and women, who constitute the bulk of voters in the state. He is the Senate’s spokesman.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘I’m still in race for Anambra governor’

    ‘I’m still in race for Anambra governor’

    Anambra State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant refuted the claim that he had stepped down for Senator Chris Ngige, who is also running for the governorship on the same platform.

    He said that he looked forward to the shadow poll, where the aspirants will test their popularity before the party delegates.

    Ezeemo spoke with reporters in Lagos on the activities of the party, especially the preparations for the November 16 election.

    He said: ‘’ I have not stepped down for anybody and will never do that. I have always believed in free and fair contest where the best candidate will emerge. I want to state unequivocally that I am still in the race for Anambra governorship under the platform of All Progressives Congress; a party I and other well meaning Anambra people worked hard to build”.

    “The rumour making the rounds that Chris Ngige has emerged was the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the November 16 Anambra election is baseless and unfounded.”

    He added: “Those who do not want to go to the polls to test their popularity and want to take power through the backdoor are clearly scared of my pedigree. I challenge them to the contest before Anambra people who have the ultimate right and final say on who governs them”.

    Ezeemo called for internal democracy in the APC, stressing that it is critical to its survival. He added: ‘’I have a very firm belief that free and fair primaries for the purpose of electing a flagbearer for our great party, All Progressives Congress, in the forth coming Anambra governorship elections will make our party stronger,” he said.

    The politician also advised APC leaders to always hold consultations with stakeholders before taking decisions on salient party matters.

    He said:”I stand for free, fair and credible primaries. No more, no less.”

     

     

  • APC’s day in Abeokuta

    APC’s day in Abeokuta

    A huge crowd of party supporters witnessed the launch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Assistant Editor AUGUSTINE AVWODE reports.

     

     

    Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, was in festive mood last Monday. It was the launching of the newly registered mega party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Even for first time visitors, signs that an important event was taking place in the rock city abound. From the countless buses, which were flamboyantly decorated with large posters of the party to the unusually heavy traffic, necessitating and endless hooting of car horns, heading for the Ake Palace Ground, venue of the event.

    By 10 am, amidst shouts of APC —Change!!!, all adjourning streets to the venue were completely taken over by party loyalists. The venue itself was already filled. Security men had a hectic time controlling the crowd made up of men, women, youths, students, different groups of artisans in their uniforms, and in particular, market women who were so distinctly adorned in the colour of the party, were all there. Large and imposing posters, proclaiming “mission to rebuild continues” and signed by different groups and individuals, hang strategically all over the venue.

    There was so much music, which electrified the venue. Shouts of ‘change!!!’ accompanied with thousands of broom waving hands, filled the crowd with sheer excitement. On the stage, fuji maestro Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde led Adewale Ayuba and Sefiu Alao to dish out the type of politically slanted music that suited the mood of the moment, thrilling the mammoth crowd. Comedian, Fadeyi Oloro provided endless hilarious displays.

    Chieftains of the defunct three parties from the local government areas the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which merged to form the APC, were visibly happy as they hugged one another in a show of unity and solidarity.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun made what could be described as a triumphant entry into the venue at about 1.30 pm, riding in an open roof jeep, accompanied by his wife and other party chieftains. Wasiu Ayinde spiced up the moment with a peculiar note for the Governor, whose trade mark cap – ‘fila gogoro’ was the point of reference. It took security operatives more efforts to clear the way for him to get to the platform, as he waved his broom and acknowledged cheers from the throng of supporters. Once on the platform, party chieftains who had arrived before, took time to greet him amidst dancing and singing.

    They include the Deputy Governor Chief Segun Adesegun, Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekanbi, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, the Iyalode of Egba, Chief Alaba Lawson, former Speaker, Hon Tunji Egbetokun, members of the state executive and some lawmakers from the state assembly, and of course the former three chairmen of the defunct parties Hon Sunday Sowunmi of the defunct ANPP, Alhaji Tajudeen Olaitan Bello of the defunct ACN and Hon Kunle Mudasiru of the defunct CPC. There was also the former Youths and Sports Commissioner, Fatai Sowemimo, among many others.

    As the session of greeting and waving ends, the National Anthem was played. It was followed immediately by the much loved Ogun State Anthem – Omo Ogun Ise Ya and opening prayers in both Christian and Islamic ways were offered to signify the commencement of the day’s business.

    One after another, representatives of the merging parties gave resounding goodwill messages . They spoke of the determination of the APC to reposition the country and give the people hope. They canvassed unity and togetherness amongst party loyalists and support for the administration of the Governor Amosun.

    While congratulating the party loyalists, Otunba Wasiu Olalekan of the defunct ANPP emphasised the fact that the three parties no longer exist but in their place, the APC has emerged in the state. He likened the new party to the Biblical Noah’s Ark, saying the APC was here to provide safety, security and succour for Nigerians.

    “Let me congratulate all of us for this good development. There is unity in strength and that is why we are here today under one platform instead of three different parties. Our former parties no longer exist. They are gone. There is no more ACN, there is no more ANPP and there is no more CPC. What we have today is APC.

    “We are lucky to be in the Ark of Noah. This party is the Noah’s Ark of our time. Tell others to come in because it has the capacity to provide safety, security, and succor for all Nigerians. The party is open to all. But let us be united. There is strength in unity. We are here to stay and give this country a new direction. Once more, let me congratulate you for being part of this history making process today in our state. God bless APC”, he said.

    Another chieftain of the APC, Hon Rasaq Muse described the registration of the APC as the beginning of change in the country. He declared that the APC is the party to beat in subsequent elections in the country and called on the supporters of the party to enforce the change they so much desire by voting the party at all levels.

    “The wind of change has begun. The registration of this party is the beginning of the change that the country so direly need. It is here, and it is the party to beat. Please, go out and enforce the change by voting APC. The party will continue to win in Ogun, the Southwest and the country as a whole. Tell others to join, and always support the administration of our able and performing governor, so that he can continue to deliver the dividends of democracy for all of us in Ogun State”.

    When it was time for Governor Amosun to address the gathering; the crowd went wild, singing his praises, chanting the slogan of the party, with the different groups trying frantically to out do one another. After several minutes, relative calm was restored for the governor to begin his address. Behind him stood, in solidarity, an array of party chieftains, supporters and dignitaries. With a big bunch of broom in his hand, the symbol of the APC, Governor Amosun led the people in shouting the slogan of the party.

    “APC”, to which the people responded with a thunderous “change.” This went on for several minutes before he settled down for his address. He announced to the cheering crowd the goodwill and felicitations from APC’s Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, national leaders of the party Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and all other leaders of the party in the state.

    He told the mammoth crowd that APC is the new mega party in town. he emphasised its national spread across the country from North to South, East to West. He stressed that the party was formed to give the country good governance and that the APC is determined to change the fortune of Nigerians for better.

    Governor Amosun taunted those who had written off the merger plan as an impossible adventure by strange bedfellows. He declared that God loves Nigerians and that the registration of the APC was part of His answer to their prayers for a change.

    “APC is the party for Nigerians. It is all over the country. If you come to the Southwest, it is here, if you go to the Southsouth it is there; in the Southeast, you will find us there. If you go to the Northwest, Northcentral and the Northeast, we are there. We are right across the country. We are here to give Nigerians good government. The APC is everything that is good. It will provide security of lives and property, it will provide stable energy, it will provide employment for all of us. It will ensure qualitative education for all and ensure that good healthcare is available to all.

    “That is why we are saying that we must be united always. Don’t make the mistake, there is no longer ACN or ANPP or CPC, what we have now is APC. Our opponents and enemies are ashamed now. They said we won’t be able to agree on the name, we did, they said we won’t be able to agree on the logo, we did. They said we are not going to be able to come up with an interim executive, we did. Today the party is registered. We will always agree for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    “APC is a wonderful party. It is the party for good governance and the party with the solutions to Nigeria’s problems. We will achieve this through unity of purpose as demonstrated by our great leaders, who sank their personal views for the larger interest of Nigeria and her people. We are here to stay and to serve Nigerians and make Nigeria the country of our dream”, he said.

    And with that, the curtain was drawn in Ogun State on the three former parties. In a symbolic gesture, which emphasized the end of the three parties, all their flags were wrapped with a bigger APC flag and taken away. And almost instantaneously, Governor Amosun led other top party chieftans of the APC to hoist the flag of the new party right there at the Ake Palace Ground, amidst fanfare and jubilation.

     

     

     

  • ‘APC is vehicle for change’

    ‘APC is vehicle for change’

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has described the All Progressive Congress (APC) as a vehicle for social change. He said that the leaders of the party will use their ingenuity to effect social change in the country.

    He spoke at the meeting of the party in Abuja last week. Oshiomhole said those opposed to the formation of the party resorted to blackmail by saying that it is not different from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    He the leaders of the party had demonstrated commendable courage at different times. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), he said, enthrenched the culture of discipline in Nigeria, with the introduction of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI).

    He also recalled that, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo withdrew the security aides of former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, he still ruled the state successfully.

    Oshiomhole said the former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, stood against all odds to sweep away the ruling party from the state.

    He also said that the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, laid the foundation, which now makes the commission a dreaded organisation.

    Governor Oshiomhole claimed that he has effected a huge political change by defeating the acclaimed political godfather of the state.

    “I have mentioned only these few names just to remind Nigerians that we have within the APC family tested and trusted materials, which is the main difference between us and other people.

    “But, let me also mention that when we talk about change, we want to change from a nation that relies on import to a nation that wants to produce; from a nation that sees the youths as a burden, to a nation that sees the youths as valued assets. We want to bring value to the quality of our human capital, rather than sheer number of our population.”

    Oshiomhole said that, since the people own the power, APC must be connected to them.

    “Allow me to congratulate the leaders of the three parties. And of course, the elders of the three parties that have come to form the APC and as well as my brother, who brought the authentic APC.

    “ To use the word change, as a slogan, means it is something that has been properly thought over and carefully chosen. Therefore, you must go around for you to properly educate and sensitise our people. There have been all kinds of write-ups and analysis .

    “We are different from others, if we are not different, we will have no reason to ask for change. They asked, who are our leaders and why should we be trusted? And I think, for all of you, who have come from different areas of the 774 local government areas, you have a message for them. From the ANPP, we have Modu Sheriff, we have Yerima . And for those with memory, you know that it requires courage, energy, conviction and vision for Yerima to be able to uproot certain forces in Zamfara; for him to assume the governorship of that state at a time when PDP badly wanted to take over Zamfara State.

    “So, can we question the capacity of Yerima to drive change from that part of the country? Modu has lectured us that his life is synonymous with opposition. He has demonstrated that he doesn’t want to go with the wind in the areas of what he believes in. It takes courage, honour and conviction to choose to be different, even if that means to be isolated. Is that not a demonstration of character?

    Oshimhole described Buhari as a man who made remarkable inpression in Nigerian during the short period he led the country. According to him, Buhari has demonstarted what it means to lead by example.

    “We have here a man who is respected, acknowledged appreciated across the 36 states of the Federation, a former Head of State, who showed that it is not how many months you rule, but what difference you make in power. Gen Muhammed Buhari demonstrated that Nigeria’s case is not hopeless; that when the leader is disciplined, the people will follow.

    “Under six months, Nigeria under Buhari learnt how to queue, how to behave and how to respect the rights of the poor. So, you can see some coordinated attempts to demonise some of our most outstanding leaders with enormous electoral value. Therefore, when you go back and they ask the question, you must ask them to remember the General for the difference that he made”.

    On Tinubu, who was unavoidably absent at the Abuja meeting, Oshiomhole said, in him, the party has a good fighter for the cause he believes in. “This morning, we are not privileged to have Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu here. We must remind ourselves that in Tinubu, we have a fighter. A man, who stood against a General and defeated him with bare hands. They were determined to take over Lagos. They changed the commissioner of police, INEC, electoral officers and they withdrew his ADC and yet, he defeated them in the battle for political supremacy. He used the power of the energy, creativity and the doggedness of a man to defeat those who were armed with armoured vehicles. In him, we have a fighter that we can depend on for change.”

    He said he had to mention a few names in the APC to tell the world that in the APC, there are leaders who have been tested and trusted.

    “ I only mentioned these few names, just to remind Nigerians that we have within the family of APC, tested and trusted materials to make the difference between us and other people.

     

  • ‘Reconcilation in PDP possible’

    ‘Reconcilation in PDP possible’

    Chief Owolabi Salis is aspiring to become the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He spoke with reporters in Lagos on his plans for the party. Musa odoshimokhe reports.

     

     

    Why are you running for the post of the National Secretary of the PDP?

    I have been in the race previously, but was asked to step down for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Three of us ran for the post then; Oyinlola and Dapo Sarumi and myself. Now that the position is vacant again, I felt I should present myself for the position. I have this plan to advance the interest of the less privileged in Nigeria. Being the National Secretary of the PDP, it will be a very good platform for me to realiSe this dream.

    Your party is plagued by internal crises. How would you bring about peace in the beleaguared party?

    It is not only the PDP that is battling internal crises. There are other parties that are equally facing internal wrangling. That of the PDP is pronounced because we are in government. The big names in this country are in the PDP. So, facing such challenges is not unusual. For PDP to face what is happening now is not unexpected because of the diverse interests in it. And when you are competing, it is either you take positive or negative steps. Some people have taken positive steps to outsmart other persons and some have found themselves taking negative steps.

    Some PDP governors are against the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan…

    Their going around may not work eventually. I can assure you that they will end up supporting President Jonathan for a second term, if he decides to run. You have to understand the position of the President and Commander- in-Chief, which is two people in one person. If he decides to use his power, I don’t believe they cannot contend with him, but he has conducted himself as a gentleman; someone who will not give you problems. He is the kind of man who will not create problems were there should be no problem. Now let’s look at it, this is how they are going to support Jonathan. I have done the calculation myself in the sense that he is going to win again.

    This is drawn from the fact that we have six zones in the country, in the Southsouth, he will win, Southeast where we have APGA, they are going to support Jonathan, that means six plus five equals eleven. So, we need 19 states for Jonathan to emerge and are you telling me that Jonathan is not going to get nine states from the others zones?

    And again, it depends on who is the candidate of APC. APC don’t have the personality that can defeat the PDP. If it is Hon. Aminu Tanbuwal the they are looking up to, I can assure you that Tanbuwal will not make that mistake of joining APC because the PDP has the formation, the people and capacity to win elections at any time.

    What is the way forward in the PDP?

    The fact that we have gone through all this in the PDP is a big opportunity for the party to put its house in order. You can see the efforts being made by the party to come together and build a united front. Everybody is talking about peace and reconciliation and so, at the end of the day, the reconciliation that will bring lasting peace to the party will take place. Then, let me also add that initially, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was annoyed with President Goodluck Jonathan because of the issue of Boko Haram. Chief Obasanjo wants the unity of Nigeria and I think they have overcome that challenge because of the bold action the President took in his move to curb the Boko Haram insurgency. Obasanjo and General Ibrahim Babangida want peace and unity of Nigeria but Boko Haram was leading us to division in the country. And I can assure you that everything will be resolved in favour of the President.

    What is your reaction to the registration of the APC?

    APC has come on board. It is good for the politics of Nigeria and, as far as the Southwest is concerned, particularly, Lagos, it a welcome development. For Lagos PDP, we have good and outstanding politicians. And given that Lagos is very important and crucial in Nigeria, being the former capital and the commercial nerve centre of the country. But unfortunately, the PDP is yet to have the opportunity to rule Lagos State. If we have such opportunity, I want to say Lagos State will impact on other states in the country.

     

  • Kudos for Okorocha

    Kudos for Okorocha

    A Group in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State, has expressed satisfaction with the way Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha led the Igbo to the APC.

    The chairman of of the group, Mr. James Opara, said Okorocha’s decision is clearly in favour of the progressive elements across the country.

    “He believes in the progress of Nigeria and took this bold decision because we need to get to mainstream politics,” he said. Opara said the governor is a detribali sed patriot, whose concern for Nigeria is legendary.

    “Many enter into minor parties because they feel that the big parties will not their views. So, the merger of these entities to form a bigger bloc is the most welcome development.”

    Opara thanked the leaders of the APC for their vision and foresight. “Nigerians will remain grateful, in particular to General Mohammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who have come together to save Nigeria from stealing, killing and destruction.”

    He said that Nigeria has been held down by regional politics and it was high time the country came together to confront the monster, which was unleashed on the nation.

    “All the attendant conflicts, insecurity and displeasure are evidence that the country was disintegrating and was in dire need of a government that will save the country, this is what the APC will offer.”

    He called on members to support Okorocha, saying that the suspension placed on him by the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) was done in bad faith because the governor has lived up to expectation,- in terms of the delivery of the dividends of democracy.

    He maintained that Ndigbo will put its weight behind APC because it is the only feasible platform to get to mainstream politics.

     

     

  • PDM, ID: Can they fly?

    PDM, ID: Can they fly?

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered two more political parties. Assistant Editor AUGUSTINE AVWODE examines the implications of their emergence for the polity.

    What I see is a party that is not strong enough to make any appreciable impact on its own. I see it joining the APC, that will change the more visible two-legged arrangement of Buhari-Tinubu to a Buhar- Tinubu – Atiku. Such a tripod arrangement will sweep any other party out of the way in 2015.   Since 1998 till now,  a lot of things have happened and so much changes have taken place. The PDM of 1998 which installed Atiku Abubakar as vice president is not the PDM of today. 

    Those who had looked forward to the possibility of two mega parties slugging it out in the 2015 general election must now reconsider their opinions. With the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent Nation Electoral Commission (INEC), analysts and commentators had raised the hope of a likely emergence of two dominant parties, as it was in the days of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC). But with the registration by INEC of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a political party believed to have been sponsored by close political associates of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, that may not be for now. Besides, INEC also registered another party, the Independent Democrats (ID). Their registration was made public in a statement signed by the Secretary to the commission, Augusta Chinwe Ogakeu.

    Two-party system not feasible

    Speaking with The Nation in a telephone interview Professor of Political Science and former Information and Culture Minister, Sam Oyovbaire said the sociology of the Nigeria political process was not considered by those who envisaged a two-party situation following the emergence of APC, which they claim would square up with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

    “First there has been an unnecessary hype and exaggeration of the possibility of two major parties. We have failed to take into consideration what I call the sociology of the Nigerian political process in the sense of the fragmentation of interest and the ethnicisation or regionalization of the overall landscape.

    Oyovbaire argued that the registration of the PDM, may not significantly alter the political equation in the country. He claimed that with the de-registration of some fringe parties, one would have thought that they would move and join the PDP or the APC, which already had visible image and structure, but that was not the case.

    “I was thinking that with the de-registration of some of the old parties, they will find themselves in either the PDP or APC. But that has not happened because a large number of what you call the political parties have their real certificates in the pockets of people. You notice that once there is a quarrel in one of the bigger parties, people just go and buy the certificate, just for the purpose of contesting election. So, I can tell you that it is too early to talk of a two major or mega parties in the country. Though it is the ideal, nothing dramatic has happened in the sociology of the political landscape of the country that would throw up such a development”.

    PDP in turmoil

    With the registration of the PDM, the two leading parties must watch itheir back. Unlike the ID, the PDM struck an instant chord in the minds of Nigerians. Described as a “fairly strong movement that cuts across the country”, Oyovbaire attributed the seemingly huge image of the party to the late Gen Shehu Yar’Adua. He said the PDM could have emerged as a party if it had not joined the G34, to form the PDP. “It was curious that it did not really emerge as a party in those days because it was a very strong political movement, which was built around the late Gen. Yar’Adua. Now that it has becme a party, it will send all kinds of signals to the national process. The arrowheads are from the PDP. It is true that Atiku Abubakar has denied being a member, but it is not a bad thing for the polity”, he said.

    The registration of the PDM did not come as a surprise to followers of political developments in the country. It happened against the backdrop of a complain of marginali-sation by Atiku in the scheme of things in PDP. Early last week, Atiku cried out that he was being denied his dues in the party. He cited the ommission of his name from the list of Adamawa State delegates to the planned August 31 mini- convention of the party as one of the many cases of marginalisation he has suffered.

    But when the news of the registration was, he insisted that he was still a member of the PDP. He however, added that while he remains in the PDP, there was nothing he could do to stop his associates from forming a new party, if that was their wish.

    According to him, the “freedom of association as enshrined in the constitution is the beauty of democracy and that he wouldn’t dissuade any of his followers from seeking a platform to promote their programmes.” The statement signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, Abubakar’s media aide read in part: “Following press enquiries on the reported registration of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) as a political party, the former Vice President said he would always welcome the expansion of the political space to accommodate all shades of opinions or political hue.

    Garba Shehu, like Oyovbaire, acknowleged the role the late Gen Yar’Adua played in enthroning the PDM and the political exploits it made in those days.

    “The PDM which was founded by late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, provided the impetus for his impressive performance across the country during the September 1992 Presidential primaries, which were later cancelled by the military regime. The late Yar’Adua came close to becoming President, thanks to the formidable PDM structure,” the statement said.

    Nine PDP governors were also alleged to be sympathetic to the new political party. Some governors of the party, particularly, from the North, have been going round the country visiting and consulting with former Heads of State and other stakeholders on the way forward for the party. At a point Governor Nyako issued an ominous warning to the PDP that if care was not taken, it would die, and they will help to bury it.

    Nyako who spoke through his Director of Press and Publications, Sajoh Ahmed, said: “We have held consultations with former the Head of State and former BoT chairman of the PDP, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the need for him and other major stakeholders to save the party from dying.

    “We will continue to make our efforts to save the party. But if our efforts do not work, we have no alternative than to fold our arms, and see PDP die and help in burying it.”

    Oyovbaire warned that the PDP must immediately retool itself, following the emergence PDM, otherwise, it will face serious challenges. According to him, there is the need for the party to learn how it operates from top to bottom. The signals coming from the different wards of the party across the country are not good enough.

    “The PDP need to learn some lessons now following the registration of the PDM. And the lessons must be from top to bottom. If we use the ward as the bottom, the kind of signals coming from the ward’s level of the party across the country is not good enough. So, the emergence of the PDM should provide a lesson for the PDP to retool itself. It should not be a party for the smart guys or people with money. We need candidates with integrity, who the people can believe and have trust in; individuals that the electorate can believe in. If you follow what is happening across the nation in the party where primary elections are held or to be held, you will believe that the party has serious need of retooling. If that is not done, it should be ready to face real challenges which would come from the party that is coming out of it,” he said.

    For the APC, the former minister said it must go beyond being a platform for election only to being a serious political party.

    “As for the APC, the emergence of the PDM should make it think seriously about how to be a political party that transcends just being a platform for the purposes of contesting elections and getting power. It has the spread but it must be able to prove that it is not a platform for people to come and contest elections only but a serious party”, Oyovbaire said.

    But another political scientist and public affairs analysts, Mallam Moyo Jaji dismissed the PDM as a force that could upset the APC. He sees the PDM as a group that will, at the end of the day, dissolve into the APC and Atiku leading the pack to the APC.

    “What I see is a party that is not strong enough to make any appreciable impact on its own. I see it joining the APC. That will change the more visible two-legged arrangement of Buhari-Tinubu to a Buhar- Tinubu – Atiku. Such a tripod arrangement will sweep any other party out of the way in 2015.

    “Since 1998 till now, a lot of things have happened and so much changes have taken place. The PDM of 1998 which installed Atiku Abubakar as vice president is not the PDM of today. So, let nobody deceive you, the party is not going to overtake either of APC or PDP. Many of the bigwigs that were in the PDM in those days are well established today in other parties and they won’t give up their comfort zone to start building another tower in the twilight of their political careers”, Jaji argued.

    2015 may be like 2011

    But the development is being interpreted to be a disservice to the electorate in the run up to 2015. Analysts say there may be no clear cut choice for the electorate who are largely illiterate. Many people expect a situation where the election that will produce the president of the country will afford the people with simple clear choice of either two or at the most three.

    Just now, the United Progressives Party (UPP) has made it clear that it would give its presidential ticket to the Southeast. National Chairman of the UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie has severally maintained that the party’s presidential ticket has been reserved for the region.

    In like manner, observers say the PDM, if it decides to go solo, will likely give the ticket to a northerner. A chieftain of the PDP from the Southsouth zone informed The Nation on condition of anonymity that the PDM was registered solely to checkmate the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan by northern element.

    “From all indications, the emergence of PDM is for a singular purpose and that is to stop President Goodluck Jonathan. Though he has not told anybody that he would contest in 2015, many people have concluded that he will surely run and that he is only bidding his time. Of course, they know he will get the ticket if he chooses to run. So, they realised that they cannot make it in the PDP, they have gone to create another platform to realize that.

    “There are some people from the North who do not want to see him run. Take for instance, the interim National Chairman of the new party, Bashir Ibrahim Yusuf, he is not just a former political adviser to Atiku Abubakar, he is the Secretary of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF).”

    Yusuf said the formation of the party was give Nigerians more choices and provide a paradigm shift from the existing structure.

    “We formed the party because we are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs in the country. We believe that the existing political parties do not offer voters and Nigerians as a whole enough choices and do not advance their interests and we believe and have seen that all the existing political parties are united in upholding the current order and the status quo and we believe that since we have been on this path for these many years without any progress, that there is need for a paradigm shift.”

    Nigerians will decide the fate of the old and new parties in 2015.